Additional traffic modelling undertaken by the McGowan Government has found the proposed closure of the Robinson Road level crossing, to facilitate the Bellevue METRONET depot, will have manageable impacts on the Midland traffic network.
The level crossing will close in September 2022, and traffic modelling has found the closure is not anticipated to have major impacts on traffic flow in the area, with vehicles that use the crossing expected to use the Lloyd Street underpass.
The McGowan Government will undertake minor improvements to key intersections including Lloyd Street and Great Eastern Highway and Lloyd Street and Clayton Street, to assist traffic flow.
Work will also continue on undertaking wider traffic modelling, planning and stakeholder engagement to develop a longer-term strategy to meet future travel demands in the Midland area.
The depot is an essential part of the METRONET Railcar Program, which is delivering 246 new C-series railcars and six new Australind railcars, while providing necessary maintenance and stabling to support operations on the Midland, Airport and Ellenbrook lines.
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"The METRONET Railcar Facility has brought railcar manufacturing back to WA, supporting hundreds of local jobs and local businesses.
"Train depots need to be a certain length to allow for trains to go through the necessary and required maintenance without turning around - this means the Robinson Road level crossing will need to close.
"With trains entering the depot frequently, the crossing would be inaccessible for the majority of the day, which would pose a significant safety risk to the community.
"We will be undertaking improvements to some key nearby intersections in the Midland area to help alleviate any pressures on the local road network.
"We will continue to undertake long-term modelling and work with all stakeholders to look at future planning for traffic movements in the area."
