This year will be a defining one for the Thornlie-Cockburn Link, with the 800-plus workforce continuing to grow each week as major construction starts at the new stations and on the new rail bridge over Canning River.
Thornlie Station’s transformation, to connect into the Thornlie-Cockburn Link, is well underway with works staged to allow the station to remain open throughout construction.
The modifications involve removing the south-west wall and adding a new overpass concourse featuring lifts and stairs. In addition, the existing platforms will be separated, and their length extended to 150 metres to accommodate the new six-car train sets.
Three kilometres of track from Thornlie Station to Beckenham Station will be duplicated to improve service frequency and support a future special events service direct from Mandurah to Stadium Station.
The Ranford Road Station site is a hive of activity with construction of the new road bridge progressing well. Last month Premier Mark McGowan and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti
visited the site for the start of major sheet piling work, which forms the bridge foundations. Transport Minister Saffioti said the McGowan Government was looking to the future, as well as shoring up WA’s immediate economic recovery by creating jobs.
At the Ranford Road event, she spoke with two young workers taking advantage of the opportunities to learn new construction skills.
“We’re creating thousands of local jobs and training opportunities across Western Australia through our METRONET and transport infrastructure projects,” she said.