Engineering firms Arup Australia Projects and WSP Australia have been appointed to progress planning for freight rail upgrades that will support the future Westport container terminal in Kwinana.
The two firms will form an integrated project team with Main Roads Western Australia and the Public Transport Authority to undertake planning and preparatory work across Perth’s southern freight network.
The upgrades are intended to prepare the rail network for the eventual transfer of container operations from Fremantle to Westport and support a greater share of containers moving by rail.
New rail links and track upgrades
One of the key projects involves a new rail connection linking the future Westport container terminal with the existing freight network east of Rockingham Road.
Planning will also cover the duplication of approximately eight kilometres of freight rail track between Kwinana and Cockburn, near Beeliar Drive, as well as a short section of single track at Kewdale.
Existing rail level crossings along the corridor are also proposed to be removed.
Another major component is the North Lake Road Grade Separation, which would replace the existing rail level crossing at South Lake with a new bridge.
Together, the projects are designed to improve freight rail capacity and connectivity while reducing the interaction between freight trains, road traffic and level crossings.
Preparing Perth’s freight network for future demand
The Australian and Western Australian governments have committed $67 million to planning and development work associated with the Westport program, including road upgrades, freight rail duplication and level crossing removals.
Planning activities will include developing a project reference design, conducting geotechnical and environmental investigations and progressing regulatory approvals ahead of construction.
Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said increasing rail freight would be important to improving the efficiency and safety of the container supply chain.
“Encouraging more containers off our roads and onto rail is key to making the entire container supply chain safer and more efficient,” King said.
“These planning works are vital to boosting rail’s share of container movements once the new port terminal opens.”
WA Transport and Major Infrastructure Minister Rita Saffioti said the upgrades would help strengthen the state’s freight network while reducing pressure on surrounding roads.
“These upgrades will help future-proof our state’s freight rail network ready for Westport, so we can move more containers off our roads and onto rail,” Saffioti said.
Shift towards rail freight
The planned infrastructure forms part of broader preparations for Westport and its future role in Western Australia’s container trade.
Increasing the use of rail for container movements could help reduce road congestion and improve freight efficiency as container volumes grow.
For freight operators and businesses reliant on Perth’s transport network, the upgrades are expected to provide additional rail capacity and improve connections between the future terminal and existing freight infrastructure.
Community consultation on the proposed upgrades is expected to begin later this year.
Read more: Western Australia invests $200m in regional rail freight network
Yvette is a Content Producer at Akolade, producing stories for Supply Chain Channel, an Australian learning ecosystem created to address the need for information, networking, case studies, and empowerment for everyone in the supply chain sector.
