WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti, Premier Mark McGowan and Salini Impregilo – NRW JV Project Director Richard Graham.
Airport Central Station was the focus of attention yesterday when Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti visited the construction site.
Airport Central Station is one of three new stations being built as part of the Forrestfield-Airport Link, which will deliver a new rail service to the eastern suburbs of Perth.
Salini Impregilo – NRW Joint Venture is the lead contractor building the $1.86billion project.
Airport Central Station will provide travellers and airport workers with a direct 18-minute train journey to the CBD when the line opens in late 2021. The striking station roof takes inspiration from the contours of aircraft and will include a suspended art installation. Within this atrium is the longest uninterrupted escalator in the southern hemisphere at 35 metres long and 15 metres high.
Salini Impregilo – NRW Joint Venture Project Director Richard Graham welcomed the opportunity for the Premier and Minister to visit the site and inspect the progress to date.
“Construction has progressed significantly across the whole 8.5km route, above and below ground,” he said.
“We are all very proud of the work that has been done and continues to be done to bring this major infrastructure project to fruition.”
Mr Graham said once tunnelling was completed earlier this year, works turned to the fit out of stations and track laying.
Almost 6km of skeleton track has been laid and 3.9 kilometres of track slab completed.
Premier Mark McGowan said the Forrestfield-Airport Link was one of the major infrastructure projects where work has been able to continue to help guide Western Australia out of the pandemic and build the economy back up.
“The Forrestfield-Airport Link construction employs hundreds of local workers and provides opportunities for local businesses and subcontractors,” he said.
“This is just one of eight METRONET projects we have underway this year, building the infrastructure for tomorrow, creating jobs and supporting the State economy now.”
Western Australian Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said it was exciting to see the project taking shape.
“We’ve reached several milestones this year with the completion of tunnelling and the start of track laying,” she said. “Track laying is progressing well almost 4 kilometres of track laid and completed and 5.7 kilometres of skeleton track laid.
“The stations are almost completed and it is exciting to think trains will be running on this line in late 2021.”
