The Western Australian Government is seeking construction companies to deliver two major METRONET projects, with the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the market.
The RFP calls on Western Australian construction companies to deliver the Thornlie-Cockburn Link and the Yanchep Rail Extension under a bundled competitive alliance model. It will represent one of WA’s biggest ever package of infrastructure works.
Federal Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said METRONET was a city-shaping project and a critical investment in meeting the demands of population growth for Perth.
“The projects will bring together new rail infrastructure and new urban centres around stations to improve livability and tackle congestion in Western Australia,” Mr Tudge announced this morning.
“Our $11 billion investment in roads and rail across Western Australia will create jobs and support economic growth and includes $3.2 billion in the 2018 Budget for major projects such as METRONET, which are anticipated to support over 20,000 jobs across the State,” he said.
The Thornlie-Cockburn Link is set to be Perth’s first east-west connection, making travelling to the city by train convenient and will improve public transport links to Perth’s southern suburbs. The project will involve the construction of two new train stations at Ranford Road and Nicholson Road. New train stations will also be built at Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep along the Yanchep Rail Extension.
Additionally, the Yanchep Rail Extension, a 14.5-kilometre project, will deliver the final section of the Joondalup rail line from Butler to Yanchep, supporting the area’s ongoing growth as well as reducing road congestion.
WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said construction of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link would reduce reliance on the existing radial railway network and provide new options for train travel for eastern suburbs residents, along with a direct link from the Mandurah Line to Optus Stadium.
“These public transport links will also transform the areas they travel through, from under-utilised industrial or rural areas to bustling new urban centres with a host of residential and business opportunities,” she explained.
“The RFP stage of the contract for these two projects is a major step forward in our METRONET plan for Perth’s suburbs. Combining both projects under an alliance contract will enable these community-boosting railway lines to be built quickly, efficiently, and economically.”
“This will also likely be the first big contract delivered under the WA Jobs Law, which will maximise the benefits of the projects to the State by delivering more local jobs for Western Australians,” she added.
The two projects are forecast to create over 3,000 jobs for the state.
Applications close in October, with the shortlist to be announced later in the year. After shortlisting, contractors will be required to provide a detailed bid indicating how they plan to construct the projects before a contract to the successful bidder is awarded in mid-2019.
More information on METRONET can be found here.
