The reopened Armadale rail line now extends to Byford, Perth’s fastest-growing suburb. Photo: METRONET, WA Government.
Perth has just become better connected with the reopening of the full Armadale Line, which now extends eight kilometres to Byford, bringing rail infrastructure to one of Perth’s fastest-growing residential areas.
The Byford Rail Extension has delivered a new train station in Byford, along with a new elevated station in Armadale and a new platform servicing the Australind train, a model that is undergoing dynamic testing and will return to service early next year.
Residents travelling from the new Byford station can expect to reach the CBD in 46 minutes, and fees will be capped to one zone from 1 January when the single-zone flat fare is implemented.
Funded jointly with the Federal Government, the project delivered eight kilometres of new dual-rail track, including 22,000 sleepers, 430 masts, 40,000 tonnes of crushed rock and 72 kilometres of overhead wiring.
The work supported an estimated 4200 jobs.
“METRONET has transformed the face of Perth by making travel more affordable, taking cars off our roads and creating thousands of jobs over the past eight years,” WA Premier Roger Cook said.
“We know how important our expanded public transport network will be in the coming years with Western Australia’s booming economy and growing population, which is why my government is proud to have delivered the METRONET Byford Rail Extension and reopened the Armadale Line.”
Two new over-rail bridges were also added, at Eleventh Road and Thomas Road, while eight hectares of new public space have been created through the elevation of the rail line. This will make for a more walkable area as eight kilometres of new shared foot and cycle paths have been added to the space.
WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said: “Byford is one of the fastest-growing areas in our city and now they will have access to a world-class train line for the first time.
“The upgrades to the Armadale Line have been transformational — linking more people to public transport, better connecting communities and unlocking around 14 hectares of new public open space, which will see the delivery of new parklands, playgrounds and amenities.”
This new milestone marks the completion of all new METRONET rail lines, which the Labor Party committed to at the 2027 election, with the final project being the New Midland Station, expected to be completed in early 2026.
During the Armadale Line’s closure, the government refreshed the public transport system with the Rail Revitalisation Program. Works undertaken included major maintenance and upgrades between Sherwood and Kenwick stations, the renewal of 15 kilometres of track, 10 level crossings, 25 pedestrian crossings and an upgrade to drainage systems.
Perth also recently celebrated the opening of Long Park, the city’s newest and longest linear park, between Beckenham and Carlisle stations.
The six-hectare, seven-kilometre Long Park has 14 community spaces, with playgrounds, dog and fitness parks, skate parks, youth plazas, sports courts and new shared paths throughout.
The entire project was designed to redevelop the public transport potential of the area while delivering public spaces for the local community.
Long Park is also home to Perth’s longest public art trail, showcasing more than 20 works.
Byford’s rail extension also benefits from an expanded bus service, which includes 10 extra services and six new routes that directly connect to the station, adding nearly half a million kilometres of bus service to the network each year.
