Substantial Westrail savings achieved under Budget

10/6/94

Westrail has achieved multi-million dollar savings in expenditure under the 1994-95 State Budget.

Transport Minister Eric Charlton said Westrail had a budgeted recurrent expenditure program of $407.2 million for the new financial year which was $11 million below the 1993-94 estimated figure.

"This is a significant reduction in Westrail costs," Mr Charlton said

"They have been achieved through the closure of the Midland workshops and the subsequent outsourcing of engineering work, managed staff reductions and initiatives to reduce overheads."

Staff costs were reduced under the Budget by $23.4 million.

Mr Charlton said Westrail's savings were partially offset by increases of $10.6 million associated with the outsourcing of non-core activities and $1.8 million in other operating costs.

The first phase of installing automatic safety gates throughout the metropolitan Fastrak network had been included in Westrail's $78.7 million capital works program for 1994-95.

Mr Charlton said $1.87 million would be spent in the new financial year installing the first of the electronic safety gates at pedestrian rail crossings.

Over the next three years, $5.3 million would be spent installing the devices at all 74 crossing on the urban passenger train network.

Other major capital works include:

·       $11 million for sleeper replacement;

·       $7.26 million for the next phase of replacing the Bunbury Bridge across the Swan River in East Perth.  The project is costing $15.5 million and work began in 1991-92 and is scheduled for completion late in 1995;

·       $5 million for replacing wheel lathe equipment at Forrestfield;

·       $5.2 million for continuing work on upgrading the Leonora-Kalgoorlie-Esperance rail line;

·       $3.2 million for the completion of upgrading standard gauge infrastructure between Kalgoorlie and Fremantle as part of an $11 million project funded by the Australian Land Transport Development Program.  The work includes improving bridge clearances to allow double stacking of freight containers under the landbridging concept;

·       $1.2 million to complete the $13.5 million upgrade of mainline and terminal facilities on the Kwinana-Picton rail corridor; and -

·       $1.6 million for construction of a new suburban station at the Claremont Showgrounds, a project costing $1.8 million.

Media contact:  Dean Roberts 321 7333