Go-ahead plan to extend suburban Perth-Mandurah railway

7/8/97

Transport Minister Eric Charlton today announced the go-ahead for the development of a masterplan to extend the existing suburban railway from Perth to Mandurah.

Mr Charlton said the Government had made a decision to run the railway line from Perth to Mandurah via Kenwick, Jandakot and Rockingham.

He said a special steering committee would focus on every aspect of building a railway and that included issues like environmental and social impact, engineering, planning, land-use, cost and timing.

"We have a commitment to build the Kenwick-to-Jandakot leg by the year 2005 and I expect the steering committee to report back in about 12 months time," the Minister said.

"We said before the last election that pushing the suburban railway into the South West Corridor was a major priority. It is a massive project which will bring enormous benefits to people living in the rapidly-expanding southern regions of the city.

"We plan to build a railway which uses the latest and best technology. Our public surveys in the southern region show there is massive support for the project."

Mr Charlton said $1.6 million would be spent developing the masterplan, which would ultimately carry the rail service into Mandurah.

The Minister said the alignment from a major railway junction at Kenwick would largely following the existing Woodbridge-Kwinana freight corridor.

"Our surveys have shown that projected passenger numbers already justify a Kenwick-Jandakot service," he said.

"The alignment passes through a major growth area and the railway service will no doubt further stimulate new commercial development in the region."

Mr Charlton said the masterplan would address issues like the siting of stations along the Kenwick-Jandakot line and the best options for transport access to and from those stations.

The steering committee would examine the best options for ultimately extending the Kenwick-Jandakot line into the major growth district of Rockingham and then into Mandurah.

The Minister said the Perth-Mandurah rail project was a massive financial undertaking with initial estimates for the Kenwick-Jandakot sector alone currently running at more than $200 million which included rolling stock.

Media contact: Doug Cunningham 93217333