Mandurah council to vote on the future of transport in the Peel region

With Mandurah listed as one of the fastest growing regions in the nation, the City of Mandurah is developing a transport plan to identify key priorities and cater for future growth.

Among the top priorities is the creation of a tram line in the CBD, the extension of the Mandurah train line to Pinjarra with a stop in Ravenswood, the creation of a train station north of Mandurah and the establishment of fast bus routes to Mandurah’s northern and southern suburbs.

Here’s all you need to know.

The proposed tram network would be similar to existing tram lines in Adelaide, Gold Coast, and Parramatta, linking the Mandurah train station to the western foreshore via Peel, Allnut and Sutton Streets. 

The City of Mandurah also plans on expanding the line later on, linking the city centre to Rushton Park along Pinjarra Road and Dower Street, to Halls Head and to Peel Health Campus. 

With Mandurah’s city centre having the capacity to accommodate 8000 more homes and an additional 15,000 people, the light rail system would maximise access to the city centre by public transport and ease congestion. 

The suggested expansion of the Mandurah train line would extend existing rail services to Pinjarra, with a station located in Ravenswood.

The line would run along Mandurah and Pinjarra Roads, with tunnels at Mandurah Road and Allnut Street, and Mandurah Road and Pinjarra Road.

The City’s plans also support the construction of a new train station north of Mandurah, either at Karnup or Lakelands, and a link between the Mandurah line and the Thornlie-Armadale line.

It is anticipated that the Karnup train station would be located adjacent to Mandurah Road, and act as a mid-point between Mandurah and Warnbro stations.

The proposed station site at Lakelands would be located close to Valley Drive and serve the immediate suburbs of Meadow Springs, Lakelands and Madora Bay.

“Council should support the delivery of a further station north of the Mandurah train station to provide support for Mandurah’s northern population base,” a report by the City’s manager of planning and land services Ben Dreckow read.

“However, in doing so, it is acknowledged that the current state government has committed to a station at Karnup.”

The proposed high frequency bus system would link Mandurah’s northern and southern suburbs to the train station in a bid to encourage the use of public transport and cater for the region’s growing population.

The two bus lines would use queue jump lanes to bypass queued traffic and move quickly through intersections.

The southern high frequency link, which could include the reconfiguration of the existing 593 and 594 bus lines, would run from Mandurah’s southern suburbs to the train station along Old Coast Road. 

The northern fast bus link would connect Mandurah’s northern suburbs to the train station via Mandurah Road, and could include the realignment of the existing 558 bus line.

“This model would be based on the provision of signal priority at key intersections and building on the existing bus network but refocused on the key corridors,” Mr Dreckow wrote in a report.

“A high percentage of existing retail and secondary schools are to be located adjacent to this corridor and space is provided within existing road reserves to upgrade stops at key locations.”

A report outlining Mandurah’s public transport priorities will be presented to council for consideration on Tuesday night.