Question regarding the disparate infrastructure costs of different transport options for the South West Metropolitan Railway, specifically comparing rail and bus options. The answer defends the rail option by highlighting user benefits and economic factors beyond initial cost.

AnsweredQoN 1039Legislative Assembly
Asked
13 September 2001
Portfolio
Planning and Infrastructure

QuestionView source ↗

(b) infrastructure costs are highly disparate with $647 million for the direct Mandurah link, $805 million for the Rail and Rockingham option, and $143 million for the bus option?
(b) $1308 for rail and the Rockingham loop; and (c) $735 million for the bus option?
(c) $735 million for the bus option?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
27 November 2001
Responded by
Minister for Planning and Infrastructure
Response time
75 days
(1) – (3) A careful, and objective reading of the South West Metropolitan Railway Master Plan (Section 13), shows that comparison of cost analysis, without considering the other factors, would suggest a bus option. However, as pointed out in response to Parliamentary Question 1038, the rail user benefits (and this is meant for users) are:
Significant travel time savings;
More than double the savings in private vehicle operating costs (plus environmental, social and medical cost benefits that flow from that);
Much greater externality benefits;
$130m additional operator revenue to rail; and
Lower operating costs in the longer term.
(4) – (5) The Master Plan was referred to the Government and Treasury before the proposal was accepted.

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