Construction is officially underway on Sydney’s first purpose-built electric bus depot, marking a significant step in the city’s shift towards a cleaner public transport network.
The new facility, taking shape on Talavera Road in Macquarie Park alongside the M2 Motorway, will eventually house and charge up to 150 electric buses—replacing older diesel and gas-powered vehicles with quieter, zero-emission alternatives.
Once the depot opens in 2028, it will support around 160 jobs across driving, maintenance and administration.
Backed by a $230M joint investment from the NSW and Federal governments—each contributing $115 million—the project forms part of the state’s broader push to modernise its 8,000-strong bus fleet over the coming decades. It also signals a visible shift toward designing Sydney’s transport infrastructure for the future.
What will the Macquarie Park depot will include?
Fulton Hogan has been appointed to deliver the build, with early works now underway on site. When complete, the depot will feature both standard 75-kilowatt chargers and faster 150-kilowatt units, allowing buses to travel up to 300 kilometres on a single charge before returning to base.
The Macquarie Park hub will play a key role in strengthening services across Sydney’s northwest, Ryde, Parramatta and the lower north shore—areas currently supported by older depots in Ryde and Willoughby, which date back to the 1950s.
By comparison, planners are designing this new facility from the ground up to support electric transport, reflecting a broader generational upgrade in infrastructure.
A new era for Sydney buses
It also builds on momentum already underway across the network. Brookvale became Sydney’s first depot to introduce electric bus charging in 2024, including Australia’s first gantry-mounted fast charger, while Leichhardt and Kingsgrove are next in line for upgrades later this year.
Transport for NSW’s Zero Emission Bus Program aims to roll out more than 1,200 electric buses by 2028, with renewable energy credits currently used to offset grid electricity in the program’s first stage. The longer-term goal is to fully transition the state’s fleet to zero emissions by 2047.
Jobs and future impact
Beyond environmental benefits, the project is also framed as an economic opportunity. Officials say it will support local jobs during construction and help grow a specialised workforce in emerging transport technologies once operational.
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King described the project as an investment in “cleaner air, quieter streets and a more sustainable transport network,” while NSW Transport Minister John Graham pointed to the broader commuter experience, noting electric buses promise a “smoother ride” for passengers across some of Sydney’s busiest suburban corridors.
The Macquarie Park depot is one of 11 sites that planners have earmarked for electrification across Sydney’s bus network—an ambitious overhaul that is still in its early stages but is already beginning to take physical shape on the ground.
