Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY - Wednesday, 14 August 2002] p92b-94a Ms Alannah MacTiernan

RAILWAY (JANDAKOT TO ) BILL 2002 Introduction and First Reading Bill introduced, on motion by Ms A.J. MacTiernan (Minister for Planning and Infrastructure), and read a first time. Second Reading MS A.J. MacTIERNAN (Armadale - Minister for Planning and Infrastructure) [2.45 pm]: I move - That the Bill be now read a second time. Before I commence the second reading of this Bill I am required by section 18A of the Transport Co-ordination Act 1966 to table a report by the Director General of Planning and Infrastructure on the planned construction of the new railway from Jandakot to Perth. I table the report. [See paper No 130.] Ms A.J. MacTIERNAN: The purpose of this Bill is to implement the legislative authority for the construction of the Jandakot to Perth section of the south west metropolitan railway. It will supplement the Railway (Northern and Southern Urban Extensions) Act 1999. The original south west metropolitan railway master plan defined the route of the railway from Jandakot to Perth as following the existing freight railway reserve north east to Kenwick and then via the existing Armadale line to Perth. Effectively, two rail links were to converge on a single line. When the Government came into office in February 2001 it reviewed the previous Government’s decision to take the south west metropolitan rail line via Kenwick. It was evident that the route proposed did not provide the best public transport outcome to service the south west metropolitan area, or an attractive and viable alternative to the motor vehicle. The Kenwick deviation had a number of problems and unresolved issues. It added approximately 11 kilometres to the journey and at least 12 minutes each way in travel time from Thomsons Lake south. This undermined the competitiveness of the system with the motor vehicle. Even to achieve the proposed travel times of 60 minutes from Mandurah and 48 minutes from Rockingham, significant alterations would have been required to both the infrastructure and train schedules on the Armadale line. A number of stations were to be closed and the trains travelling to and from Rockingham and Mandurah would have stopped at only a limited number of stations between Kenwick and Perth. The likely stopping pattern for the south west trains would have been Cannington, Oats Street, either Claisebrook or McIver - the service would have alternated between the two - and Perth station. A major change would have been required to the operation of train services between Perth and Armadale to accommodate the integration of limited-stop trains from the south west and the amended timetable for Armadale trains. This would have added an extra layer of complexity to the Armadale line, which currently carries responsibility for 55 per cent of the entire system’s potential passenger delay impacts. The Western Australian Government Railways Commission is proud of its standards of performance, which include 98 per cent reliability, and takes the view that any addition to the existing service should be achieved without a lessening of that enviable performance. Another problem with the proposed deviation was that a number of existing level crossings between Burswood and Kenwick were to be retained: Mint Street, Carlisle; Hamilton Street, Queens Park; Wharf Street, Cannington; and William Street, Beckenham. A significant number of vehicles pass through these crossings during the morning and afternoon peak periods. Currently, eight trains an hour plus the service operate each way on the Armadale line between Kenwick and Perth during the peak periods. Under the Kenwick deviation, there would have been up to 12 trains an hour from the south west line, resulting in up to 20 trains an hour each way in addition to the Australind service. With up to 41 trains an hour passing through these areas during peak periods, the crossings would have been closed for approximately 26 minutes each hour during the busiest periods of the day. The additional trains on the Armadale line under the Kenwick deviation would have pushed boom gate closures beyond acceptable limits and those crossings, in all probability, would have needed to be grade separated. The cost of grade separating the four level crossings was estimated to be $20 million. A great number of railcars needed to be acquired for the Kenwick deviation. Initially, 117 railcars were required to service the demand on the Kenwick deviation. Under the direct route, this has been reduced by 20 per cent to a total of 93 railcars due to the reduced journey distance and the ability of the railcars to achieve their potential on the new line rather than have to slow down on the Perth to Beckenham-Kenwick section. The south west metropolitan railway master plan required some new works to the existing track infrastructure on the Armadale line. This was to be done only where bridge or station works were to be carried out. The new track works would have provided concrete sleepers and higher standard rail than currently exists. The master plan recognised that in the years following the introduction of services, the increased number of train services would accelerate the rate of decline in the track condition. However, no additional funding was provided.

[1] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY - Wednesday, 14 August 2002] p92b-94a Ms Alannah MacTiernan

It is forecast that approximately 25 per cent of the metropolitan population will reside in the south west region in 2029. By 2021 projected patronage demand will require 20 trains per hour on the Clarkson-Mandurah alignment. The Kenwick deviation restricted the number of possible train services from the south west metropolitan railway to 12 trains per hour due to its integration with the Armadale line, which has a maximum capacity of up to 20 trains per hour. Therefore, the Kenwick deviation would have been unable to accommodate future rail network patronage growth, as it would not have been able to cater for additional train services that would be required in the future. By comparison, the direct route facilitates effective management of forecast growth in patronage demand and supports the operation of up to 20 trains per hour along the Clarkson-Mandurah alignment. Another unresolved issue was how to cater for the major increase in passengers at the Perth railway station. The number of passengers passing through Perth station was expected to double over time and, although approximately $10 million was allocated to deal with the extra train services and passengers, no detailed design had been done on how to deal with congestion, ingress and egress. By comparison, the provision of the new platforms to the existing Perth city station under the central route recommended by the Perth City Rail Advisory Committee means that Perth city station will be able to cater for future patronage growth. The Government then considered alternative, more direct and more competitive options, and in July 2001 gave in-principle agreement to the adoption of the direct route from Jandakot to Perth, utilising the median strip of the Kwinana Freeway. The previous Government had earmarked this as a bus way and did not give rail planners the opportunity to consider the median strip as a railway option. The in-principle agreement was subject to the preparation of a supplementary master plan to fully develop the route. The Perth urban rail development supplementary master plan has now been completed and it supports the Government’s decision to take the direct route. There is a significant travel time saving of 12 minutes each way, 24 minutes per day, from all stations south of Thomsons Lake. The journey from Perth to Mandurah will take 48 minutes, compared with 60 minutes under the Kenwick route - a 20 per cent saving in travel time. The journey from Perth to Rockingham will take 33 minutes, compared with 45 minutes - a 26 per cent saving. The journey from Perth to Thomsons Lake will take 16 minutes, compared with 28 minutes - a saving of 42 per cent. The new route will also mean significant time advantages for people travelling to Perth by car. Main Roads Western Australia information shows that people travelling from Mandurah and Rockingham to Perth will make the trip 20 minutes faster by train than by car in the morning peak period. People from Thomsons Lake, just 21 kilometres from Perth, will travel 18 minutes faster by train - almost half the journey time by car. The south west metropolitan railway master plan showed that the all-day, weekday boardings for the Kenwick deviation would be 19 100 in 2006. Given the current land use projections, which are less optimistic than those used in the original master plan, the patronage projection for the Kenwick deviation would now be 17 980 in 2006. Modelling the direct route, using the current land use data and an enhanced model, shows all-day, weekday boardings from Mandurah to Perth in 2006 will be 24 950. There will be 3 500 additional weekday boardings from the station at Spencer Road, Thornlie. Therefore, the total all-day weekday boardings from the direct route and the Thornlie spur will be 28 450. This represents a 58 per cent increase in patronage projections compared with the Kenwick deviation. On the basis of a common database of employment and population projections, the current modelling shows that for the section of the railway common to both the Kenwick and direct routes - that is, from Glen Iris southward - the Kenwick deviation would attract 11 290 boarders each weekday in 2006 whilst the direct route will attract 15 890 boarders in 2006, which is an increase of 40 per cent. This patronage arises from a far more attractive service as a result of the reduced journey times and more frequent services, particularly from Thomsons Lake. There is a 110 per cent increase in patronage at Thomsons Lake reflecting a 43 per cent decrease in journey time and a 50 per cent increase in service frequency at peak times compared with the Kenwick deviation. The higher patronage will be achieved with 20 per cent fewer trains and a 50 per cent increase in train utilisation compared with the Kenwick deviation. There will also be significant environmental benefits from the direct route. The new patronage figures represent up to 20 000 fewer cars using the freeway every day. In morning peak hours in 2006, the new rail line will carry the equivalent of between two and three lanes of freeway traffic from Mount Henry Bridge to the city. The impact on Perth’s air quality will be significant with a reduction in exhaust emissions of up to 96 tonnes a year on the 12 kilometre stretch from Murdoch to the Narrows. Features of the Jandakot to Perth section of the south west metropolitan railway are 23 kilometres of railway track and associated infrastructure with stations at South Street, Leach Highway and Canning Bridge, an underground station at the Esplanade, and new underground platforms for Perth station to the eastern side of William Street. South Street and Murdoch stations will be a major transit interchange with car parking facilities for 930 cars. Leach Highway station will be a major transit interchange with car parking facilities for 700 cars and Canning Bridge station will be a bus interchange station. The Esplanade station will be a major destination

[2] Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY - Wednesday, 14 August 2002] p92b-94a Ms Alannah MacTiernan and will provide easy access to the foreshore and the Perth convention and exhibition centre. There will be a direct pedestrian link to the City Busport allowing direct interchange of passengers between bus and rail. The new William Street platforms for Perth station are expected to have 27 000 boardings each weekday and will be directly connected to the Wellington Street bus station allowing direct interchange. The major transit interchange stations will feature accommodation for feeder buses, park and ride, set down and pick-up areas and access for pedestrians and cyclists. It will be linked to the northern suburbs railway by a 1.6 kilometre tunnel under Perth. The plan provides for the line to enter the tunnel just north of the Narrows Bridge and run underground along the foreshore to a station on the Esplanade near the new convention centre and continue under William Street to an underground extension of Perth station at Wellington Street. The line will then continue underground and turn left to link with the northern suburbs railway on the eastern boundary of William Street. With the railway being routed through Perth there will be a requirement for extensive underground construction requiring highly specialised tunnelling techniques, which will involve complex foreshore and inner city amenity and development issues. The tunnel under William Street will incorporate the latest bored tunnelling technology, which will alleviate the disruption issues normally associated with the cut and cover tunnelling process. In addition to the complex city planning, urban design and engineering construction issues, ongoing high-level consultation with key stakeholders will be required to ensure issues and opportunities are recognised and effectively managed. The level of close liaison required can be achieved only through direct involvement in project management. The establishment of a dedicated management structure for the city section of the project will provide the mechanism for introducing the specialised management expertise and stakeholder representation essential for a successful project outcome. A city rail development committee will be instituted under section 19(1) of the Western Australian Planning Commission Act 1985, and will be delegated the functions of the Western Australian Planning Commission under section 20 of the same Act. The committee will include government and Perth City Council representatives and independent specialists. It is to be established to oversee the construction of the underground link from the Narrows Bridge to the northern suburbs line. The committee’s task will be to provide guidance and advice to the minister about the delivery of the city section of the Jandakot-Perth railway. The committee will also work to identify and attract funding to lower the -Midland lines and develop the land created above, replace the William Street traffic overpass on the foreshore with an underpass and refurbish the . This management structure for the city section of the works will provide a vehicle for focused project management and involvement of key stakeholders while maintaining strong government control. Following the decision of the Government to route the Perth to Mandurah railway through the median of the Kwinana Freeway rather than through Kenwick, a railway spur will be constructed from Kenwick to a station to be constructed at Spencer Road in Thornlie. There will be further examination of the requirements for provision of public transport connections between the Armadale line, the south west metropolitan services and the Fremantle line. Provision will be made for a bus priority along the Kwinana Freeway at Canning Bridge and immediately south of the Narrows Bridge to accommodate bus services that currently enter the Kwinana Freeway at Canning Bridge. Work already performed for the bus transit way to Canning Bridge will be incorporated into the railway system. The bus station at Canning Bridge will be expanded to a train station with the necessary platforms and lifts. The concrete barriers currently used for the bus transit way will be retained for the railway. As part of the supplementary master plan process, the Perth Urban Rail Development Office has initiated an extensive public consultation process and has participated in over 50 meetings, including briefings for local governments, stakeholder meetings and public meetings. The total cost of the Perth urban rail development project will be $1 419 million, which includes the south west metropolitan railway, the extension of the northern line, the Thornlie spur, the upgrades on the Armadale line and 93 railcars and associated infrastructure. This Bill will implement the legislative authority to construct a first-class public transport system to the rapidly growing south west metropolitan region. I commend the Bill to the House. [See paper No 131.] Debate adjourned, on motion by Mr J.L. Bradshaw.

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