- Another major milestone reached on the METRONET Forrestfield-Airport Link project
- First tunnel-boring machine (TBM) has reached Redcliffe Station
- TBM Grace broke through into the station box structure on Thursday afternoon
- $4.1 billion allocated towards METRONET as part of the 2019-20 State Budget
- $7.5 million new investment to deliver precinct planning for METRONET stations
TBM Grace arrived at Redcliffe on Thursday afternoon (May 9), having now tunnelled 62 per cent of the 7.4 kilometre tunnel component of the future 8.5 kilometre train line to Bayswater.
It was guided into the station over a period of 24 hours, with a team of 15 inside the machine for the final breakthrough. This is the first time Grace has 'surfaced' since leaving the Airport Central Station box in June 2018.
The project's second machine, TBM Sandy, is about 500 metres behind Grace and is expected to break into the Redcliffe box in June.
Both TBMs will be stopped at Redcliffe for about six weeks to enable scheduled maintenance and replacement of their screw conveyors. The TBMs will be cleaned, worn cutter head tools replaced, and routine servicing and testing will be conducted.
The machines will then begin the final leg of their journey, under the Swan River and on to the Bayswater dive structure, where it will eventually connect to the Midland Line.
The METRONET team and local government have examined the best land uses around Redcliffe Station. It will eventually service more than 5,000 employees, while more than 7,800 new residents are expected to move to the immediate area once fully developed.
Redcliffe Station will form the centre of one of METRONET's first transport oriented developments - a precinct of apartments, shops and entertainment where walking, cycling and public transport are made easy. The first trains are expected to run on the Forrestfield-Airport Link project in the second half of 2021.
Comments attributed to Premier Mark McGowan:
"The last time I saw this incredible machine it had just broken through the wall at Airport Central Station.
"In the subsequent year, both TBMs have completed tunnels under Perth Airport's runways and left the airside environment behind, one of the most critical points of this significant METRONET project.
"We are getting on and building METRONET, leaving no stone unturned as we roll-out major projects across our suburbs and create thousands and thousands of jobs in the process."
Comments attributed to Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Once complete, the Forrestfield-Airport Link will change the way thousands of people connect to our city from the eastern foothills and the airport.
"Redcliffe Station will become a hub of activity in future years, as a key METRONET precinct.
"TBM Grace breaking through marks a major milestone for this project, a project that will stand the test of time, with the tunnels these machines have etched out designed to last an incredible 120 years.
"Once works and maintenance are complete, TBM Grace and TBM Sandy will begin the final leg of their journey, tunnelling to a depth of 22m under the Swan River before surfacing at the Bayswater dive structure.
"Work for this incredibly complex project is taking place across 13 different construction sites. As with any project of this scale, it hasn't always been a smooth ride, but I'm thrilled to see the new stations taking shape and this significant tunnelling milestone reached."
Media line: (08) 9326 2526 or media@pta.wa.gov.au