Developing the Bayswater Station Upgrade concept design is one of the first of many steps for this project.

While finalising the design’s finer details has a long way to go, getting to this stage has been a complex and lengthy process. The design for Bayswater Station is particularly challenging because the area is well-developed, space is limited and the design must be future-proofed for arising traffic and access requirements.

In March 2018, we first laid out the parameters for Bayswater Station’s major upgrade, which would see the station rebuilt closer to Whatley Crescent, on a higher rail bridge over King William Street.

The team then sought the community’s feedback on priorities for the upgrade through an online survey, which had 972 completions, and two drop-in sessions, attended by more than 300 people.

From this feedback, the team considered the following priorities when developing the upgrade concept design:

• Provide pedestrians a friendlier and safer environment for walking in and around the station and town centre;
• Improve all connections from either side of the railway, with a focus to maintain the ‘pub to police’;
• Improve bus-train connections with more services and better access;
• Maintain cycling routes with a strong desire to separate pedestrians and cyclists;
• Create a station design that integrates into the area’s character with historic links; and
• Provide shelter from the elements on the station platform and in the public spaces, including through natural shade.

Tapping into the experience and local knowledge from the City of Bayswater’s Town Structure Plan Community Advisory Group, the team met with the group as the concept designs progressed to show how the plans were developing, what was being considered and obtain their thoughts on the proposals.

To develop the concept design, the team completed:

• An initial search to identify additional access points between King William Street, Coode Street and Railway Parade to provide safer and quicker access;
• Traffic congestion assessments to identify opportunities to simplify traffic movements and allow pedestrian prioritisation at key crossing points;
• Option investigations to improve bus connections, including potential interchange locations around the station;
• Localised traffic modelling to test whether the options would function based on current traffic volumes;
• Structural engineering assessments on various bridge designs to reduce the overall bridge structure size as much as possible;
• Constructability studies to ensure the options could be built while minimising impacts to the existing road network and rail operations; and
• Public space place making opportunity investigations.

The concept design balances stakeholder and community priorities to create a place that can meet Bayswater’s future potential, while functioning from day one of operations. Improving traffic movements in the area creates an opportunity for pedestrian prioritisation, while providing access and visibility to businesses in the retail precinct.

There remains a considerable amount of work to do in the next phase of design, as specific street designs, traffic management, parking, access and station treatments progress.

The team is also completing high level place making opportunity studies to understand what activities would be viable in the space created under the rail bridge and in public areas, such as the Whatley Crescent-Hamilton Street connection.

Get involved

Following the release of the concept designs, METRONET will be holding two drop in sessions on December 11 and January 19. Register your attendance here. 

Through this next stage of work, there are a number of opportunities for the community to continue to be involved in the Bayswater Station Upgrade project. These opportunities will be promoted via the METRONET website (www.metronet.wa.gov.au) and the My Say Transport Project page (www.mysaytransport.wa.gov.au/METRONET).
Local residents and businesses can also get involved by registering their interest in joining the Bayswater Station Upgrade Community Advisory Group.

If you are interested in participating, submit your application before 25 January 2019 by clicking here.