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Perth’s Metronet airport train line still facing uncertain opening date after decade in making

Perth’s Metronet airport train line still facing uncertain opening date after decade in making

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West Australians are still no closer to finding out when they’ll be able to catch a train to Perth Airport, more than two years after the long-awaited rail line was due to open.

The Forrestfield-Airport Link has been more than a decade in the making and is now nearing completion.

But exactly how long the final stretch will last remains unclear, with the government refusing to give any certainty beyond an opening some time this year.

The opposition said that was because the government had something to hide and called on Transport Minister Rita Saffioti to provide a date soon.

Uncertainty around the line’s opening comes amid chaos at the airport, with flight cancellations and car parks filled to the brim.

A message on Perth Airport's website, warning people to book parking early.
Perth Airport had been warning customers they would not be able to book parking, because of massive demand.(Supplied: Perth Airport)

After issuing an initial warning that travellers would not be able to book bays between Tuesday and Thursday, Perth Airport said more bookings were now becoming available.

“Due to the trend in strong, FIFO-related bookings, Perth Airport expects the demand for car parking to continue,” a spokesperson said.

“We recommend booking at least a week in advance to secure a parking bay and access the best available rate.”

Timelines as soft as tunnel sand

Had the rail line been opened on schedule, it might have helped relieve some of the current pressures.

But that date has gradually drifted, from 2020, eventually landing around the middle of this year.

In early May the project’s website told visitors: “First trains will operate on the new Airport Line in the first half of 2022.”

Replies to comments on the project’s Facebook page shared a similar message, up until their tone changed on June 8.

“First trains will be operating on the new Airport Line in 2022,” the new reply read.

“The opening date will be provided once the testing and commissioning phase is nearing its end.”

A graphic showing replies to comments on the Forrestfield-Airport Link Facebook page.
Responses to comments on the project’s Facebook page have changed over the past few months.(ABC News)

That phase looks set to continue until at least the end of this month, with three “emergency readiness” exercises being planned for 17, 20 and 30 July.

Once the commissioning phase is complete, driver training will need to follow.

When the Mandurah line was being opened in 2007, it took just over a month from driver training starting for the line to open.

If those emergency exercises came towards the end of the commissioning phase, that could make an opening before September unlikely.

Soil, safety and COVID added to delays, Minister says

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti was questioned about the project’s timeline during budget estimates in late May, and told Parliament there had been several issues throughout the line’s lifetime.

“First of all, tunnelling through soft sand, water and gravel on clay was pretty difficult,” she said.

“In September 2018, there was a significant disturbance to the tunnelling, which had an impact on the timeframe.”

WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti at a media conference.
Rita Saffioti has been Transport Minister for the past five years, and has overseen much of the project’s construction.(ABC News: James Carmody)

Delays were also attributed to safety concerns raised when a worker was left with a traumatic brain injury after an incident on-site that led to a $200,000 fine for the construction company involved. 

“The government made a clear decision that safety was the number one priority and, as a result, there were extensions to timeframes early in 2018, 2019,” Ms Saffioti said.

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