METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link continues progress towards major construction

An important milestone has been reached on the delivery of the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link in Western Australia, with the successful relocation of about 22 kilometres of freight rail. 

Relocating the freight rail to the northern side of the rail corridor is necessary to enable the construction of the new METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link. The existing freight rail as well as the new rail can now operate side by side in the rail corridor. 

“It’s full steam ahead on METRONET right across the suburbs of Perth. 

“The METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link will be our first east-west rail line, slashing commuting times for people in our south-eastern suburbs. 

“We are creating infrastructure that will re-shape Perth, better connect communities across the metropolitan region and create thousands of local jobs,” Premier Roger Cook said. 

To relocate the freight line, construction of an entirely new freight line was needed, and it included 70,000 tonnes of ballast as well as 33,000 concrete sleepers and 4,000 tonnes of track. 

With the relocation of the existing track completed, trains can now switch and start running on the new alignment while works are being carried out on the new link, beginning with the construction of an entry building for Nicholson Road Station. This also means track laying for the Thornlie-Cockburn Link can now commence. 

“This was a complex and technically demanding task, which was years in the planning and involved close collaboration to overcome the many challenges. 

“The relocation of the freight rail is critical to the overall METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link project, as it means we can now get to work on the passenger rail and new stations. 

“The 17.5km extension from Thornlie to Cockburn Central will serve the current and future growth occurring between the Mandurah and Armadale lines and address gaps in public transport in these communities as well as provide a direct link to Optus Stadium for Mandurah Line passengers,” Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said. 

The Thornlie-Cockburn Link is set to become Perth’s first east-west cross line connection that will make travel more flexible while delivering a higher level of public transport service to Perth’s south-eastern suburbs. 

The project will include building two new stations at Ranford and Nicholson Roads. Once completed, Nicholson Road Station will have 1,000 parking bays and will provide a 26-minute journey to Perth while Ranford Road Station will have 400 parking bays and will provide a 29-minute journey. 

“The METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link is a fantastic project that will connect thousands of people living between the Mandurah and Armadale lines to our world class rail network. 

“This is a growing area and currently a gap on our rail network so delivering this new link will ensure communities have access to high quality public transport. 

“I want to congratulate the project team for their efforts in relocating the freight rail, which means work on the new passenger rail can get underway,” Southern River MLA Terry Healy said. 

Changes will also be made to existing stations at Cockburn Central, Thornlie and Perth Stadium to accommodate new passenger rail services. Thornlie Station will be upgraded to a through station, with works to include platform extensions and a new concourse with lift, stairs and roof cover. Meanwhile, works on Cockburn Central Station will involve extending the existing platform and delivery of a passenger interchange to the Mandurah Line. 

Some changes are also needed to provide a direct connection from Mandurah to Perth Stadium Station for special events. This includes extending platform 5 and supporting track and civil works. 

“I want to congratulate the project team for their efforts in relocating the freight rail – it’s a major project in itself. 

“As a community we are thrilled the freight trains will be running on the new smooth tracks. 

“With the freight line now in its new alignment and operational, I am excited to see the works ramp up in the new stations and tracks being laid for the new passenger rail,” Thornlie MLA Chris Tallentire said. 

The NEWest Alliance will be delivering the Thornlie-Cockburn Link, which has created more than 1,600 jobs. The Alliance is comprised of Public Transport Authority, CPB Contractors and Downer Group. 

Any State Government roles associated with the project will be advertised on the WA Jobs Board while project roles are going to be advertised through CPB Contractors and Downer Group. 

In August of this year, the Western Australian Government announced that the Armadalie Line will be shut down from November 2023 to enable works to be carried out as part of the transformational upgrade of the 130-year-old train line. 

The shutdown period will begin on 20 November until mid-2025. During this time construction on three METRONET projects – including Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal, Byford Rail Extension and Thornlie-Cockburn Link – will be undertaken. You can read more about the Armadale Line shutdown here. 

Source: Government of Western Australia – Media Statements; METRONET; Roads & Infrastructure Australia