SET to service a community of somewhere near 300,000 people over the next few decades, the commuter railway network for Perth’s northern corridor has become the subject of heated debate between developers and government agencies.
SET to service a community of somewhere near 300,000 people over the next few decades, the commuter railway network for Perth’s northern corridor has become the subject of heated debate between developers and government agencies.
The key element of the infrastructure debate is the number of stations that will service the region along about 20 kilometres of track, as well as the timetable for building them.
The Public Transport Authority confirmed it is currently conducting a strategic analysis of a rail extension to Yanchep.
The PTA is known to be conservative in its approach to the number of stations, preferring fewer stops to provide a quicker journey for rail commuters. While this may avoid the prospect of empty stations built in areas long before a sustainable population takes root, some critics believe it will hamper transport-oriented developments.
The PTA’s approach may be seen in the new Mandurah line, which has nine stations outside the CBD over a 73km route. By comparison the 40km of mostly older line going north to Clarkson already caters for 10 stations outside the CBD.
With only 20km between Clarkson and Yanchep, the PTA is understood to be pushing for as few stations as possible to reduce the cost of development and keep journey times manageable. It thinks at most four is possible but some sources suggest it wants just three – Butler, Alkimos and Yanchep.
Rationalisation is already occurring. As late as March 2009, the state government had committed to building two stations north of Clarkson – Butler at the end of Lukin Drive and Brighton about 2.5km further north. Both are within an area being largely developed by Satterley Group.
In July, this project was consolidated back to one station at the more northerly location. It will be named Butler after the original more southerly spot now abandoned.
Satterley Group has confirmed it has altered the density of the planned development around the former Butler station precinct. Construction contracts for three bridges for the area are set to go out to tender.
Satterley is not the only player that appears happy with the outcome. Further north, Peet agreed to give up plans for a station at its Shorehaven project, freeing up eight hectares for residential housing and leaving the rail station project at Alkimos in the hands of a government agency, LandCorp.
While the PTA would only confirm that that the “proposed land use estimates provided by developers within the area will provide a large enough catchment to justify the construction of perhaps three stations north of Butler by 2031”, it is understood one option is to build a line straight through to Yanchep without any further stops for the time being.
That plan gets a mixed reaction from developers depending on their proximity. Some favour developing Yanchep’s northern city status more quickly providing a source of local employment. Others believe a lack of stations, even if promised for later, will change the face of their developments – irreversibly turning them into car-based areas.
