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Major upgrades underway for Perth’s Armadale rail line

Photo by xiquinhosilva – Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78495391.

The Armadale rail line, a key commute link to Perth’s south-east, will be undergoing major upgrades for up to 18 months, starting from the first quarter of 2023.

The $2 billion transformation project includes construction of six new stations, extending the line by eight kilometres to Byford, elevating the rail through Victoria Park and Cannington, and tying in the Thornlie-Cockburn Link at Thornlie Station.

New stations will be created at Byford, Carlisle, Oats Street, Queens Park and Cannington, while the existing Armadale station will be rebuilt at elevation.

A total of 12 level crossings will be removed, including seven level crossings around the new elevated Armadale station, and five level crossings at Mint Street, Oats Street, Welshpool Road, Hamilton and Wharf Street as part of the Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal project.

The Byford Rail Extension, Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal and the Thornlie-Cockburn Link are jointly funded by the State and Federal Governments.

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.

Early work has already begun for the removal of the Thomas Road level crossing, the first for the Byford Rail Extension project.

With thousands of commuters currently using the rail line, Transperth will survey Armadale Line passengers over the coming weeks to determine the best suite of replacement services to offer.

WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti apologised for the inconvenience but said a full shutdown was the preferred option.

“In making this decision, there were a number of options assessed, but it was clear that with this decision, the level of disruption is for a shorter period of time and is safer,” she said.

Five level crossings will be removed under the Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal project by raising rail over road at Mint Street, Oats Street, Welshpool Road, Hamilton Street and Wharf Street.

“We want to inform the community about this shutdown as early as possible, so people could start thinking about the closure and their potential transport options.”

Ms Saffioti said the government was looking at whether the line could continue to operate between the Perth city station and Victoria Park.

Commuters are encouraged to visit buildingfortomorrow.wa.gov.au to provide feedback on how they use the Armadale Line to help shape replacement options.

The work is also expected to affect the Australind Train Service so those passengers will also be surveyed.

When the project is complete, the regional train service will receive new locally-made railcars.

The exact timing of the shutdown will be confirmed later this year along with further information on train replacement services for passengers.


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