METRONET advocacy FAQs

Council formalised their position on METRONET advocacy in August 2019 at a Council meeting. The decision was unanimous.

The Town has four key desired outcomes listed in its advocacy platform.

• Underground: The rail corridor is underground and the land at ground level is available for other uses.
• Great places: Station precincts are great places that provide obvious and lasting community benefits
• All stations remain: All existing stations in the Town must remain with only minor adjustments to their locations.
• Sustainable access: Station precincts should be designed to promote and facilitate walking, cycling and public transport as the predominant choices for accessing each station.

The Town believes these outcomes will deliver the best outcomes for the community. While the State Government has recently announced its preference for elevated rail, the Town is committed to working proactively with METRONET to deliver as many of these outcomes as possible around Oats Street and Carlisle stations specifically.

On 16 June 2020 the State Government publicly announced elevated rail as the preferred option for removing up to five of level crossings on the Armadale line. This preferred option has been informed by early business case investigations and similar projects in the state of Victoria.

Read more information on the METRONET website.

This is done by raising the rail to completely remove sections of it from ground level and allow for improved pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle connections. It can also present an opportunity for revitalisation with the potential for new public spaces and other uses under the raised rail. A series of elevated stations along a train line has been referred to as a ‘sky rail’. There are no examples of a sky rail in Perth, however recent examples can be seen in Melbourne around the Clayton and Noble Park stations. We encourage the community to investigate these recent and relevant examples.

METRONET are still proceeding with a business case process that will consider and compare options other than elevated rail. However, the State Government has determined that elevated rail will be the preferred option in the business case.

When most people think of underground rail they think of a tunnel, however there different versions of underground rail. The Town has been advocating for underground rail that allows the land above the rail line to be used for other purposes. This can take the form of a tunnel, or a form known as 'cut and cover'. An example of a cut and cover option is around Subiaco Station. It involves digging a trench, lowering the rail line, then capping the rail corridor with some areas open for ventilation.

Other examples include lowering the rail in a trench without covering the top. However this would require much of the rail corridor to remain fenced off and does not provide for opportunities such as public open space. 

Read our blog post: The benefits of going underground.

METRONET are in the process of developing a business case for the options at these level crossings and a range of technical information is being considered as part of the options analysis. Although this process is still to be completed, the preferred option of elevated rail will be submitted to Infrastructure Australia for assessment, which is a requirement to obtain committed funding from the Federal Government.

The Town and METRONET have been working together to analyse the options for level crossing removal since the State and Federal Governments announced a funding commitment for the project in early 2019. This has included some analysis of the precincts around Oats Street and Carlisle Stations. In June 2020 the State Government announced their preference for an elevated rail option during the compilation of the business case and has begun community engagement on that basis. The Town will continue to work with METRONET to ensure the project delivers the best outcomes possible for the community.

METRONET has consulting on elevated rail options to seek community feedback and the Town is sharing this information through social media. Opportunities to have your say will continue over the coming months. The Town has been directed by Council to deliver a public awareness and education campaign to reach more community members with information about the project and to encourage them to have a say at various upcoming consultation opportunities. We aim to begin this campaign in July/August 2020.

Visit the METRONET website to participate in surveys and info sessions currently advertised. We understand more information updates and consultations that are being held in the Town over the coming months will be advertised there. The Town will also continue to share these opportunities via our channels.

Visit our webpage, stay tuned to our social media channels and look out for more information coming to you when the advocacy awareness and education campaign launches soon.