Western Australia Delivers Landmark $1.12 Billion METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Rail Line Connecting Perth’s Northeast

Unlocking Perth’s Fast-Growing Northeastern Suburbs with Generational Rail Infrastructure

PERTH, Western Australia — In the most expansive single railway infrastructure undertaking in the Western Australian capital since the delivery of the Mandurah Line in 2007, the Cook Labor Government and the METRONET Delivery Agency have officially delivered the transformational $1.12 billion Morley-Ellenbrook Passenger Rail Line. Adding 21 kilometres of brand-new electrified rail corridor branching from the completely rebuilt Bayswater Station, the project fulfills a long-standing public transit promise to more than 100,000 residents living in Perth’s booming northeastern corridor.

Jointly funded by the Commonwealth Government and the Western Australian State Government, the Morley-Ellenbrook Line links outer metropolitan communities directly into the wider Transperth passenger rail network. Commuters traveling from the Ellenbrook terminal to the Perth Central Business District now experience a rapid, predictable 30-minute train ride—cutting peak-hour travel times in half compared to navigating gridlocked arterial corridors along Tonkin Highway and Alexander Drive.

Five Brand-New Architectural Passenger Stations Across the 21-Kilometre Corridor

Constructed by the MELabs Alliance (featuring Laing O'Rourke, Pritchard Francis, and Kellogg Brown & Root), the 21-kilometre alignment features five modern, universally accessible stations engineered to provide seamless multi-modal connections: Morley, Noranda, Ballajura (formerly Malaga), Whiteman Park, and Ellenbrook.

Each station precinct is designed as a dynamic civic interchange, featuring high-capacity integrated bus terminals, sheltered passenger platforms, digital public announcement systems, and thousands of commuter park-and-ride bays with dedicated electric vehicle charging infrastructure. At Whiteman Park Station, the facility provides step-free pedestrian and bicycle links directly into the sprawling conservation reserve, unlocking eco-tourism and recreation access for families across the metropolitan area.

Integrated Highway Median Alignment and Advanced Digital Signaling

The engineering design of the Morley-Ellenbrook Line is a benchmark for efficient urban land utilization. Much of the dual-track alignment is situated within the widened central median of Tonkin Highway, eliminating property resumptions, preserving local street layouts, and preventing rail-road level crossings. Major civil works encompassed the construction of extensive concrete bridge viaducts, noise abatement walls, structural retaining walls, and high-capacity drainage systems designed to handle Western Australia’s seasonal winter rains.

The line is equipped with Transperth's high-efficiency overhead catenary electrification and advanced automated signaling technology, allowing for high-frequency timetables with trains running every 12 minutes during peak hours. Furthermore, all five station buildings feature vibrant public art installations created in close partnership with local Whadjuk Noongar artists, celebrating Indigenous heritage, ecological watercourses, and local community identity.

Catalyzing Sustainable Housing Density and Transit-Oriented Development

Western Australia’s Premier and Transport Minister underscored that the Morley-Ellenbrook Line is a vital engine for urban consolidation and sustainable community development under the State Government's METRONET vision. By creating masterplanned station precincts with zoned capacity for thousands of new affordable apartments, modern commercial office plazas, dining districts, and walkable public parks, the new rail line ensures Perth evolves into a compact, connected, and low-carbon global city.