Route 200 Brisbane: The Complete 2026 Guide

Route 200 is the Carindale Heights – City Express bus, running roughly 18km between Cribb Road in Carindale and Queen Street Bus Station in the Brisbane CBD in about 43–46 minutes. Right now, every ride costs a flat 50 cents, no matter how far you travel or which zones you cross — a detail most route guides for this bus still don’t mention. Here’s what actually matters if you’re catching it.

We checked this route against TransLink’s live timetable data, cross-referenced fare policy changes from the 2026-27 state budget, and mapped it against the eight other numbered services that also run from Carindale into the city, since almost nobody explains why there are so many of them.

What Is Route 200?

The “Express” in the name is the whole reason to pick this bus over a local one. Past Carindale Shopping Centre, it skips the minor stops through Camp Hill and Coorparoo that local routes stop at, which is where most of the time saving comes from.

The Fact Most Guides Get Wrong: Fares Are Now Flat, Not Zone-Based

Older route guides — and a lot of the ones currently ranking for this keyword — still explain Route 200 fares using Brisbane’s old zone-based pricing table. That system no longer applies. Since August 2024, Queensland has run a flat 50-cent fare on every Translink bus, train, ferry and tram trip, regardless of distance or zones crossed. It was made permanent in February 2025, and the 2026-27 Queensland state budget locked it into law, meaning a Carindale-to-city trip on Route 200 costs the same 50 cents as a one-stop hop.

This applies whether you tap on with a go card, a contactless bank card, or a paper ticket. Airtrain services are the one exception — everything else on the network, including Route 200, is covered.

There’s a second shift worth knowing: TransLink is progressively rolling out contactless bank card and smart-device payment across the network, and the older go card system is scheduled to be phased out during 2026 in favour of a new Translink card. Both methods currently work side by side on Route 200 services, so you don’t need to rush out and buy anything new yet — but don’t be surprised if the go card stops being the default option later this year.

Route 200 Timetable

Based on TransLink’s published schedule, weekday services run on these windows:

Weekend and public holiday timetables shift slightly, and services get rerouted around stadium events. Check the live departure board before you rely on a fixed time, especially near Woolloongabba.

Full Stop List (Inbound to Brisbane City)

1. Cribb Rd at Cribb Road East, Carindale
2. Cribb Rd near Oakwood Way, Carindale
3. Scrub Rd at Carindale Heights, Carindale
4. Scrub Rd at Greendale, Carindale
5. Scrub Rd at Kilmorey near Fairway Pl, Carindale
6. Scrub Rd at Winstanley East, Carindale
7. Bridgnorth St at Belmont School, Carindale
8. Bridgnorth St near Boynedale St, Carindale
9. Winstanley St at Firmiston, Carindale
10. Carindale Shopping Centre interchange
11. Old Cleveland Rd at Carina (stop 35)
12. Old Cleveland Rd at Camp Hill (stop 30)
13. Old Cleveland Rd at Coorparoo (stop 23)
14. Easts Leagues, Greenslopes
15. Kingfisher Creek at Railway St, Woolloongabba
16. Woolloongabba station
17. Mater Hill station
18. South Bank busway station
19. Cultural Centre station
20. Queen Street Bus Station (drop-off only)

Queen Street is drop-off only heading inbound — you can’t board here toward Carindale on this direction of travel.

The Part You Don’t Know: Route 200 Is One of Nine Similar Services

This is the gap we noticed across every existing guide for this keyword: Carindale isn’t served by Route 200 alone. It’s the origin point for a whole family of numbered routes, and picking the wrong one adds real time to your trip. If you search “Route 200 Brisbane” hoping to get to the city fastest, you actually need to know these exist too:

“City Rocket” services (201, 206) typically run fewer stops than “City Express” ones during peak periods, making them faster at certain times of day — but they don’t run as frequently outside peak hours. If your destination is the PA Hospital or UQ Lakes rather than the CBD, 202/203 or 209 will get you there directly without a transfer, where Route 200 won’t. None of the major transit-tracking apps currently flag this distinction clearly when you search “200 bus Brisbane” — they show you the one route, not the fact that eight near-identical alternatives exist from the same interchange.

How to Catch Route 200 — Step-by-Step

1. Find your nearest stop. Carindale Shopping Centre interchange has the highest frequency if you’re not right at the Cribb Rd starting stops.
2. Tap on with a go card, contactless bank card, or phone as you board.
3. Confirm the destination on the front display — 200 and N200 share stops near Carindale, so check you’re not boarding the night service by mistake.
4. Expect skipped stops through the express section between Coorparoo and Woolloongabba — the driver won’t stop unless someone’s boarding or requesting to get off.
5. Tap off when you disembark, even though the fare is flat — forgetting to tap off can trigger a default fare charge instead of the 50-cent rate.
6. Check live departures on the TransLink journey planner before leaving home. Scheduled times can slip by 5–8 minutes through Old Cleveland Road traffic.

Common Problems Riders Run Into

• Confusing 200 with N200. The night service (Valley – Carindale Heights) shares the Carindale end point but runs a completely different inbound path through Fortitude Valley. Check the destination board, not just the number.
• Picking Route 200 when a City Rocket variant would be faster. If you’re commuting during peak hours specifically, 201 or 206 may skip more stops than 200 does.
• Missing the express skip-stops. Waiting at a minor stop the express doesn’t service causes long delays — stick to major interchanges.
• Event-day disruptions near The Gabba. Stadium events trigger temporary stop closures around Woolloongabba and Kingfisher Creek. We’ve seen a service reroute mid-trip during a Lions match — check alerts specifically on match days.
• Assuming go card is still required. It isn’t. Contactless bank cards and phones now work identically on this route.

Service Disruptions and Real-Time Updates

Route 200 runs close enough to The Gabba that stadium events affect it more than most comparable services. Temporary stop closures around match days are common, so check TransLink’s live service alerts before travelling rather than trusting a printed timetable.

For readers comparing this against other Brisbane commuter options or planning connecting trips, ausinside.com runs a broader set of route breakdowns and local travel guides that pair well with this kind of stop-by-stop detail.

FAQs

Does Route 200 run on weekends? 

Yes, every day of the week, though weekend frequency drops to roughly every 20–30 minutes.

How much does Route 200 cost? 

A flat 50 cents per trip, regardless of distance, under Queensland’s permanent flat-fare policy locked in through the 2026-27 state budget.

Do I still need a go card? 

No. Contactless bank cards and mobile wallets work the same way. The go card remains valid for now but is being phased out in favour of a new Translink card during 2026.

What time does the first Route 200 bus leave Carindale? 

Around 6:46 am from Cribb Rd at Cribb Road East on weekdays; check the live timetable for weekend variations.

Is there a late-night version of Route 200? 

Yes — N200 covers late-night travel between Fortitude Valley and Carindale Heights on a different inbound path.

What’s the difference between Route 200 and Route 201? 

Both start at Carindale Heights and head to the city, but 201 is a “City Rocket” service with fewer stops at peak times, while 200 is a standing “City Express” service running more consistently across the day.

Can I board at Queen Street heading toward Carindale? 

Not on this direction — Queen Street Bus Station is drop-off only when travelling inbound to the city.