Joint Media Statement - Date for first trains on Yanchep rail extension

Passenger train services on the new Yanchep Rail Extension (YRE) will start on Monday 15 July.

The YRE project has extended the Joondalup Line 14.5 km north from Butler, with new stations built in Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep. The extended line will connect tens of thousands of people in the city's growing northern corridor to Perth's metropolitan rail network and help develop activity centres by unlocking residential and commercial land.

Over recent months the rail line extension has been undergoing extensive testing and commissioning, with driver training set to start next week.

The line will be renamed the Yanchep Line. It’s currently known as the Joondalup Line – a name it has held since it was built in 1992.

The extension has involved 41,085 sleepers and 90,000 tonnes of ballast, while three new fauna bridges are the first to be built over rail in Western Australia.

When passenger services start, it will be a 49-minute journey from Yanchep to Perth, a 46-minute journey from Eglinton and a 41-minute journey from Alkimos.

There will be a community celebration on Sunday 14 July, the day before passenger services start. The community celebration will include free sausage sizzles, food, entertainment and music. Further details will be announced in the coming months.

The community will be able to make the most of the Fare Free Sundays initiative, with public transport to be free for the day – as it is for every Sunday, with a valid SmartRider.

After YRE, further projects including the Morley-Ellenbrook Line, Byford Rail Extension, Thornlie-Cockburn Link and the Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project are all planned for completion by the middle of 2025.

The Yanchep Rail Extension is jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian governments.