Adelaide Metro
Adelaide Metro
On the 23rd of April 2000, bus, train, and tram services were rebranded and brought under a single entity, Adelaide Metro. This changed all public timetables, bus stops, and branding, including bus and train liveries (later this would included trams, but vintage “H Type” 1929 trams in service at the time retained their vintage tuscan livery). This new livery was created from the South Australian state colours, red, yellow, and blue. The livery consists of a yellow front, with red stripes on the side at a 57 degree angle, surrounding a blue triangle around the wheel. The livery first appeared in 2000, and was last used in 2011. MAN NL202, MAN 11.190, MAN SG280H, MAN SL200, MAN SL202, Volvo B58/B10M, Mercedes O305/G, Scania L94UB, and Scania K series buses all featured in this livery. Various “one off” purchases made by private operators contracted to run Adelaide Metro services during this time also featured in this livery. “2000” and “3000” class trains were also painted in this livery, as well as Flexity Classic trams. This level of livery uniformity had not been seen in Adelaide since the “silver” days of the MTT and STA, and cemented the idea of a single, uniform service to the public. Currently, BPASA member-owned buses 199, 1321, 1324, 1325, 1347, 1352, 1539, 1549, 1948, and 1966 are in this livery, however many of these have plans in the pipeline to be re-painted into previous liveries.
Adelaide Free
In late 2000, the newly formed Adelaide Metro decided to create a new and updated identity for the free CBD loop services (The 99B “Bee Line'“ and 99C “City Loop”).
Part of this new identity was to put brand new, clean and modern looking buses on the services, and have onboard entertainment showing off the many things you could do in the CBD.
Adelaide Metro asked that the final 11 MAN NL202 CNG’s (#1750-60) delivered have a different seating arrangement at the back for increased capacity and be fitted with the more modern CB62A front.
Then all but one of these buses would be placed in permanent Adelaide Free service and receive one of three new liveries to promote different aspects of Adelaide’s culture/drawcards.
These were; “Adelaide the Green City” (#1752, 1756, 1758, 1759), “Adelaide Food & Wine” (#1750, 1753, 1754) and “Adelaide Arts & Education” (#1751, 1755, 1757). 1760 remained in the regular Adelaide Metro livery.
As the livery began to fade over the next decade, they were slowly phased off dedicated service on the Adelaide Free loops and later entirely removed when in 2014 the services were rebranded to “Free City Connector”. This new branding coincided with a more modern fleet of buses entering service on the new loop services, as they are today (2021).
This livery survived on some units up until 2017 when they were all repainted into the standard Adelaide Metro yellow.
This livery can still be seen around the network today and is still very common, however it is slowly being fazed out.
Adelaide Metro Version 1
Introduced in late 2000, the first Adelaide Metro livery marked the beginning of a new era for Adelaide's public transport network. Designed to give buses a fresh, modern appearance, the livery featured a bright yellow front, a white body, a blue geometric panel around the front wheel, and red diagonal stripes sweeping towards the rear.
The first buses to receive the new livery were the final batch of MAN NL202 CNG buses delivered in 2000, with the design gradually being applied across the fleet as buses were refurbished or repainted. Its bold yellow front quickly became a recognisable feature of Adelaide's buses and helped establish Adelaide Metro's new identity.
Over the years, the livery was carried by a wide variety of bus types and operators across the metropolitan network. While many buses later received full advertising wraps, the original Adelaide Metro design remained the standard appearance for the fleet and became one of the most iconic bus liveries in South Australia's history.
Adelaide Metro Version 2 (Red Nose)
Introduced around 2010, the second Adelaide Metro livery was a refreshed version of the original design, commonly recognised by the addition of the red front “nose” on buses. The updated scheme retained the familiar Adelaide Metro colours of white, yellow, blue and red, while giving the fleet a cleaner and more modern appearance.
The main change was the front of the bus, where the original large yellow front was replaced with a red panel surrounding the destination display, creating the recognisable “red nose” appearance. The remainder of the design continued with the white base colour and the familiar Adelaide Metro red, blue and yellow graphics along the sides.
Throughout the lifespan of the Version 2 design, there were several variations depending on the bus body and delivery batch. Some buses featured a black destination display surround, providing a contrast around the electronic destination sign, while later deliveries introduced a yellow destination display surround that blended more closely with Adelaide Metro's existing colour palette.
Other small differences could be seen between manufacturers and body styles, including variations in the shape and size of the front red section and how the graphics followed the contours of different buses. However, the overall layout, branding and Adelaide Metro logo placement remained consistent.
The Version 2 livery was applied to new buses delivered from around 2010 onwards, rather than through repainting of the existing fleet. Older buses generally remained in the original Version 1 livery, making both designs visible across the network throughout the 2010s. The red nose design became a defining feature of Adelaide Metro buses during this period.
Adelaide Metro Version 3 (AdMet New)
Introduced from 2020, the third Adelaide Metro livery marked a major change from the previous “red nose” design and introduced a refreshed appearance for a new generation of buses entering the fleet.
The new livery was first introduced on the Bustech VST buses, which entered service from 2020 onwards. It replaced the previous front-heavy design with a cleaner and more modern style that better suited the newer generation of low-floor buses.
The design featured a predominantly white base, with yellow and red sweeping graphics running along the sides of the bus. The updated graphics retained Adelaide Metro’s established colours while creating a more streamlined appearance compared to the earlier Version 1 and Version 2 liveries.
The front of the bus adopted a simpler layout, with a white front and yellow and red detailing, replacing the distinctive red nose used on the Version 2 design. The Adelaide Metro logo remained in its established position, while the new graphics were adapted to suit the shape and styling of modern bus bodies.
The first vehicles to receive the Version 3 livery were the Scania K320UB Bustech VST buses, delivered from 2020 onwards. The design was introduced on factory-new vehicles rather than through repainting the existing fleet, meaning older buses continued operating in previous Adelaide Metro liveries.
The Version 3 livery became the standard appearance for a number of new bus deliveries during the early 2020s and represented Adelaide Metro’s transition into a more modern fleet identity.
Adelaide Metro Version 4 (AdMet Hybrid)
Introduced from 2021, the Adelaide Metro hybrid livery was developed as a variation of the new Version 3 design, created specifically to distinguish hybrid-powered buses within the fleet. The livery was heavily based on the standard Adelaide Metro “New” livery, retaining the same modern styling, white base colour and overall graphic layout.
The main difference was the introduction of green elements throughout the design, replacing some of the yellow detailing used on standard buses. The addition of green was used to highlight the buses’ hybrid technology and their reduced environmental impact, while still maintaining a clear connection to the wider Adelaide Metro brand.
The hybrid design featured the same flowing side graphics and modern appearance as the Version 3 livery, with the green accents integrated into the existing red and yellow colour scheme. The front design also followed the updated style, with the hybrid buses retaining the cleaner front appearance introduced with the new livery.
The first buses to carry the hybrid variation were the Scania K320UB Bustech VST hybrid buses, delivered as part of Adelaide Metro’s move towards introducing more environmentally efficient vehicles into the fleet. These buses were factory-delivered in the hybrid-specific design rather than being created through repainting existing vehicles.
While closely related to the standard Version 3 livery, the hybrid variation provided a clear visual distinction for hybrid vehicles while maintaining a consistent Adelaide Metro identity across the fleet
Image: Volgren
Adelaide Metro Version 5 (AdMet Electric, Current Livery for all future orders as of July 2026)
Introduced from 2023, the fourth Adelaide Metro livery was developed alongside the introduction of battery electric buses into the Adelaide Metro fleet. The design was heavily based on the Version 3 “New” livery, retaining the same modern styling, white base colour and overall graphic layout, while introducing a new colour variation to represent the transition towards electric transport.
The main difference from the standard Version 3 livery was the replacement of the red elements with green. The green detailing became the defining feature of the electric livery, creating a clear visual distinction from the standard diesel fleet while continuing to use Adelaide Metro’s existing branding style.
The design retained the same flowing side graphics and clean front appearance introduced with Version 3, with the green elements integrated into the existing yellow and white colour scheme. This allowed the electric buses to remain recognisable as part of the Adelaide Metro fleet while highlighting their zero-emission technology.
The first bus to carry the Version 5 electric livery was the Bustech VST C250EB electric bus, introduced as part of Adelaide Metro’s first electric bus trial. The livery was delivered from the manufacturer rather than being created through repainting an existing vehicle.
Following its introduction, the electric-style livery became the current design used for future Adelaide Metro bus deliveries on the Volgren Optimus body, making it the latest evolution of the Adelaide Metro bus identity.
Image: Volgren
