Yanchep rail extension to come beyond 2025

A LIBERAL politician has said the rail extension to Yanchep will come after 2025.

Labor’s North Metropolitan MLC Ken Travers asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport Jim Chown about the timeline for rail in State Parliament recently.

“I refer to a claim by the member for Wanneroo (Paul Miles) on January 20, 2016 that the State Government has committed to the commencement of the extension of the railway line from Butler to Yanchep in 2024,” Mr Travers said.

“Is this a commitment for actual construction to commence in 2024 or just for planning? When is it expected the extension will open?

“How much additional traffic will use Mitchell Freeway, Wanneroo Road and Marmion Avenue due to this delay compared with the original timetable outlined in the July 2011 draft public transport plan?

“What road works will need to be undertaken on Mitchell Freeway, Wanneroo Road and Marmion Avenue to ensure that they are able to cope with the additional traffic until the rail extension is completed?”

Mr Chown said the WA Planning Commission’s Perth and Peel @3.5 million draft plan indicated that the extension had “an anticipated timing of post-2025”.

“Additional traffic volumes and details relating to road works are not available at this time,” he said.

Mr Travers told the Times if rail was not built sooner there would be a “massive build up” of traffic on roads.

“We are going to need to do massive amounts of work on the freeway and Marmion Avenue and Wanneroo Road (if) we are waiting until after 2025,” he said.

The comments followed a story in the Times about the timeline for rail at the Two Rocks Yanchep Residents Association meeting in March.