Construction began today on the station that will whisk thousands of sports and music fans to the new Perth Stadium by the start of the 2018 AFL Season.

Stadium Station will cost $40 million and be finished in 2017, providing plenty of time for testing and commissioning before the footy begins. It’s not a cheap piece of infrastructure either, with 11km of complex overhead wiring and track to fund at a further $60 million.

The station, which will be Perth’s second largest, is part of a $358 million integration plan involving public transport, pedestrian and cycling.

The aim is to move 83 per cent of fans off the site using public transport. There will be 600 bike racks, special event shuttle bus into the city and bus stands which can make up to 20 buses available to fans at a time, as well as a pedestrian bridge over the Swan River.

WA Transport Minister Dean Nalder said the station would allow 28,000 people to leave the Burswood site by train within an hour of an event finishing.

“Stadium Station and its associated rail infrastructure is the major artery that will allow people to enjoy one of the biggest entertainment infrastructure investments ever made in this city,” Mr Nalder said.

There is an animation on the WA government’s website which shows the station’s six platforms, building design, entries and exits and surrounding road and rail modifications required to link the old Belmont Park site to the Armadale Line.

The aim throughout has been to put fans first when considering the design and technology involved with building both the train station and the stadium.

Sports and music fans will already be getting excited about the new 60,000 seat multi-purpose capacity stadium, which will host cricket, football, entertainment and rugby, as well as AFL.

The stadium will house two 240sqm giant video screens, 1000 TV screens, 4G Wi-Fi coverage, more than 70 food and drink outlets, a children’s activity zone and a buffet and a la carte restaurant over-looking the Swan River.

It will be able to hold major events, including international athletics and the Commonwealth Games. The stadium has been designed to increase the seating capacity within the existing structure, adding up to 10,000 additional seats.

It’s a good structure, with a bronze façade using anodised aluminium to reflect WA’s geology and LED lighting which bathe it in home team colours by night.

The roof is made of lightweight fabric and covers 85 per cent of the seats, billed as creating “a spectacular glowing halo effect”, while the seating bowl is designed to maximise the atmosphere, gives fans exceptional views and brings them close to the action providing a home ground advantage for Perth teams.

Other features of the site include a community sporting oval, artwork which recognises the state’s rich sporting and language communities and landscape design inspired by the indigenous six seasons to and providing wind and shade protection.