14 September 2018 – The Western Australian and Federal Governments have released a Request for Proposal to the market to deliver two major components of the Perth METRONET project – one of the state’s biggest infrastructure projects on record.
Specifically, the RFP relates to the delivery of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link and the Yanchep Rail Extension under a bundled competitive alliance model.
Federal Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Alan Tudge said the Thornlie-Cockburn Link will be Perth’s first east-west connection, making travel around the city by train more convenient and improving public transport links to Perth’s southern suburbs. The 17.5-kilometre Thornlie-Cockburn Link will see construction of two new train stations at Ranford Road and Nicholson Road while new train stations will also be added to the network at Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep along the Yanchep Rail Extension.
“The Yanchep Rail Extension is a 14.5-kilometre project that will deliver the final section of the Joondalup rail line from Butler to Yanchep, supporting the area’s ongoing growth as well as reducing congestion on our roads,” added Mr Tudge.
WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said, “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.
“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.”
According to the joint media release, more than 3,000 jobs are expected to be created by the projects while the decision to deliver the project under an alliance contract model is expected to maximise efficiencies and generate savings.
Applications close in October, with the shortlist to be announced in 2018. 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.
