Perth’s thousands of daily commuters will soon experience a transformative boost to their everyday travels. The Thornlie-Cockburn link, the city’s first east-west cross line connection, is about to be opened. To ensure essential upgrades and extensions, as well as future readiness, were underway, this groundbreaking project was closed initially on November 20, 2023 with hopes for a mid-2025 reopening. The state government last week surprised many by announcing an earlier-than-expected opening date of June 9 this year. This major infrastructure project, part of the flagship Metronet initiative, is poised to benefit thousands of commuters in Perth’s south-east.
The Thornlie-Cockburn link will save a massive amount of time for commuters to the future Nicholson Road and Ranford Road stations in Canning Vale. It will provide for the first time a direct service from Mandurah to Optus Stadium.
A Long-Awaited Infrastructure Development
The Thornlie-Cockburn link has been long in the planning but is a significant step in the evolution of Perth’s rapid transit system. Its construction has provided two new stations at Nicholson Road and Ranford Road and an upgrade of Cockburn Central Station to cope with the additional demand. Driving from Perth to Nicholson Road will take about 27 minutes. If your destination is Ranford Road, allow around 31 minutes for the journey.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti confirmed the difficulties encountered over the course of the project.
“There were some construction issues and we were anticipating to claw back that timeframe but unfortunately, we haven’t,” – Transport Minister Rita Saffioti
Through all of these challenges, the determination to finish the project has never wavered.
Impact on Local Communities
The introduction of this cross line connection is expected to have a substantial impact on families residing in the south-eastern suburbs. By greatly shortening daily pinky times, the Thornlie-Cockburn link is set to improve connectivity and accessibility for thousands of residents. Premier Roger Cook heralded the moment as transformational for the communities along the route.
“This is huge for families living down here in the south-eastern suburbs,” – Premier Roger Cook
This new infrastructure will deliver the fastest, most efficient and most reliable transportation option to the 38,200 daily commuters who will depend on it.
Commitment to Timely Completion
From the beginning, the state government has emphasized their commitment to completing this important project, on time and under budget. The Thornlie-Cockburn link provides further evidence of the state government’s desire to provide an attractive public transport offer in Perth. Yet it is essential to the much larger Metronet project.
“We’re working really hard within the budgets, we’ll continue to work really, really hard to get these projects delivered,” – Ms Saffioti
The early completion date reflects the government’s proactive measures in addressing project delays and ensuring that commuters benefit from enhanced services sooner than anticipated.
