Contractors lay first track for the $1.86B Forrestfield-Airport Link

First kilometre of track laid inside the Forrestfield-Airport Link tunnels courtesy of METRONET.

Crews have laid the first 1 kilometre of track for the Forrestfield-Airport Link, following the completion of the project’s two tunnels in April 2020.

Australian company Martinus Rail, as a subcontractor for the Salini Impregilo-NRW Joint Venture, will use more than 2,400 tonnes of Australian-manufactured steel in the track laying process, with around 40 kilometres of rail needed to form the track in each tunnel.

The rail began as 27.5 metre pieces of steel before being flash-butt welded into giant 220m strings. Multiple teams will work together to weld the lengths of rail, transport and lay the sleepers to make the skeleton track. Then concrete is poured to finish off the slab tracks.

There is also preparation work underway for the overhead line equipment, communications and signalling installations.

Premier Mark McGowan said this year alone there are seven METRONET projects underway, providing a much needed boost for our local economy as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Track laying is one of the final major events on the construction of a rail line – it’s an exciting milestone for this $1.86 billion project, with more than 2,400 tonnes of Australian-made steel being prepared,” he said.

“This project continues to provide opportunities for local businesses, with WA company Melchor recently announced as the builder of the multi-storey car park at High Wycombe Station.”

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said we’re at an exciting time for this major infrastructure project – the tunnel-boring machines have finished creating our tunnels, our three new stations are taking shape and track laying is now underway.

“More than 2,400 tonnes of steel will soon become the new rail line that will carry thousands of people each day between the CBD, our airport and the south-eastern suburbs,” she said.

The Forrestfield-Airport Link is set to open in 2021. It will provide a 20 minute rail link between the Perth CBD and the eastern suburbs with three new stations at Redcliffe, Airport Central and High Wycombe.

The new rail line will be called the Airport Line when it opens.

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