The project is the biggest METRONET project to get underway, and is the most significant expansion of the rail network since the Mandurah Line was built in 2007 – comprising 21 kilometres of rail line connecting the city’s north-eastern suburbs with the Perth CBD. Five new stations and precincts will be constructed at Morley, Noranda, Malaga, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook. Conceived and designed as a catalyst for 5,000 hectares of redevelopment across the metropolitan area, this new line will create desirable places of expansion into new precincts of Perth’s northern corridor. The stations are tied together through a common design language and a line-wide identity, while each also speaks to its context – reflecting local character and aesthetics and catering to the specificities of their communities.

The approach to design combines functional requirements – the need to deliver efficiently and cost effectively – and the desire to create a built environment that is sensitive to the local culture and environment. A high degree of commonality between stations is ensured through a modular design and kit-of-parts approach. This modularity has permitted the standardisation of components (where appropriate) to maximise efficiency of construction.

Human scale, efficient planning, safe and naturally lit spatial qualities engage visitors at each station. The patterns of the ground plane and new public spaces echo the patterned geology and qualities of the Swan Coastal Plain, as well as the folded geometry of suburban communities. In and around the new stations, existing landscapes are augmented and enriched to create shady and comfortable public spaces. Stations and precincts are generously configured to become a focus for community; to become the civic or community hub incrementally with the development of precincts.