The Byford rail extension project involves an 8km extension of the Armadale railway line from Armadale train station to the Byford suburb in Perth, Western Australia. The project also includes the construction of a new street-level station in the Byford town centre and expansion of the Armadale station.
METRONET, a multi-government agency, is executing the project in cooperation with the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale.
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Upon completion in June 2024, the project will provide residents with access to a more effective public transit solution and improve safety and traffic management with level crossing removals.
The state government is also considering the extension of the Byford rail project to eventually incorporate elevated rail in the Armadale and Byford town centres. The proposed elevated rail will eliminate additional level crossings at Armadale Road and Abernethy Road to improve connectivity.
Byford rail extension project development
The Byford Extension business case was planned in two stages. The first stage was submitted to Infrastructure Australia (IA) for review in September 2019 and the second stage in August 2020.
In October 2020, the Government of Western Australia released a request for proposal (RFP) for the design and construction of approximately 8km of electrified dual-track, a new rail station at Byford, and the replacement of level crossings.
The Government of Western Australia announced as the shortlisted contractors for the Byford alliance, comprising Downer EDI, CPB Contractors, Aurecon, and CareyMC, in January 2021.
Early construction work on the $52m Thomas Road level crossing removal project started in November 2020, with completion expected by the end of 2022. It is one of several projects fast-tracked by the Western Australian Government to support local businesses to recover from the economic impacts of Covid-19.
Byford rail extension project details
The project will extend the Armadale Line to Byford approximately 8km from the existing at-grade Armadale Station to a new at-grade station in Byford town centre within the existing rail corridor. It will also replace the Thomas Road level crossing with a road-over-rail bridge to further boost traffic flow.
The project also includes the removal of the Thomas Road level crossing with a road-over-rail bridge to pave the way for the construction of Byford Station. An additional seven level crossings are also being removed across the rail network.
The proposed Byford station will be built towards the south of Evans Way and approximately 400m north of Abernethy Road along George Street. It includes 600 parking bays, a bus interchange, and a pedestrian crossing over the rail line.
The project also includes the expansion of the Armadale Station with the construction of longer platforms for the six-car trains and a new Australind platform. It also includes an extension of the pedestrian overpass and redevelopment of the bus interchange into a new facility with improved access to the Armadale Station.
Byford rail extension project benefits
Byford rail extension will boost connectivity to the city and reduce travel time to six minutes between Byford and Armadale and four minutes between Byford and Perth Station.
Replacement of Thomas Road level crossing will decrease congestion at the east end and increase safety by modifying entry points on local roads. It is expected to create more than 330 job opportunities.
The project will create 1,035 jobs and provide Byford’s growing population with efficient public transport infrastructure to access employment, entertainment, and recreation centres on the route to the Perth CBD.
Funding details
The Byford rail extension project is estimated to cost A$481m ($371.9m). The Australian Government allocated A$240.5m ($185.9m) to the project as part of the A$1.05bn ($811m) budget allocation for METRONET.
The Public Transport Authority spent A$2.1m ($1.6m) over the years 2017-18 and 2018-19 for the implementation of Byford extension project.
Contractors involved
Main Roads WA contracted Armadale Access Alliance (AAA) to deliver the package of works on Thomas Road. The site office was set up by AAA near Plaistowe Boulevard in Byford to accommodate the project team.
Construction works will elevate Thomas Road, which passes over the rail corridor with two lanes in each direction. The bridge will be built slightly towards the north of the existing road alignment, between South Western Highway and Wungong South Road.
