Almost 500 personnel have worked around the clock to remove three kilometres of rail tracks from the existing rail corridor between Cockburn Central Station and Glen Iris Tunnel to make way for the new Thornlie-Cockburn Link tracks to be laid.
As part of these works, more than 13,000 tonnes of ballast has been removed to make way for new tracks to be laid for Perth’s first east-west rail connection.
Work is now well underway to install the new rail tracks with more than five kilometres to be laid by the end of the shutdown.
Overhead line equipment is currently being installed on the Mandurah Line heading to Perth with track, rail and sleeper installation underway on the line heading to Cockburn Central.
Due to the complexity of these works, the Mandurah Line has been temporarily closed between Aubin Grove Station and Elizabeth Quay Station from December 26, 2021 until January 14, 2022.
Rail replacement buses have been running along the rail line, including express services, to and from the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC) which has been transformed into a major pop-up bus station.
“We are now halfway through the biggest public transport shutdown we have ever had in Perth,” said transport minister Rita Saffioti.
“I’d like to thank passengers for their patience, and everyone involved in the project, from the workers on the ground to our bus drivers, for all of their hard work during this time.”
The Thornlie-Cockburn Link will be Perth’s first east-west cross line connection, making travel around the city by train more flexible and providing a higher level of public transport service to Perth’s southern suburbs.
For more information, visit the METRONET website.