Community celebrations have marked the highly anticipated reopening of the full Armadale Line today, which now extends eight kilometres to Byford, supporting one of Perth's fastest growing residential areas.
The METRONET Byford Rail Extension project has delivered a brand-new train station in Byford, a new world class elevated station in Armadale and removed nine pedestrian and road level crossings providing a much-improved connection to our public transport system as the local population continues to grow.
Jointly funded by the Albanese and Cook Labor Governments, the project was a major construction feat with the delivery of eight kilometres of new dual rail track, including 22,000 sleepers 40,000 tonnes of crushed rock,430 masts and 72 km of overhead wiring. The project has also supported an estimated 4,200 jobs.
Two new road over rail bridges were also built at Thomas Road and Eleventh Road, while eight hectares of new public open space was created through the elevation of the rail line. This open space is also complemented by eight kilometres of new shared paths for pedestrians and cyclists.
The new Byford Station also includes a new platform servicing the Australind train. The new train is currently undergoing dynamic testing and will return to service in early 2026.
The opening of the Byford Rail Extension marks the completion of all new METRONET rail lines WA Labor committed to at the 2017 State Election, with the final METRONET project, the New Midland Station, expected to open in early 2026.
Local residents using the new Byford Station will reach the CBD in 46-minutes, while fares will be capped to just a single zone from January 1 when the single zone flat fare comes into effect.
During the Armadale Line closure, the Public Transport Authority also delivered the Rail Revitalisation Program, undertaking major maintenance and upgrades between Kenwick and Sherwood stations. The work includes the renewal of 15 kilometres of track, 25 pedestrian crossings,10 level crossings and improved drainage systems.
Today's community event also celebrated the official opening of Long Park, Perth's newest and longest linear park between Carlisle and Beckenham stations.
Stretching seven kilometres, the six-hectare Long Park features 14 community spaces, including playgrounds, skate parks, dog and fitness parks and youth plazas with sports courts. New shared paths have also been built throughout the parkland area.
The elevation of the rail as part of the METRONET Victoria Park - Canning Level Crossing Removal Project created the opportunity for this development, which was shaped through meaningful input from the local community.
These transformative projects have delivered a remarkable 14 hectares of public parklands and open space - an area equivalent to seven Optus Stadiums.
Long Park is home to Perth's longest public art trail, with more than 20 different pieces of public art installed along the length of the park.
Bus services have been expanded to support the Byford Rail Extension including 10 extra buses and six new routes connecting directly to Byford Station, adding nearly 500,000 kilometres of bus service to the network each year.
