Metronet’s long-awaited Morley-Ellenbrook line will finally be opened in December, to be delivered at a confirmed cost of $1.65 billion and more than four years after approval.
Metronet’s long-awaited Morley-Ellenbrook line will finally be opened in December, to be delivered at a confirmed cost of $1.65 billion and more than four years after approval.
The trainline’s milestone delivery will come before the end of the year, connecting 21km starting at the recently opened Bayswater station and connecting to new stations at Morley, Noranda, Ballajura, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook.
The train line was the McGowan Government’s flagship election commitment ahead of the 2017 state election in which it won power and will be delivered in the final months of Labor’s second term in office ahead of March’s state election.
The project was contracted to Laing O’Rourke in October 2020, with its budget pushed out by more than $500 million over the course of its construction.
It was initially planned to cost $863 million, a figure which grew to $1.1 billion when the contract was awarded and further stretched to $1.6 billion.
Addressing media while announcing the December 8 completion date, Treasurer Rita Saffioti said the project had been delivered in unprecedented circumstances.
“We built during COVID and incredible supply chain interruptions,” she said.
“[There were] massive increases in the cost of concrete, steel and, of course, labour during an unprecedented time in relation to construction in both Australia and across the nation.
“But when you’re looking at price per kilometre, these projects are still well under what’s been delivered over east.”
Ms Saffioti said the project would help serve tens of thousands living in Perth’s eastern corridor with access to world-class public transport.
The project was joint-funded by the state and federal governments.
Formal passenger services will begin on December 9, and a sixth station is mooted for Bennett Springs East.
The WA Liberal Party has honed in on project costs and delivery timelines in response to today’s announcement, labelling the Ellenbrook line delayed and overbudget.
Opposition Transport spokesperson Steve Martin said the government had little to be proud of in delivering the project on those terms.
"WA Labor are two years late and overbudget by 200 per cent on a project that Roger Cook should not be giving himself a pat on the back for," he said.
"The record number of Western Australians who were stuck in an ambulance last month amid an ambulance ramping catastrophe in this state won't be giving Roger Cook a pass mark for spending billions of dollars on a project that should have been $800-and-something million dollars when he announced it years ago."
The WA Liberal Party first promised the Ellenbrook line ahead of the 2008 election which it won under Colin Barnett, but did not deliver the project in two terms of government.
Mr Martin said the party was focused on the future, rather than the past, when pressed on the promise.