The future of bus transport in Sydney's northern corridor took an important step forward on Monday when the first sod was officially turned marking the start of construction on the new green-field Macquarie Park Bus Depot.

It will charge and operate 150 cleaner, quieter electric buses and is an important moment for the phased transition for the state’s 8,000-strong diesel and gas fleet over the next two decades.

Once open, the depot will house 160 staff and support the existing Ryde and Willoughby depots, enhancing service delivery in Busways’ operating region across Sydney’s lower north shore, northwest suburbs, Ryde and Parramatta.

The new depot will have both standard (75-kilowatt) and fast (150-kilowatt) plug-in charging infrastructure, enabling the electric buses to travel up to 300 kilometres on a single charge.

The Australian and NSW governments have each committed $115 million to jointly fund the Zero Emission Buses Tranche 1 Infrastructure – Macquarie Park Depot project, expected to be operational in 2028.

Busways is a consulting partner to the project team, contributing operational insights on depot design and introducing battery electric buses at scale, and will operate the new depot as part of its North Shore and West contract region.

Chris Wolf, Busways Director of Assets and Safety, said the project was an important investment in the future of public transport for the area.

"It’s rare to have a greenfield new depot in the heart of Sydney and this will make a major difference to bus operations in the North Shore and West region as the community grows,” Mr Wolf said.

“Our team has been advising Transport for NSW on the infrastructure, fleet transition and practical depot design, with input from Busways teams helping to bring day-to-day depot knowledge into the project planning.”

Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King said “The Australian Government is pleased to be funding this crucial project in Macquarie Park, ensuring Sydney’s transport infrastructure is ready for the future.

“By transforming this site into a state-of-the-art electric bus depot, we are directly investing in cleaner air, quieter streets and a more sustainable transport network for growing communities.”

NSW Minister for Transport John Graham said “The sight of shovels going into the ground at Macquarie Park is a major step on the path to transitioning our very large NSW bus fleet to the cleaner, quieter, smoother ride of electric buses.

“The buses that charge up here will be a welcome addition for passengers from Parramatta to Ryde and highly bus dependent suburbs across Sydney’s northwest and lower north shore.

The new depot will have both standard (75-kilowatt) and fast (150-kilowatt) plug-in charging infrastructure, enabling the electric buses to travel up to 300 kilometres on a single charge. 

The NSW Government’s Zero Emissions Bus Program is delivering more than 1,200 new electric buses by 2028.  Contractor Fulton Hogan starts work on the Talavera Road site at Macquarie Park this week.

The depot will include electric bus charging infrastructure, bus maintenance bays and a wash bay, around 150 staff car parking spaces, a multi-storey staff and security building, and road upgrades to Pittwater Road to support efficient bus access to and from the site.

Contractor Fulton Hogan starts work on the Talavera Road site at Macquarie Park this week.

Link to Ministers release