Network and Infrastructure
The Network and Infrastructure (N&I) division is responsible for the management and maintenance of the urban passenger rail network, the delivery of part of the asset investment program, and the delivery of information technology services.
N&I has a service level agreement with Transperth Train Operations (TTO) which details its responsibility for the provision and maintenance of the infrastructure required to operate train services reliably, efficiently and safely. N&I’s focus is on providing and maintaining rail infrastructure at a high reliability level. In turn, this enables TTO to provide a high-quality train service to the PTA’s customers.
Maintenance
Most of the division’s resources are allocated to maintenance, both planned and breakdown. Routine maintenance is planned carefully to ensure the infrastructure is safe and highly reliable. This ensures that our customers continue to enjoy a safe and dependable train service. The division also deploys its resources to ensure a rapid response to any breakdowns to minimise delays and customer impact.
The rail network’s 70 stations are highly-visible infrastructure assets. As well as ensuring that all station facilities are reliable, considerable effort is made to have them well presented.
This is achieved through regular cleaning and periodic large maintenance items such as high-pressure water cleaning and painting.
Asset management
The division oversees an asset portfolio with a net book value of approximately $2.1 billion, and is well advanced in implementing a comprehensive asset management system based on PAS55 - an internationally-recognised asset management methodology.
A core component of the methodology is Asset Management Plans (AMP) that identify planned maintenance, set targets for asset performance, record maintenance costs, detail future asset replacement requirements and identify improvements required to lift asset performance.
Increasing resilience of Perth’s train system
With Perth’s well-documented rapid population growth (and associated congestion), the public transport system is increasingly vital to the smooth operation of the city. The PTA is undertaking work to strengthen the network to make it more resilient when problems occur. Key aspects of this work are the installation of train turnbacks close to the city, and improvements in the traction power system.
Asset investment program
Parking facilities program - Better Transport System
The Better Transport System project will deliver more than 4500 car bays (compared with the original 3000-bay target) on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines at a total cost of $50 million. To balance date, 14 car park extensions have been completed for a total of 2647 new bays - 88.2 per cent of the original target.
Construction is taking place at Currambine, Rockingham and Cockburn Central and, with completion forecast for the third quarter of 2012, a further 1870 (approximately) bays will take the total to more than 4500.
As part of the Better Transport initiative, increased bicycle and motor cycle parking facilities, including 20 new bicycle shelters, are being built to improve integrated travel to train stations.
Provision of disabled access at train stations
The PTA sets out to provide passenger transport services that are accessible for everyone. While many of our facilities are years ahead of official disability standards, some older stations still require work to meet compliance requirements.
The Mt Lawley Station accessibility upgrade was completed in the first half of 2012 and Meltham Station’s upgrade is scheduled for completion in August. Preliminary work has started at Queens Park Station with upgrades also scheduled for Maddington, Beckenham and North Fremantle stations.
These works are part of an ongoing program to make PTA train stations accessible to all members of the community.
Fremantle Station heritage upgrade
All work at Fremantle Railway Station is being carried out in accordance with an approved Heritage Conservation Plan. Because the work requires specialist expertise, heritage craftsmen have taken on the painstaking process of matching stone, carving blocks, re-mortaring bricks and restoring timber as closely as possible to the original fittings.
Stage One (now complete) of the conservation work involved the removal of the paint covering the main entry facade, and repairs to the Donnybrook stonework. Stage Two (also complete) involved upgrading the station’s electrical system. Stage Three, the restoration of the elaborate finishes, is nearing completion.
Leederville crossover/turnout
The Leederville turnback siding is the first turnback and crossover facility delivered under a $19.8m program (for turnbacks and sidings) covering three locations - Leederville, Karnup and South Perth. This is a key component of the resilience program currently being implemented to minimise the disruption to the PTA’s customers when failures (which cannot be totally avoided) occur.
The Karnup site is under construction and South Perth is in the planning phase.
Before construction of the Leederville turnback, the closest that Joondalup Line trains could get to the City in the event of a failure was Stirling. Now, in the event of problems, passengers can be brought to Leederville Station, which will significantly reduce the disruption to their day.
Shenton and Stirling Road bridges
The Shenton Railway Bridge is on the Fremantle Line and spans Shenton Road between the Showgrounds and Claremont stations; the Stirling Road Bridge is 500m to the west. Both bridges were built in the mid-1940s with the girders likely to have been manufactured in 1912 (similar to Stirling Road subway) and reconditioned for use at the current location.
Both bridges had reached a stage where replacement was required to ensure ongoing safe operation of the trains. The new bridges were pre-fabricated and installed on site during two separate 80-hour shutdowns. Both projects were successfully completed as a result of meticulous planning and skilled teamwork.