Thornlie-Cockburn Link, Armadale Line Opening Dates Set
The new Thornlie-Cockburn Link will open on Monday, June 9, marking the latest major milestone in METRONET’s transformation of Perth.
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 June 9.
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 METRONET 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 in the lead up to the June 9 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.
The $1.3 billion METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link and the $1.6 billion Victoria Park -Canning Level Crossing Removal Projects are jointly funded by the Federal and State Governments.
A community event to celebrate the opening of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link will be held on Sunday June 8. 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.
As stated by Western Australian Premier Roger Cook:
“We’ve seen in the past few years how METRONET has transformed our suburbs and the opening of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link will be one of the most important milestones to date.
“This is what METRONET is all about affordable travel, better connecting communities and creating jobs for thousands of Western Australians.”
Quotes As put by Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:
“The Albanese Labor Government is building Australia’s future, delivering the infrastructure that makes our communities even better places to live.
“The Thornlie-Cockburn Link will transform Perth’s southern suburbs by connecting the Mandurah Line to the Armadale line for the first time.”
Quotes As put by WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
“The Thornlie-Cockburn Link will be a complete game changer for our public transport network.
“We’re going to connect tens of thousands of people to our world class rail network for the first time and deliver a major boost to the capacity and resilience of our network by connecting the Armadale and Mandurah Lines for the first time.
“METRONET is transforming the face of Perth and making our city more connected than ever before. The opening of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link will be one of the biggest changes yet.”
As stated by Federal Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh:
“The METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link is nearly here, thanks to joint funding from the Albanese and Cook Labor Governments.
“Thousands of people in Perth’s south will now, for the first time in decades, be able to travel east via rail, connecting them directly from Carousel in Cannington, Carlisle TAFE campus and Optus Stadium.
“People in Canning Vale,Harrisdale and Southern River will finally be close to a train station because of the partnership of the Albanese and Cook Labor Governments.
“It’s only Labor that’s building Western Australia’s future delivering on better public transport for our southern suburbs.”
https://www.wa.gov.au/government/media-statements/Cook Labor Government/Joint-media-statement—Opening-date-set-for-Thornlie-Cockburn-Link-and-inner-Armadale-Line-elevated-rail-stations-20250330