An excited Mark McGowan has visited the Forrestfield station worksite to mark the halfway point in its construction, as part of the rail line to Perth Airport set to open in 2021.
The WA premier visited the site with transport minister Rita Saffioti and local member Stephen Price to mark 50 per cent construction.
“This station is proof that Western Australians can manufacture quality products, build world-class infrastructure and innovate with the best of them,” McGowan said. “The roof steel is local, the fabricators are local, the bricks are local and the concrete is local – all being manufactured by local people, creating local jobs and training opportunities.”
36 concrete walls which will make up the station’s 150-metre platform have now been cast, and the installation of the station’s lower roof is complete. Two 16-tonne escalators and adjacent lift frames have also been installed.
Forrestfield station is being built as part of the Forrestfield-Airport Link, a passenger rail spur off the Midland line near Bayswater station, connecting to three new stations – Redcliffe, Airport Central and, of course, Forrestfield.
The project is considered the first infrastructure built under the state government’s Metronet rail program.
First trains are expected to run by late 2021.
“Standing on the platform where the first train on the Forrestfield-Airport Link will depart from, it’s not hard to imagine how this station will look in just two years’ time when it is bustling with passengers,” Saffioti said.
As part of the Metronet program, a new Metronet East Redevelopment Area is being defined around Forrestfield.
“This area around the station will be transformed into a lively hub, creating more opportunities for residential and commercial development,” the transport minister said.
“The Forrestfield-Airport Link will be a game changer for eastern foothills residents, linking us to the wider public transport network and giving us more travel options,” Price, the local member for Forrestfield, added.
“Using local content, including bricks from the nearby Midland Brick, demonstrates the high quality of Western Australian materials and craftsmanship. I’m looking forward to seeing the train station and precinct develop further and create more opportunities for local workers, businesses and residents.”