Transport in Perth’s south-eastern suburbs is about to get a whole lot better.
METRONET’s Thornlie-Cockburn Link is set to be Perth’s first east-west rail connection, joining the Mandurah Line with the Thornlie/Armadale Line and giving a major facelift to Perth’s south-eastern suburbs.
This significant project will help ease traffic congestion and make getting from A to B easier than ever. It’s set to make the area even more liveable and provide transport infrastructure for new and diverse housing opportunities to meet future growth.
The line is expected to open in late 2024 and will support around 1,680 jobs while also creating training opportunities for potential employees to learn new skills on a major transport infrastructure project.
There will also be opportunities for local suppliers, with the project’s target of 3% of contracts to be awarded to Aboriginal businesses already exceeded.
The Thornlie-Cockburn Link will also provide direct travel along the Mandurah Line to Optus Stadium for select events.
Brand New Stations
Thornlie and Cockburn Central stations will receive an upgrade and two brand new stations will be built at Ranford Road and Nicholson Road.
The Ranford Road Station will be just 29 minutes from Perth by rail and include 400 car bays.
The Nicholson Road Station will be a 26-minute ride to Perth, with a massive 1,000 parking bays – so say goodbye to the morning stress of finding a car bay at the train station!
The Thornlie-Cockburn Link is going to provide residents of Perth’s southeast with more transport options and ongoing support for residential and employment development.
Line Disruptions
Due to the essential works for such a large project, we can expect to see major disruptions to the Mandurah Line from 26 December 2021 to 14 January 2022.
In order to make room for the new tracks, the existing Mandurah Line tracks need to be moved. Works for this will be carried out 24/7 over the 20-day shutdown, with more than 500 personnel rostered in shifts.
During the shutdown, trains will not be operating between Aubin Grove and Elizabeth Quay, and services between Mandurah and Aubin Grove will operate at a 15-minute frequency during peak periods.
Obviously, a disruption of this size will inconvenience passengers, but research has been undertaken to minimise its impact as much as possible. Journeys on replacement bus services will take a little longer and the Kwinana Freeway is expected to be busier than usual, so make sure to plan ahead and see your options.
Visit buildingfortomorrow.wa.gov.au to find out more.
Feature Image: Nicholson Road Station (artist impression only, subject to change)
Further Perth news on SoPerth.com.au.
