Perth Residents will soon benefit from services covering 21-kilometres of rail from Ellenbrook to the Perth CBD, with trains set to deliver commuters into the city in under half an hour. 

“Conversations around rapid transit to the North-East have been underway for decades. To see these stations reach practical completion is very exciting, and long overdue for the communities it will serve,” says Principal and Perth Studio Chair Kukame McPierzie. 

“Ellenbrook is a growing and thriving community, and the new train line is a key piece of infrastructure that will unlock connectivity for this part of Perth.” 

“Perth is growing rapidly, and high-quality public transport is essential to support and enable sustainable and liveable communities. Strategically designed with future housing and transit-oriented development in mind, stations like Ballajura will become a catalyst for new neighbourhoods,” says Kukame. 

Woods Bagot is the lead architect and urban design consultant on the project, working in collaboration with lead contractor Laing O’Rourke, architects TRCB and landscape architects UDLA and TCL. 

Ellenbrook Station is now listed as Australia’s highest certified 6 Star Green Star train station, and has been benchmarked as “World Leading in Sustainable Development.”

Ballajura and Ellenbrook are the first of three railway stations in Western Australian to achieve the Green Star Design Review rating , and are on track to receive a 5 Star Green Star – Railway Stations v1.1 assessment. The project is the first rail infrastructure project in Australia and New Zealand to achieve an IS version 2.0/2.1 rating, which acknowledges the commitment to the economic, social and environmental performance of infrastructure across the planning, design, construction and operational phases of infrastructure assets. 

Green Star principles from these two sites have been carried over to the works on Morley, Noranda and Whiteman Park stations including indoor environment quality, energy, innovation, land use and materials. Art plays a central role in defining the unique character of each station on the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line. Integrated from the outset, the art installations weave a living tapestry of Noongar stories and cultural heritage, enhancing the sense of place and identity. 

“The design of Ballajura and Ellenbrook stations are highly contextual, taking inspiration from the surrounding landscape and suburbs, as well as creating stations that seek to embody the spirit of the place. The stations’ sculptural folded roof geometries were also conceived to be animated by Perth’s remarkably crisp light, bringing a playful, uplifting travel experience for people on their daily journeys,” says Neil Hill, Principal and Design Leader. 

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the new train line will connect thousands of people along Perth’s north-eastern corridor as part of the most significant expansion of the Perth rail system since the Mandurah line opened in 2007. 

“We hope that the stations will become memorable landmarks for the local communities for generations to come,” says Kukame. The five new stations – Morley, Noranda, Ballajura, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook – are expected to reach patronage exceeding 18,000 people per day by 2031. 

Main station buildings for Ballajura and Ellenbrook Stations’ are now complete, with a few ongoing precinct and public realm works. Woods Bagot is continuing works on the Noranda, Morley and Whiteman Park stations, with the line expected to open to commuters in late-2024. 

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Adrien Moffatt
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