National advisory body Infrastructure Australia has again recognised key METRONET projects as having national significance in its 2020 Infrastructure Priority List.

This year is the first time the Byford Rail Extension has featured on the list, after the Stage 1 submission was made to Infrastructure Australia in September 2019 . Listed as part of a Priority Initiative, called ‘Perth south-east corridor capacity improvements’, Infrastructure Australia recognises an extension of the Armadale Line to Byford has the potential to support urban development in this growing region.

The Morley-Ellenbrook Line again features on the list as a Priority Initiative called ‘Transport Connectivity between Morley and Ellenbrook’. Infrastructure Australia continues to assess this project in this category based on the Stage 1 submission, which was made in September 2018.

The State Government remains committed to delivering the Morley-Ellenbrook Line as soon as possible and this is supported by the significant matching funding commitment made by the Commonwealth Government.  Accordingly, Stage 2 and 3 submissions were made to and accepted for assessment by Infrastructure Australia in November 2019.  Since then, the METRONET Office has responded to a number of clarifying questions and further advice is awaited from Infrastructure Australia relating to the project’s evaluation.  

It is expected that once Stage 2 and 3 submissions are assessed, the Morley-Ellenbrook Line’s listing and timeframe will change.

In the meantime, the METRONET Office is progressing the project definition phase, which will further refine its estimated cost, design, scope and train/bus operations. A major investment in public transport, the Morley-Ellenbrook Line will give people in the north-eastern suburbs of Perth a different transport choice, link important employment centres, promote housing diversity and help create thousands of local jobs for our State.

The Infrastructure Priority List, released annually, features a pipeline of infrastructure proposals across Australia which promotes long-term, integrated land use planning and ensures that major public infrastructure investments deliver the best outcomes for the community at the best value.

The Forrestfield-Airport Link, the Yanchep Rail Extension and Thornlie-Cockburn Link projects previously featured on the list but have since been removed as major contracts are awarded and construction is well underway.