The Mandurah Line has re-opened following a successful 20-day shutdown to enable major works on the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link.

A 500-strong construction workforce have successfully completed the Mandurah Line Shutdown, working in shifts around the clock for 20 days to complete the closure safely and on time.

The work is part of the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link project and involved shifting the Mandurah Line rail tracks between Cockburn Central Station and Glen Iris Tunnel to make room for the Thornlie-Cockburn Link tracks, which will be installed at a later date.   

In challenging heat, our team worked to:

• Lay more than 5kms of new track;
• Re-lay 7,500 concrete railway sleepers; and
• Install new overhead line equipment, including 112 masts and 6kms of wires.

Mandurah Line track before and after the shutdown

METRONET’s commitment to sustainability and identifying program-wide waste reduction, re-use and recycling opportunities across its projects were highlighted during the Mandurah Line Shutdown, with the re-use of old steel rails and concrete sleepers removed as part of the works.

Close to 11.5km of linear rail (weighing 574 tonnes) was re-purposed between Cockburn Central Station and the Glen Iris Tunnel, saving time and money and reducing waste and potential greenhouse gas emissions. 

An estimated greenhouse gas emission saving of 922.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent was achieved by re-using 314 concrete sleepers rather than importing new rail material. 7,500 damaged sleepers will also be recycled through a licensed waste contractor and around 15,000 plastic pads (used to reduce rail vibration) and 30,000 metal clips will be stripped from the sleepers and recycled.

Now the Mandurah Line track has been shifted, work continues to build the new rail line for the Thornlie-Cockburn Link.

A big thank you to the residents and passengers for your patience and everyone involved during the shutdown, including the hundreds of bus drivers.

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