Opening date set for Thornlie-Cockburn Link and inner Armadale Line elevated rail stations
The new Thornlie-Cockburn Link will open on Monday, 9 June
The new Thornlie-Cockburn Link will open on Monday, 9 June.
Perth's first east-west cross line connection includes two new stations at Nicholson Road and Ranford Road, with upgrades to Thornlie, Cockburn Central, as well as Perth Stadium stations - providing a direct route from the Mandurah Line to Optus Stadium for the first time.
The opening of the line will connect tens of thousands of people to Perth's world-class rail network for the first time and adds significant resilience to the broader network.
Commuters will have a 27-minute journey to Perth from Nicholson Road Station and a 31-minute journey from Ranford Road Station.
New and amended bus routes will support connections from surrounding suburbs to the new stations. The Public Transport Authority (PTA) is currently considering community feedback on the proposed routes, with final routes to be published in the lead up to the opening.
A total of 85,000 sleepers and 180,000 tonnes of gravel were used in the construction of the 35 km of new passenger rail and 22 km of new freight rail as part of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link.
The inner-section of the Armadale Line will reopen in conjunction with the Thornlie-Cockburn Link on 9 June .
This will include the five new elevated stations at Carlisle, Oats Street, Queens Park, Cannington and Beckenham.
Six level crossings have been removed from the Victoria Park and Canning sections of the Armadale Line, while the elevated rail will significantly improve pedestrian safety, reduce traffic congestion and create Perth's first 7 km long linear park, which will be named "Long Park".
The remainder of the line will reopen when the new elevated Armadale Station and Byford Station reach completion in the next few months. This will include the reopening of stations at Sherwood, Challis, Kelmscott, Seaforth, Gosnells, Maddington and Kenwick.
The formal reopening date for the outer section of the Armadale Line will be announced soon.
The staged reopening has been necessitated by revised construction timelines on the Byford Rail Extension.
Progress on the Byford Rail Extension reached an important milestone in recent weeks, with the entire elevated rail structure completed, while the majority of rail and overhead line equipment has been installed.
Rail replacement bus services will continue until the entire Armadale Line has reopened, but these services will be amended from June 9. Under the changes, the majority of rail replacement bus services will conclude their journeys at Cannington Station, where commuters will be able to connect to the train line.
The amended rail replacement bus services will be published on the Transperth website in the lead up to the 9 June reopening.
Any passengers receiving free public transport due to the Armadale Line closure will continue to receive the concession until their regular train station reopens.
A community event to celebrate the opening of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link will be held on Sunday 8 June. Further details about the community event will be provided closer to opening.
A community event to celebrate the full reopening of the Armadale Line will be held later this year.