Airport line, Perth
The Airport line is a future commuter rail service on the Transperth network, in Perth, Western Australia. The service It is long, and goes between High Wycombe and Claremont, via Perth Airport and Bayswater. The section between High Wycombe and Bayswater will use all new infrastructure, built between 2016 and 2022. In contrast, the section between Bayswater and Perth will share infrastructure with the Midland and Morley–Ellenbrook lines, and the section between Perth and Claremont with the Fremantle Line. The new infrastructure between High Wycombe and Bayswater was constructed as part of the Forrestfield-Airport Link  project, the purpose of which was to provide a rail service to the airport and to the areas east of the airport. It consists of of twin-bored tunnel; the longest bored tunnels in Perth. As part of the project, three new stations were constructed, namely Redcliffe, Airport Central, and High Wycombe. History. Forrestfield-Airport Link. In 2004, Perth Airport's twenty-year Master Plan proposed a rail link to connect with the Midland Line between Bayswater and Ashfield stations at the Tonkin Highway. The rail link was proposed to continue above ground along Tonkin Highway to the Great Eastern  Highway where it is believed it would go underground along Brearley Avenue and to the terminals in operation at completion of the line. In December 2013, the Government of Western Australia announced its intention to construct a railway line to Forrestfield via Perth Airport. In August 2014, the scheme was endorsed by the Cabinet. The state government formally approved the project in August 2014. In March 2015, it was announced five parties had lodged Expressions of Interest to build the line: A shortlist of Forrestfield Connect, JHL Joint Venture and SI-NRW Joint Venture was announced in April 2015. In  January 2016, the SI-NRW Joint Venture was named as the preferred tenderer. They were awarded the $1.176 billion contract for the design, construction, and 10 years maintenance, in April 2016. Construction on the project commenced on 3 November 2016. The first tunnel boring machine (TBM) started tunnelling from High Wycombe on 30 July 2017. The TBM was named Grace, after a local girl who was undergoing treatment for leukaemia. The second TBM started tunnelling from High Wycombe in October 2017. This TBM was named Sandy, after sandgroper, a digging insect native to Western Australia, and a nickname for  Western Australians. In December 2018, Western Australian Transport Minister Rita Saffioti announced that the project's opening had been delayed to mid-2021 due to numerous problems encountered by the project, including a sinkhole, flooding, the TBMs moving slower than expected and two workplace incidents related to the project. Despite this, the project budget of $1.8 billion remained the same. On 18 February 2020, TBM Grace reached the Bayswater tunnel dive structure, the end of the tunnel. On 20 April 2020, TBM Sandy reached the Bayswater tunnel dive structure, marking the completion of tunnelling for the project. Originally conceived as  the Forrestfield-Airport Link, the rail service will be named Airport Line when it commences. Additionally, Forrestfield Station was renamed to High Wycombe Station. After initially denying that construction was behind schedule, Saffioti said in May 2021 that the planned completion date of the line had been again pushed back, this time to the first half of 2022. She put the delay down to the COVID-19 pandemic causing a delay in the production of steel and other materials, however the project will still come in on budget due to contingencies in the contract. In July, the head contractors commenced legal  action against GHD Group, alleging it was negligent in failing to prepare an adequate design concept. The contractors, Webuild and NRW claimed they suffered a loss in the construction of the railway line as a result of GHD breaching the tender design agreement. On 16 July 2021, track laying was completed. Installation of the overhead conductor rail and overhead line equipment is still continuing as of July 2021, as is the final fit-out of the three stations on the line. The tunnel received its first train on the morning of 28 March 2022 in order to test the tunnel 's ventilation system with a driver and a group of engineers on board. An interview with Saffioti on 3 April 2022 had the minister reiterate the intention to have the line open by the end of June 2022. Other works. In order for trains of the Airport Line to turn around at Claremont, a turnback was installed west of Claremont Station. The station also underwent an upgrade. This project To aid with Airport Line operations, a turnback will be installed west of Bayswater Station. Bayswater is also undergoing an upgrade. The Caledonian Avenue level crossing between Meltham and Maylands stations  closed on 15 April 2022 as the addition of the Airport Line will make this level crossing too busy. Route. The new Airport Line will diverge from Transperth's existing Midland Line near Bayswater Station and run in twin-bore tunnels, initially paralleling the Tonkin Highway, then running under the Swan River to reach Perth Airport. It will continue in tunnels under the airport, before emerging to terminate at a new bus-rail interchange at High Wycombe. From Bayswater in the other direction, the Airport Line will share infrastructure with the Midland Line towards Perth. West of Perth, the line  will continue, sharing infrastructure with the Fremantle Line until Claremont, where the Airport Line will terminate. Stations. The new Airport Line will service the three new stations being built, as well as the stations between Bayswater and Claremont currently serviced by the Midland and Fremantle lines only. Timetable. On 22 September 2021, the frequency of the Airport Line upon opening was revealed to be five trains per hour, or a train every 12 minutes, during peak, and four trains per hour, or a train every 15 minutes, between peak. The frequency of the Midland and Fremantle lines will decrease as  well from six trains per hour during peak to five trains per hour.