METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line will support a growing city and help to shape vibrant communities in Perth’s north-eastern suburbs.

The MELconnx Alliance between Laing O’Rourke and the Public Transport Authority is delivering the over AUD$1 billion contract to design and construct the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line. The contract includes the delivery of twenty-one kilometres of rail between the existing Bayswater Station and Ellenbrook, including five brand new stations, Morley, Noranda, Malaga, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook and six major structures, including two road over rail bridges, two sections of elevated viaduct, a bridge over the Bennett Brooke and a Rail tunnel portal under an elevated major road intersection.

Key project features

• This is Perth’s largest public transport project since the Mandurah Line in 2006.
• Excavation and civil works for road over rail, underpass, and bridge structures.
• Dual crane lifts for beam installation and custom engineering to construct two of Perth’s first elevated rail structures.
• A precast manufacturing facility in Byford constructing 90 long span concrete beams to form the Whiteman Park and Bayswater viaduct structures.
• Australia’s first ballast box spreader will be used to lay 21km of bottom track ballast
• 13 Noongar and local artists engaged to create 15 public art pieces, setting the record for the largest collection commissioned on a METRONET project.
• Procurement of works from Aboriginal Business exceeding $50million across over 40 scope areas.

Fast facts 

• Malaga and Ellenbrook station are the first of three railway stations in Western Australia to achieve the Green Start Design Review rating. This means both stations are set to represent ‘Australian Excellence in Sustainable Design’, a certified register trademark by Green Building Council of Australia.
• Whiteman Park station is home to Western Australia’s first 50KvA Hybrid solar battery and will assist in powering the site. This sustainable initiative uses batteries and solar panels during works to replace the need for a diesel generator, saving an estimated 45,000 litres of diesel – the equivalent of taking 42 cars off the road per year.
• Across numerous construction, culture, service and supply packages, more than $50 million worth of contracts have been awarded to registered Aboriginal businesses, doubling the original commitment to the $25 million target in METRONET’s Gnarla Biddi (Aboriginal Engagement). Within this, 42 Aboriginal supply chain partners have been directly engaged on MELconnx and more than $20.6 million already spent on completed works to June 30, 2023.