<
https://thedriven.io/2026/02/02/australian-state-opens-its-first-overhead-gantry-charged-bus-depot/>
"The first over-head gantry-charged electric bus depot in the state of Victoria
has been opened, marking a significant milestone in the transition to
zero-emission public transport in its capital city.
The new bus depot, located in the north-east Melbourne suburb of Preston, was
built by Kinetic in partnership with the Victorian Department of Transport and
Planning under the new Metropolitan Zero Emission Bus Franchise (MZF).
While not the first electric bus depot in Victoria – that one was opened in
Ivanhoe back in September of 2024 – the Preston depot switches things up with
the state’s first overhead gantry charging infrastructure, which Kinetic says
is approximately 25 per cent more space-efficient than conventional charging
infrastructure, therefore allowing the depot to maximise its bus capacity.
Unlike traditional ground-mounted charging systems, the overhead gantry design
at Preston suspends charging equipment from an overhead gantry, with pull-down
cable reels to connect buses to charge ports.
As the photos suggest, the gantry is located such that buses can pull up
nose-to-tail to maximise charging space.
The Preston depot took learnings from Kinetic’s New Zealand operations, in
particular the country’s first large-scale overhead gantry charging system at
its Glenfield depot in Auckland."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
