Two metronet projects added to Infrastructure Priority List
03 December 2018
Federal Government: Two
projects in the
Western Australian Government's METRONET
rail program have been added to the Infrastructure Priority List after the
business cases were assessed by
Infrastructure
Australia, the nation's independent infrastructure advisor.
The Infrastructure Priority List is the authoritative
list of nationally significant investments Australia needs over the next
15 years. Developed using a rigorous assessment process, the Priority
List identifies the
Yanchep Rail Extension
as a High Priority Project and the
Thornlie-Cockburn Link as a Priority Project.
Infrastructure Australia Acting Chief Executive Anna Chau said the
METRONET program of rail projects is designed to address the problem of
capacity constraints on
Perth's metropolitan rail network, which was previously highlighted
on the Infrastructure Priority List
as a Priority Initiative requiring action in the short term.
“Growing urban congestion in Greater Perth has been identified by
Infrastructure Australia as a nationally significant problem, driven in
part by the city's limited public transport options and a tendency
towards low-density development which has led to high car use compared
to other Australian capital cities,” said Ms Chau.
“METRONET aims to increase the capacity and reach of Perth's
metropolitan rail network. As part of the overall program, the Yanchep
Rail Extension and Thornlie-Cockburn Link will enable more people to use
public transport and reduce pressure on the road network – something
which will become increasingly critical as the city's population grows.
“Perth's population has grown strongly over the past 20 years, and is
expected to increase from 2 million people in 2017 to 2.9 million people
by 2031, and 3.5 million people by 2050. Creating more integrated
transport networks will be essential to guard against congestion and
overcrowding, and maintain Perth's world-renowned liveability.
“Without action to increase public transport use, additional demand for
travel will be absorbed by Perth's road networks, which are already
constrained in peak periods. Congestion on the Mitchell Freeway means
that journeys on this road can take twice as long as they should, with
cars travelling at an average of 50km/h in the morning peak when the
speed limit is 100km/h.
“Part of the
WA Government's METRONET program, the Yanchep Rail Extension
involves extending the Joondalup Line from Butler Station to Yanchep,
with new stations planned for Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep to support
population growth in the city's north-west. With a stated benefit-cost
ratio of 2.6 from the WA Government, Infrastructure Australia is
confident that extending the Joondalup Rail Line to this growth area
will provide more transport choices for residents and reduce demand on
the roads,” Ms Chau said.
Also delivered as part of the METRONET rail program, the proposed
Thornlie-Cockburn Link involves the construction of two new train
stations, Nicholson Road Station and Ranford Road Station, and
construction of a new passenger rail corridor which follows the Midland
to Kwinana freight line.
“The WA Government's proposal to link Thornlie Station on the Armadale
Line to Cockburn Central Station on the Mandurah Line will improve
network connectivity and relieve pressure on existing interchanges, such
as at Murdoch. The WA Government has stated a benefit-cost ratio of 1.2
for the project, with Infrastructure Australia's assessment finding that
the benefits of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link would marginally exceed its
costs,” Ms Chau said.
Infrastructure Australia considers a range factors in classifying a
project as Priority or High Priority, including the scale of national
productivity benefits the project will deliver, its strategic
significance within the broader network, and potential social impacts
such as better integration of land use development and transport
networks.
Infrastructure Australia's process for assessing business cases is
described in detail in the Infrastructure Australia Assessment Framework.
--ENDS--
Source: Australian Government - www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au
Contact: N/A
External Links:
https://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/projects/infrastructure-priority-list.aspx
https://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/projects/files/Project-Evaluation-Summary-METRONET-YRE.pdf
https://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/projects/files/Project-Evaluation-Summary-METRONET-TCL.pdf
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