An expansion of Perth's public transport network, including a new rail line to Ellenbrook, was the centrepiece of the Labor Party's election campaign launch on Sunday.
An expansion of Perth's public transport network, including a new rail line to Ellenbrook, was the centrepiece of the Labor Party's election campaign launch on Sunday.
A Labor statement is pasted below:
Labor's $1.1 billion new direction for public transport
Labor has unveiled a $1.1 billion expansion of Perth's public transport system, pledging to deliver
faster and more frequent services across the metropolitan area if it is returned to Government next
Saturday.
Premier Alan Carpenter used today's official Labor Party campaign launch to unveil the plan, with a
new rail line to the rapidly growing area of Ellenbrook its centrepiece.
The package also includes a new integrated network of high frequency buses and trains, and a
significant increase in the number of buses and rail cars running across the city.
"Labor recognises that one of the biggest burdens on household budgets today is the rising cost or
petrol," the Premier said.
"It's causing real pain for many families.
"To secure our future, we have to invest in public transport.
"We have a vision for a metropolitan public transport system that will save time, save money, and help save the environment by reducing our reliance on cars."
Mr Carpenter said Labor's new direction for public transport would include:
- A rail line to Ellenbrook. Work on the line's masterplan would begin early next year, with construction to start in 2012. The 15km line is expected to cost $850 million;
- A new network of high-frequency buses and trains running at no more than 15-minute intervals from 7am to 7pm Monday-to-Friday, effectively making timetables redundant on major routes. The 'MET' network will be
underpinned by a simple and easy-to-read map, similar in concept to that used for England's renowned London Underground system;
- A transitway down Alexander Drive to the city serviced by new autotrams. The transitway will serve an immediate catchment of 120,000 residents between Wanneroo Road in the west and Beaufort Street/Beechboro Road in the east.
An extra 75 railcars for the Transperth rail network. Labor has already ordered 45 new railcars, and will order another 30 if re-elected. The total number of railcars would then exceed 260, compared with 96 when Labor came to office in 2001;
- New bus services feeding the Greenwood and Murdoch train stations, and improve existing bus services between Ellenbrook and Bassendean, Ellenbrook and Midland, Armadale and Byford, Cannington and Midland, Bullcreek and Cannington, and Leeming and Cockburn;
- $2.5 million a year toward improved bus shelters and bus stops;
- Extended operating hours, including an extra hour for the evening peak period for buses, and the reintroduction of a 3am Sunday morning train service; and
- A study into a direct rail link to service hills suburbs, including a bus-rail interchange in Forrestfield.
Mr Carpenter said today's announcement built on Labor's existing commitments to extend the northern suburbs railway to Butler, and to provide pensioners and State Seniors Card holders with access to free public transport every day.
It would complement the Government's decision to create a long-term public transport blueprint for Perth.
"The blueprint will bring together more ideas and identify more ways that we can make Perth's public transport system even better," he said.
"But in the meantime, Labor will maintain the momentum that we have created by expanding the CAT bus system and building the new Perth-to-Mandurah line, the new line to Thornlie, the extension of the northern suburbs line to Clarkson, and the new stations at Maylands, Bassendean, Gosnells, Victoria Park and Greenwood."
Rail
A new rail line to Ellenbrook - 15 kilometres of rail line
Extension of Northern Suburbs line to Butler - 5 kilometres of rail line
Study into rail line to Forrestfield
75 extra rail cars - increasing our rail cars by almost 40 per cent from 189 to 264.
Extra car parks on all lines - an extra 2,000 bays
Auto-tram
Alexander Drive Transitway, including 5 new auto trams to service the Alexander Drive corridor
Bus routes
30 additional buses
5 million kilometres of new bus routes
New services including:
- Introduce a new high frequency public transport network "the Met";
- new east west routes
- extending evening bus services
Additional cost over four years: $350 million
Total cost of new commitments: $1.1 billion
