Yanchep Rail Extension

The Yanchep Rail Extension will deliver the last proposed section of the Joondalup Line from Butler, 14.5km north to Yanchep to help support ongoing growth in the area and reduce congestion.

The project will help develop activity centres by stimulating new employment opportunities in the Alkimos secondary centre, Eglinton district centre and Yanchep Strategic Metropolitan Centre and supporting higher density land use for residential and commercial purposes.

The extension will give more than 150,000 future Yanchep-Two Rocks residents another transport option to travel around Perth.

With stations planned at Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep, early designs show how stations will fit within the planned development areas and cater for passengers on day one of operations.

NEWest Alliance, made up of CPB Contractors and Downer, will construct the project.

The Alliance proposal has set the project budget at $531.7 million.

Early works have commenced, and major construction works are due to start mid 2020. The first trains are expected to be running in 2022.

It is expected the Yanchep Rail Extension will generate around 1370 jobs. These will include construction works and supply chain contractors. 

Notice of upcoming works
The Yanchep Rail Extension project will soon start works along the rail alignment between Butler Station and the future Eglinton Station (south of Pipidinny Road).

Site preparation works (late January – late March 2020) 
Works include:

• Working in the rail corridor from Chesham Rise, Alkimos to Pipidinny Road
• Contractor mobilisation to site and animal trapping and relocation by zoologists
• Vegetation clearing and mulching, rubbish removal, removal and storage of topsoil, and fencing of the rail corridor.

Bulk earthworks (late March – mid 2020)
Works include:

• Working in the rail corridor from Butler Station to Pipidinny Road
• Moving fill (sand and dirt) to create a trench in which the rail line will be built
• Fill will be stored at a stockpile located near the future Alkimos Station, away from residents, before being re-used in the project during major construction.

The appointed contractors will work between 7am and 7pm from Monday to Saturday, and all works will follow approved noise and traffic management plans. Every effort will be made to minimise impacts.

During this time there will be increased noise from machinery being used, and residents can expect to see machinery in the rail corridor.

You can contact us for any questions regarding these works.

Given the size of the Yanchep Rail Extension, minimising environmental and community impacts is a key focus.

Travelling through existing and planned developments, the majority of the 14.5km long rail extension will be in a cutting to reduce noise and improve overall amenity for nearby residents and businesses.

The rail alignment will travel through one Parks and Recreation reserve and a Bush Forever site. Every effort has been made to minimise impact on these areas, including considering alternative alignments. However, the undulating landscape, tight rail curve (not conforming to railway design standards) and impact on existing and future residents meant these options were not viable.

The Alkimos Parks and Recreation reserve will have a fauna underpass to maintain fauna linkage in the area, and options for ecological linkages are being assessed for the Bush Forever site. Every effort will be made to minimise impacts in these areas.

Flora management

Some clearing is required for the Yanchep Rail Extension, which will require approval under the Environmental Protection Act 1986.

Fauna management

The project will deliver one fauna underpass through the Alkimos Parks and Recreation reserve and ecological linkage options are being explored through the Bush Forever site to ensure animal movements are not isolated as a result of the railway through these areas.

During construction, before clearing begins, a fauna trapping and relocation program will be undertaken. Relocation will be undertaken by a verified specialist. Fencing will be erected as soon as possible to prevent the movement of fauna into the works area.

Noise, vibration and light

To minimise impacts on the current and future residential developments, the Yanchep Rail Extension will mostly be built in a cutting, with developers required to have appropriate setbacks from the rail reserve (via road reserves or public open space) and homes in the ‘first row’ facing the route encouraged to implement ‘ quiet house design’

Noise walls will be constructed as required, based on modelling outcomes and in consultation with land developers to minimise residual impact. To manage vibration near residential properties, ballast matting will be under the tracks for the entire length of the project. The ballast matting sits under the rail formation and will be under both sets of tracks in and out of Butler Station to reduce vibration.

Lighting of the principal-shared path and station areas will be directed away from residential properties as much as possible and will be assessed during the final design stages.

Aboriginal Heritage

No registered Aboriginal Heritage Sites are identified within, or in close proximity to, the Yanchep Rail Extension. An archaeological survey, heritage surveys and Aboriginal consultation was undertaken to identify the heritage value of the rail corridor and surrounding area. As a result, specialist Aboriginal monitoring personnel will be engaged during the initial vegetation clearing stages at the station sites to further ensure there are no heritage sites or artefacts located within these areas. 

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The Yanchep Rail Extension Community Reference Group (CRG) consists of local residents and businesses to help the project team identify local opportunities, issues and concerns.

The role of the CRG is to act as a sounding board regarding the delivery and impacts of the project throughout the planning, delivery and construction phases.

The CRG is encouraged to bring community feedback or enquiries for discussion in the meetings to identify any issues.

Formed in July 2019, CRG members were selected from 96 nominees representing a range of demographics, geographics, interests, opinions and experience.

CRG members are:

Kendra Campbell, Ashleigh Dix, Chris Howard, Alan Jones, Paul Kelly, Wiston Matanda, Jaimee Millington, David Mureithi, Lisa Whitty and Renata Zelinova

The minutes of each CRG will be published below. 

• Meeting 1 - August 12, 2019 - minutes
• Meeting 2 - October 14, 2019 - minutes

 

Transport projects can be planned and delivered in a relatively defined timeframe.

However, the associated development around a station can take 30 to 40 years (or longer) to reach target densities and is largely not within the State Government’s control. In addition, land uses are impacted by planning, investment and policy factors beyond the investment in transport infrastructure alone.

For the Yanchep Rail Extension, the METRONET Office will continue to work with state agencies, local governments and the private sector to help transition the areas around the new stations into mix-used centres over time.