Perth’s Airport Link: modernity and tradition for train stops

The three stops on Perth’s new Metronet Forrestfield-Airport Link have been decorated with contemporary style paintings and abstract figures

Two thousand kilometres. The nearest city to Perth is Adelaide, which is 2,153 kilometres (1,337 miles) away, to be precise. This distance makes Perth the most isolated city in the world. Sydney is even farther away from it: 3,291 kilometres (2,044 miles). Once you arrive in Perth, the capital of Western Australia, you feel a sense of conquest. All around is either the Indian Ocean, or a huge expanse of uninhabited grasslands and the arid areas of the Outback. Western Australia, with its 2.5 million square kilometres of land area, has 2.6 million inhabitants, nearly 2.3 million are in urban areas.

Arriving in the city, Perth greets visitors with a delightful landscape, mixed with greenery, an orderly complex of houses and skyscrapers. The city, however, suffers from frequent traffic congestion between the city centre, known as the CBD (Central Business District), with the growing number of suburbs, as well as with the international airport.

Perth’s Airport Link: one of the most important project of Perth’s history

Perth residents have therefore put mobility at the top of the city’s to-do list, and the government has responded by investing in the most important project in its history: the METRONET Forrestfield-Airport Link. The Webuild Group and local partner NRW are completing the construction of the Forrestfield-Airport Link, which will run along an 8.5-kilometres (5.2 mile) rail line. Eight kilometres will be underground and have three stations: the Airport Central Station at the airport terminal, and Redcliffe and High Wycombe stations serving neighbouring suburbs.

A blend of modernity and tradition are the design guidelines for the three stations. The goal is to make them a gateway to Perth that is both innovative and respectful of the origins, including a celebration of the art of Aboriginal culture. The three stations have been decorated with contemporary style paintings and abstract figures to draw the attention of passengers to the local reality in which they are located and to emphasize the welcoming spirit of the city, given that the expectation is of 20,000 travellers a day.

Three elegant stations for the Forrestfield-Airport Link

At Redcliffe colourful aluminum branches and leaves testify to the area’s agricultural roots. Passengers will be able to see this colourful and organic display inside the elegant station, whose design follows an architectural criteria to make a strong visual impact as if they were works of art themselves, such as the earth-red-coloured roof of the High Wycombe Station. After all, Webuild is no stranger to public transport stations that become points of interest for tourists, such as the 17 colourful Cityringen metro stations in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Forrestfield-Airport Link has entered the finishing phase, covering both interiors and exteriors. Much care has been given to the flower beds along the facade of the Airport Central Station, where large Australian “Snow Queen” eucalyptus trees will dominate the area along with other native plants, such as banksias and kangaroo paws. Inside, the airport hub’s beautiful atrium displays the works of local artists with installations suggesting birds in flight.