The future of Perth’s new rail network is being looked at after it was revealed the $12 billion project will be funded with the future of an old, mothballed rail line being considered.
A report from consultants, Transurban, said the proposed rail line would have four stops on both sides of the freeway and that it would be connected to existing Perth freeways, including the M1, M5 and the M62.
The project is due to be completed by 2023, with construction expected to begin in 2020.
But it is understood Transurban has been advised by the state government to consider the new line’s future as the city’s transport infrastructure is now considered an “investment”.
Transurban has told the state Government the new route would be better for the economy and would bring a “significant economic boost” to Perth, the company said.
It is understood the company is also considering whether the line could be connected with existing arterial road networks and that is also expected to be considered.
Key points:Transurban is currently reviewing the proposed line, and a report has been issued recommending the project be re-thoughtTransurban says the line would help the economyTransurban chief executive Stephen Horsman says the project could improve the cityTransurban boss Stephen Hulbert says the rail line could “bring a significant economic boost to Perth”The project has been the subject of controversy in recent years, with residents opposed to the idea of a new freeway being built on the old line, as it was deemed too expensive and would be too expensive for some communities.
Transportation planners have long expressed concerns about the economic benefit the project would bring, as the new section of the road would connect to existing freeways.
“The report recommends that the project, which is currently under study, should be rethought in light of the impacts of the project on the region,” Transurban said in a statement.
As the rail project continues to be discussed, a new report from the consulting firm Transurban is being commissioned to look at the future viability of the proposed project.
Key pointsTransurban and other experts are recommending the new railway line could help Perth become a “multi-modal” cityTransit planners say the line “could bring a significant, long-term economic boost”Transurban CEO Stephen Hulsbert says it would “provide an important link to existing arterials”Transurban’s CEO Stephen Horbert says “the new route could bring a substantial economic boost, particularly in the Perth region”.
He says the new corridor could be better connected to the existing arterios in Perth, which are in need of new roads, including new freeways such as the M4.
And he says the “possibility” of the line connecting to existing roads such as M5 could be explored.
The M5 is the arterial section of Perth that has had the least amount of work on this project.””
This would provide the best possible link between the new road, which will be built along the existing existing M5, and the existing M62,” he said.
“The M5 is the arterial section of Perth that has had the least amount of work on this project.”
In terms of its physical infrastructure, this section of road will have a number of benefits, including increased safety and reduced travel times for those travelling on the M5.
“Transparency revealedTransurban recommended that the existing freeway be widened and that a new section be built, with the potential of a tunnel connecting to the new freeway.
There is also a potential for a new interchange to be built between the M2 and the proposed new freeway to provide access for buses and the airport.
However, the report recommended that a separate new freeway be built to provide a “new, more direct link to the M6”.
However Transurban did not recommend the existing road be widened, which would have made the existing section of freeway much narrower and would have required an additional lane.
While there was no mention of an interchange at a cost of $100 million, Transurst was also quoted as saying a tunnel would have cost $20 million.
This would mean that the cost of widening the existing highway would be between $40 million and $50 million, with an extra $20m to be paid by the Federal Government.
Transurban also recommended a tunnel be built on either side of the existing freeway, with a cost estimated at $15 million.
But there was not a recommendation on a tunnel that would run through the existing corridor, which it says is too narrow.
Other recommendations included a new road to be constructed along the M55, which has a “small number of lanes” but is “too narrow” for a highway, and that the old M55 be “removed from the highway and built at an alternative location”.
