Movement at the station: Elevated rail a reality

The City of Armadale welcomes the additional funding provided by the Australian Government and is delighted with the State Government’s decision to use $110m in additional funding towards the Byford rail extension, which will include the construction of an elevated rail (or viaduct) in Armadale.

Council has been advocating for the best possible outcomes for the Armadale City Centre in relation to the Byford rail extension, providing the Minister for Transport and Planning, Rita Saffioti with a detailed business case to support the case for elevated rail through Armadale. The business case set out the significant increase to the number of jobs, residential population, student numbers and private sector investment that would be catalysed in the City of Armadale by the elevated rail solution.

City of Armadale Mayor Ruth Butterfield said raising the rail, to completely remove sections of it from ground level, will significantly improve pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle connections and improve productivity. Elevating the rail will bring much needed safety, efficiency and economic benefits to the Armadale city centre. It is also a revitalisation opportunity as new public spaces can be created under the raised rail that could be used for a variety of civic purposes.

“I’d like to thank the Federal and State governments for jointly funding the project. This is a really great example of all tiers of government working together to deliver transformational change.

“While elevated rail is not common in Perth, projects in Victoria and elsewhere have successfully created interesting and versatile new public spaces for the community.

“This announcement brings a pivotal opportunity for us to strengthen Armadale’s function as a Strategic Metropolitan City Centre, with strong transport links to other parts of Perth.

“Momentum has been gathering within the City, with the Justice precinct nearing completion, building works for the new TAFE imminent and Denny Avenue works progressing. It’s great to see public infrastructure catching up with demand, after years of record population growth in the City of Armadale.

“All of these activities together are going to stimulate the local economy through increased employment opportunities.  The elevated rail has the potential to be a catalyst to double the number of residents, employment opportunities and students in the City Centre, as it will enable an expansion of retail, commercial and residential development,” said Mayor Ruth Butterfield.

The METRONET project is jointly funded between the Federal and State Governments.