Metronet will be fantastic when complete.

20 projects.
23 new train stations.
72km of rail line.
$13billion of funding.
Thousands of jobs.
Reduction in transport times and road traffic.

I do agree with my colleagues that it's taking labour from residential construction jobs in a tight market. However, as many of the projects are either finished or finishing in the next 6-12 months, that problem will hopefully alleviate.

Metronet will increase the attractiveness of thousands of properties and change the demographics of areas, which will help town centres to thrive.

In a series of e-newsletters, I'll look at what I think the 5 Metronet projects will be that will have the most impact on town centres across WA.

Part 1 - Ellenbrook Train Line

The Ellenbrook train line will add 6 new stations, including Ellenbrook station, that will finally join Perth to its north-eastern satellite city. 

I see three main benefits of this:

• Improve connectivity with the city by offering 30-minute train trips to the city

• Reduce car congestion, as this corridor has the highest car use of any in Perth

• Improve land values and attractiveness nearby to the train station

There is roughly 20 Ha of undeveloped land within a 500m radius of the Ellenbrook station. 

The R Codes around this area vary, but at an average of R80 that may allow for around 1,500-2,000 new dwellings, which could house around 3,000 or so people. This will become particularly attractive for people that want to live in the north-east but also need to travel to the city regularly. It will also create significant additional demand for shops, hospitality, childcare, medical and other town centre uses, as the majority of the lots will have a planning control for commercial/retail on the ground floor. Works are also due to start on an aquatic and leisure centre in proximity to the train station early next year, further increasing the attractiveness of the area.

Gnangara Road is the main traffic route out of Ellenbrook and as one would expect, the busiest times on the roads are 7-8am and 4-5pm. However, the east and west disparities in the data show there is a significant amount of traffic going to work along Gnangara Road away from Ellenbrook in the morning, then back again in the afternoon.

One could expect a reduction in this peak time traffic immediately after the train opens, although this may not be a significant drop as there is currently a low proportion of Ellenbrook residents working in the Perth CBD, due to the 45-60 minute drive time. While it may be too far to drive daily now and so many Ellenbrook residents' current jobs aren't in the city, we will likely see more people get their next job in the city as the train journey makes it a quicker commute.

It is also opening up new stations at Whiteman Park, Ballajura, Noranda and Morley, which will service the hundreds of thousands of people without rail access in Perth's north eastern corridor.

By way of comparison, I have looked at the amount of liquor licenses in Joondalup and Ellenbrook.

Joondalup 
14 restaurant
2 small bar
5 tavern

Ellenbrook 
5 restaurant
0 small bar
1 tavern

While these areas have different populations and drivers, as Ellenbrook marches on to become a larger satellite city, fueled by the new train station, I expect to see a high level of growth in hospitality, retail and other services. As makes sense, a lot of this commercial growth will come surrounding the train station as the 'ant trail' provides opportunity for F&B for the hungry and thirsty people getting off the train, and as a meeting point before heading into the city on the weekend.

The Ellenbrook train line is scheduled to open on Sunday December 8th.