Thornlie-Cockburn Link New rail service

As part of the METRONET program of works, a new rail line connecting Thornlie Station to Cockburn Central Station is being constructed. The Thornlie-Cockburn Link is Perth’s first east-west rail connection, providing a higher level of pubic transport service to Perth’s southern suburbs.

The 17.5km line includes building two new stations at Nicholson Road and Ranford Road plus upgrades to Thornlie Station and Cockburn Central Station.

To allow for major works on the new Thornlie-Cockburn Link, from where the Thornlie Line enters the Kwinana Freeway through the Glen Iris tunnel down to Cockburn Central Station, it is necessary for the Mandurah line to partially close.

Services on the Mandurah Line will be disrupted from 26 December 2021 to 14 January 2022.

The Public Transport Authority has recently surveyed commuters at stations along the Mandurah Line to help understand potential impacts of the disruptions and how to best operate train replacement bus services.

How will Mandurah Line services be affected?

• Trains will not run on the Mandurah Line between Elizabeth Quay and Aubin Grove stations.
• Trains will operate between Aubin Grove and Mandurah stations on a reduced 15 minute frequency during peak periods. Outside of peak periods the frequency remains unchanged.

For trains to turn around they require a special piece of infrastructure called a turnback (like the turnback located just south of Cockburn Station). There is no turnback for trains to use to turn around between Murdoch and Elizabeth Quay stations.

The Thornlie-Cockburn Link Project will build infrastructure at Aubin Grove to allow trains to run on a single track ‘bi-directionally’ between Aubin Grove and Rockingham Stations. Due to the location of the works, trains cannot operate safely past Aubin Grove, which means the line must be closed between Elizabeth Quay and Aubin Grove stations.

Transperth is planning train replacement services and will release more details of each service that will operate soon.

Closer to the date all the relevant information will be available via the Transperth website.

Buses

• Feeder buses to Mandurah Line stations may not connect, so passengers will need to allow extra travel time.

Roads

• Increased traffic in the southern suburbs and Kwinana Freeway is expected.
• People should plan for the roads to be busier and allow extra travel time, consider working from home or retime their journey.
• Transperth is undertaking research to determine likely travel behaviour during the disruption and is working closely with Main Roads WA to determine the impact this disruption will have on the road network.
• The Christmas-New Year period was chosen as it is the quietest time on the roads.

A number of options to get the required work done were assessed and this was considered to be the safest, least disruptive, and most cost-effective option. To limit the duration of the disruptions, significant supporting works will be delivered outside rail operating hours both before and after, as well as a series of weeknight closures (which have already begun).

While there is no ideal time to have a disruption of this scale on the Transperth network, travel data shows that this period is the quietest for both public transport and the freeway (where train replacement services will operate).

Many people have holidays during this time, with both universities and schools on their summer breaks. This enables some people to have more flexibility in their travel behaviour; where they can travel at less busy times, delay travel altogether, or have more time to make a journey.

Transperth is planning train replacement services, including services to minimise the disruption to the Fiona Stanley Hospital / St John of God medical precinct, and will work with the hospitals to develop a transport plan to lessen the impact.

Transperth is working with Optus Stadium on how services will operate for major events at that venue, during the disruption and will release more detail closer to the time.

Transperth will also work with the appropriate event organisers regarding New Year’s celebrations in the planning of this disruption.

• A 3 kilometre section of the Mandurah rail tracks between Cockburn Central Station and the Glen Iris Rail Tunnel (under the Kwinana Freeway) will be relocated. This involves installing new rail tracks and associated infrastructure.
• The Mandurah Line tracks will be moved to edges of the rail corridor to make room for the new Thornlie-Cockburn Link tracks.

Work will take place 24 hours a day over the disruption period, to ensure the shutdown is as short as possible.

• Residents will receive a letter box drop of information and notifications about specific impacts.
• Information on websites of Building for Tomorrow, METRONET, Main Roads and Transperth.
• Electronic direct mail to project databases.
• Updates on various social media platforms.
• On-road traffic signage.
• Static displays in community locations e.g. libraries and shopping centres.
• METRONEWS newsletter and monthly construction updates. Register on the METRONET website.
• Advertising campaign targeted along the Mandurah Line.

In addition to this impact there are several weekend and night closures of the Mandurah Line planned both before and after this disruption. Register for My Alerts on the Transperth website to ensure you stay informed on impacts to your public transport journey. Register for road updates on the Main Roads WA website.

• Passenger information will be available closer to the date on the Transperth website.
• Register for road updates via Main Roads WA.
• Register for project updates at METRONET.