WA Labor pledge $40m to upgrade Bayswater train station and town centre as part of Metronet

WA Labor has pledged $40 million to upgrade Bayswater train station and the town centre, if elected in March.

Opposition Transport Spokeswoman Rita Saffioti and Maylands MLA Lisa Baker announced today that the potential upgrade of Bayswater will be part of the construction of Labor’s Metronet Morley to Ellenbrook line.

Ms Saffioti said the $40 million funding promise was in addition to the State Government’s existing $7 million commitment from the Forrestfield Airport Link budget.

“Ideally, what we want to do is a revitalisation of this area,” she said.

“Because there has been no planning, the first thing we’ve got to do is work with the City of Bayswater and the community to get the structure plan done and to facilitate that through the construction works of potentially the Forrestfield Airport line but definitely the Ellenbrook line.

“We are starting works on the Ellenbrook line in 2019, primarily to accommodate the Bayswater works before the Forrestfield line is finished in 2020.”

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However, Transport Minister Bill Marmion said the Government had already committed to upgrading Bayswater station as part of the Forrestfield project.

“The $1.96 billion Forrestfield Airport Link will include the Bayswater Junction, which refers to the tunnel portal (also known as a dive structure) in the road reserve near Tonkin Highway, just west of Guildford Road,” he said.

“This will provide the entry for trains to the tunnels, starting their underground journey to Forrestfield.

“Tunnelling will begin with two machines at Forrestfield from mid-2017, breaking through the tunnel portal at Bayswater in mid-2019.

“A lot of activity is planned within the Bayswater area over the next few years; all works are within the rail reserve.”

Ms Saffioti said Labor’s funding promise would be part of the Metronet cost of $2.93 billion.

“We are also looking at what else we can do once we get the engineering solution, we will look at other sources for funds as well,” she said.

“Frankly, I think we all acknowledge that given we are going to be spending billions of dollars to the east of this station, only spending $7 million at this station won’t be enough.”

She said sinking the train station was an option that could be considered.

Ms Baker said the promise included a “major spin-off for the town centre”.

“While we want to retain some heritage, we want to modernise, we want to have a much better inner city feel to the area,” she said.

Liberal candidate for Maylands Amanda Madden told the Eastern Reporter if elected she would “fight hard” to ensure Bayswater train station and the town centre received upgrades.