ATWELL TRAIN STATION Making Life Easier for Families: WA Labor Policy Statement
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Making Life Easier for Families:
ATWELL TRAIN STATION
WA Labor Policy Statement
June 2012
Making Life Easier for Families: Atwell Train Station
Executive Summary
The Mandurah Railway has been an outstanding success since it was built and opened by
the previous Labor Government more than four years ago. New housing developments are
emerging in its catchment area at a rapid rate and passenger boardings have been growing by
around 10 per cent every year.
But this success has also placed pressure on train stations, with the car parks at some stations
like Cockburn Central unable to meet demand. WA Labor is committed to investing in important
infrastructure like railway stations which provide affordable transport for families in the suburbs
and reduce congestion on our roads.
A WA Labor Government will:
• build a new station on the Mandurah line at Atwell, at the site north of Gibbs/Russell
Road within the Kwinana Freeway, to service the suburbs of Atwell, Aubin Grove, Banjup,
Hammond Park and Success.
• provide car parking at Atwell station for 900 vehicles.
Background
Since its December 2007 opening,
the Mandurah railway line has
exceeded all expectations, with
passenger numbers growing by
around 10 per cent each year1.
It has proved to be an important
piece of infrastructure in Perth’s
evolving world-class public transport
system.
The decision by the Gallop
Government in 2002 to opt for the
fast route straight up the Kwinana
Freeway has been vindicated.
Today, it is hard to believe that people,
including many Liberals, opposed
this route and supported the longer
trip to the city along what was known
Opening of the Mandurah Railway in December 2007 as the “Kenwick deviation”.
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Making Life Easier for Families: Atwell Train Station
The success of the line has placed pressure recommended a site be protected for a future
on the existing stations, with car parks now railway station immediately north of Gibbs/
struggling to cope with the rapidly growing Russell roads. The Public Transport Plan
demand. A clear example of this is Cockburn proposed that from 2020 to 2031 only one
Central station. extra station — at a site referred to as Success/
Mandogalup — should be built. The indicative
A survey by the Public Transport Authority planning has been focussed on a site near
earlier this year found that all the car parks at Rowley Road in Mandogalup.
Cockburn Central station are normally full by
7.11am2. Cockburn Central is the first station in Documents obtained under FOI reveal that the
the morning on the Mandurah line to have all of Barnett Government has been considering
its car parks full. the proposed Karnup station since as early as
December 2008. A Karnup station concept
Experience has shown that new car parks fill plan was produced in May 2009. Despite this
as quickly as they are built. New stations close work, the Barnett Government has failed to
to homes provide the opportunity for people make any announcement on this station over
to walk or ride to the nearby station, reducing the last three years.
pressure on car parks.
Local concerns about overcrowding on
License plate surveys undertaken by the PTA roads and public transport in the Cockburn
show that Cockburn Central station has a large Central area have prompted the emergence
catchment spreading from Coogee to Southern of the community group Transport and Road
River and South Lake to Aubin Grove3. Management Around Cockburn (TARMAC).
New developments south of Atwell at Harrisdale TARMAC has campaigned strongly for a new
and Piara Waters will continue to place even railway station to be built in the region and has
greater pressure on the existing infrastructure at nominated the Gibbs/Russell Road site as its
Cockburn Central, which already has average preferred location.
total weekday boardings of around 40004.
A significant number of people
using Cockburn Central
station live in the suburbs —
Atwell, Aubin Grove, Banjup,
Hammond Park and Success
— which surround the site for
the planned station at Gibbs/
Russell Road.
Government reports have
also highlighted the need for a
“...all the car parks
station near these suburbs.
at Cockburn Central
The Perth Urban Rail station are normally
Development Supplementary full by 7.11am.”
Master Plan in August 2002
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Making Life Easier for Families: Atwell Train Station
WA Labor’s Plans
WA Labor believes that train users need a new the opportunity to substantially increase the
station at Atwell in the next four years to meet number of bays over future years as demand
the future demand growth on the Mandurah requires.
line.
WA Labor is committed to investing in important
If successful at the 2013 election, WA Labor will infrastructure like railway stations which provide
build a new Atwell train station at the proposed affordable transport for families in the suburbs
site on the Mandurah line, within the Kwinana and reduce congestion on our roads. This will
Freeway and just north of Gibbs/Russell Road. provide a real “future fund” for WA Families.
The Atwell station will relieve pressure on the
Cockburn Central station, which has to cater Costing
for the population growth from significant new
land developments in its catchment. The construction of the new station, including
car parking for 900 vehicles, is estimated to be
The new station will initially have 900 parking $45 million.
bays. WA Labor believes this site provides
“If successful at the 2013
election, WA Labor will build
a new station at the proposed
site on the Mandurah line,
within the Kwinana Freeway,
just north of Gibbs/Russell
Road.”
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Making Life Easier for Families: Atwell Train Station
WA Labor’s Record
WA Labor has a strong record in investing • Upgraded regional town bus services
in rail and public transport. WA Labor in Albany, Broome, Busselton, Collie,
Governments have: Esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Port
• Re-opened the Fremantle railway line Hedland and Roebourne Shire, introducing
(closed by the Liberal Government in 1979); a total of 135,000 extra bus kilometres per
annum and an extra 24 low floor buses.
• Electrified the Perth rail network;
• Built the Perth to Currambine Railway; In contrast the Liberal and National parties
have a poor record and long list of broken
• Built the extension from Currambine to election promises regarding rail infrastructure
Clarkson; including:
• Built the Perth to Mandurah Railway; • Closing the Fremantle Railway line in 1979.
• Built the rail line to Thornlie; • Closing the Midland Railway workshops
• Responsible for ordering 224 of the 234 just four months after an election promise
railcars currently operating on the rail to upgrade them;
network, • Breaking promises to build Greenwood
• Constructed new rail stations on existing station and extend the railway to Clarkson;
lines at Armadale, Bassendean, Gosnells, • Failed to construct the Mandurah Railway.
Greenwood, Kelmscott, Maylands and
Victoria Park; Since the 2008 election they have:
• Responsible for the largest annual increase • Cancelled new stations at Midland and
in bus passenger boardings in WA history South Perth (included in the Budget prior to
following opening of the Mandurah line the election)
feeder services;
• Broken a promise to build a railway to
• Introduced the new 50 cent student fare; Ellenbrook;
• Introduced SmartRider, the first successful • Deferred the construction of an extension to
integrated smartcard ticketing system in Butler;
Australia;
• Broken a promise on an extension to
• Expanded the Perth CAT service with 21 Canningvale; and
new gas buses, made the Joondalup CAT
permanent and introduced the Rockingham • Closing 700km of Wheatbelt rail lines
City Centre Transit system; and despite promising to keep them.
WA Labor has a
strong record on
rail infrastructure in
Western Australia.
Page 5Making Life Easier for Families: Atwell Train Station
Conclusion
The modern WA rail network is an outstanding support new residential developments in the
success. Over the last 10 years annual southern corridor.
passengers boardings have more than doubled
to more than 60 million5. WA Labor is committed to effective, targeted
planning to manage the demands of the State’s
The Mandurah line has seen extraordinary incredible economic and population growth, as
passenger growth with annual boardings well as ensuring that all Western Australians —
exceeding 20 million this financial year6. whether they live in the city, the suburbs or the
country — share in the benefits of the boom.
Western Australia is seen as a world leader in
the development of a modern railway network There are many other issues facing public
interconnected to feeder buses. transport in Perth, including congestion and
overcrowding.
WA Labor is proud of its record in delivering
this infrastructure and will continue to invest in WA Labor will continue to release further plans
public transport infrastructure which keeps up in the lead-up to the election to ensure Perth
with population growth. continues to have a world-class public transport
system.
To help identify other key infrastructure
priorities, a WA Labor Government will create
a State Infrastructure Strategy and establish
the Infrastructure WA board. These plans were
outlined in the Economic Reform: WA Labor’s This policy commitment will be refined to form
Plan for Infrastructure policy released in April part of the package of policies that WA Labor
this year. will take to the 2013 election. It will form part
of a fully funded and costed financial plan that
An investment in a new station at Atwell is the will be presented in the lead-up to the 2013
important next step for the Mandurah line to election.
Endnotes
1. Public Transport Authority, Transperth Patronage statistics.
2. Hansard, 15 May 2012, Page 2433.
3. Public Transport Authority, Mandurah Line Cockburn Central Train Stations and Licence Plate, September 2010
Survey.
4. Hansard, 22 June 2010, Page 4217.
5. Public Transport Authority, Transperth Patronage statistics.
6. Hansard, 27 September 2011, Page 7722.
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