Forrestfield-Airport Link – Metronet
The Forrestfield-Airport Link is a jointly Federal and State Government funded $1.86 billion project which will radically improve the way people in the eastern foothills are connected with the CBD and wider Perth.
Completing the Forrestfield-Airport Link – an 8.5km three-station railway spur connected to the Midland Line near Bayswater Station – is part of the first stage of METRONET.
The Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA) will begin the process to extend the Midland Redevelopment Area to include the immediate areas around the Bayswater and Forrestfield train stations, to be known as the METRONET East Redevelopment Area .
In the Bayswater and Forrestfield areas, the State Government has invested in transformative infrastructure to act as a catalyst for future growth. The non-contiguous METRONET East Redevelopment Area will help capitalise on this investment by enabling an integrated approach to areas around the stations to create connected community centres that are universally accessible and provide a range of housing, jobs and services.
The MRA will determine the intended place and development outcomes, establish a planning framework to guide future development and manage built form outcomes through the assessment and determination of development applications.
Project Features
The project is an important step in improving public transport options for our eastern suburbs. By 2022 the Forrestfield-Airport Link is expected to generate 20,000 passenger trips every day – increasing to 29,000 daily by 2031.
With three new stations at Redcliffe, Airport Central and Forrestfield, the new train line will
Provide a viable alternative to car travel between the eastern suburbs and Perth.
Enable Perth Airport to continue growing as a nationally important centre of employment, commerce and international trade.
Encourage domestic and international tourism with improved access between Perth Airport and the city. Boost employment, residential and economic growth by encouraging transit oriented development around the new suburban train stations at Redcliffe and Forrestfield.
Each new station presents different opportunities for their local communities.
Redcliffe Station
Built underground in the residential heart of Redcliffe, the station is an opportunity for the area to become an urban village that will serve the growing community, airport business park and direct factory outlet. That’s why the METRONET team is working closely with the City of Belmont on its plans which will eventually see the area designed with public spaces, shops, housing, cafes and other services nearby. Visit the City of Belmont for more information about the vision for the area.
Airport Central
By 2025 all airlines are expected to have relocated to T1 and T2 (formerly known as the International Airport), where Airport Central Station is being constructed. Not only will the station be used by airline passengers but will also provide a valuable link for Perth Airport employees.
Forrestfield
The catchment area for Forrestfield Station includes the suburbs of High Wycombe, Forrestfield, Maida Vale, Gooseberry Hill and Kalamunda. To make connecting with train services from these suburbs easier, the station precinct is being designed as an intermodal transport hub. This means there will be facilities for passengers arriving at the station by bus, car, bicycle or foot.
To meet demand for parking, a multi-level car park accommodating 1200 cars will be built on land bordered by Maida Vale Road and Ibis Place. While the original plan was for an at-grade car park, the new design will improve access as passengers will now be able to park within 300m of the station’s entrance. This new design frees up approximately eight hectares of land for future development.
The solution not only meets passenger needs, but also supports METRONET’s vision to create connected communities within walking distance of the station and the City of Kalamunda’s Forrestfield North District Structure Plan.
Construction of the car park is scheduled to being as soon as tunnelling is finished and will be ready for when first trains run on the Forrestfield Line.
The METRONET team is liaising with the City on their vision for the area which will include determining density levels and plans for mixed-use development.
Metronet as a whole
With the underway Metronet project linking all the train stations from all major lines, we can easily get access to Yanchep, Ellenbrook, Bellevue, Forrestfield, Byford, Karnup and the Thronlie and Cockburn link. With the central station Perth, it gives people a more accessible transportation to get to the city.
With easy access to the airport and city, it give tourist and resident faster access to all area around Perth and we can see that those areas close to train stations are in high demand. And since these areas are of some older suburbs, it give developers or investors great opportunities. Therefore, properties around these suburbs are in high demand.
This project will lead to more people choose to buy in such areas for easy access transportation. We can see there are new developments happening around these areas, and the potential of these areas are huge.
For more information, please visit the Metronet official website
