Superb transport system planned for Rockingham residents

10/3/99
Rockingham residents will receive one of the best transport systems in the Perth Metropolitan Region, Transport Minister Murray Criddle said today.
"The needs of Rockingham have been given the utmost attention in all the planning carried out to date," he said.
"This has been the objective since transport planning for the South-West Metropolitan Region was first undertaken at the beginning of this decade.
"In terms of a quality service, Rockingham will have two rapid transit connections, one directly to Fremantle via the Transitway, and the other a fast railway service to Perth.
"A dedicated busway between Kwinana and Rockingham will form part of the Transitway.
"Elements of the Transitway are already under construction.
"A direct road link from Kwinana Hub to Rockingham is being formed by extending Gilmore Avenue in Kwinana to Dixon Road, Rockingham.
"This will include the relocation of the Kwinana bus transfer station from its present position on the outskirts of Kwinana, into The Hub Shopping Centre.
"These facilities will be completed by July this year.
"By September there will be a 10 minute peak service to Fremantle that will be using the new low floor buses that were launched earlier this year.
"This service will operate from 6.30 in the morning to midnight Monday to Thursday and Sunday. It will run through into the early morning hours on Friday and Saturday nights.
"The late night service will be similar to that currently offered on the trains.
"The off-peak Rockingham to Fremantle service will operate at 15 minute intervals.
"Transitway passengers will travel along the 34 km route from Rockingham to Fremantle on the latest technology buses and enjoy a frequent, train-like service between these two destinations."
The South West Metropolitan Railway Master Plan, released earlier today, will nominate three options for a rail service to Rockingham. The options will open to public discussion and debate that will ultimately determine the final route.
These options are:

• a route through the Rockingham City Centre which was developed from the favoured option and endorsed by the City of Rockingham. This loop is 8.3 km long, just over two kilometres of which is below existing ground level. The total estimated cost is $143 million;
• the second option is a derivation of the above, on the same alignment, but with a much shorter tunnel. Only that section through the town centre from Leghorn Street to Council Avenue, would be completely in tunnel. The estimated cost of this option is $107 million; and -
• the third option is a direct route to Mandurah along the eastern outskirts of Rockingham. It would be supplemented by a dedicated bus service, the Rockingham Rail Transit Link, which would connect each train to the Rockingham City centre from transit stations located at Waikiki (Safety Bay Road) and the Rockingham Transit Station located on the eastern end of Dixon Road. The cost of this option, including the transit link buses would be $31 million. This option would also include reservation of a railway route through the City Centre in the Metropolitan Region Scheme, for the long term (see the Rockingham City Area and Bus Routes Network Map).

"In addition to these primary transit links, there will be a revised local feeder bus service for the Rockingham area," Mr Criddle said.
"We believe that Rockingham citizens will ultimately receive a transport system that will more than meet their present and future needs."
Media contact: Steve Manchee 9213 6400