Calling All Stations - Extra: The Thornlie/Cockburn Link Takes Shape

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The Thornlie line is a service that runs on the South Western Railway (Armadale Line) from Perth to a junction between Beckenham and Kenwick and continues on a short branch line to Thornlie that opened on 7 August 2005.

This service is currently, as of 2022, being extended to Cockburn Central (which until now was serviced by the Mandurah line only) as part of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link project that in part is constructing 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) of new railway line between Thornlie and Cockburn Central parallel to the Kewdale freight Line. Two new railway stations will be located on this extension, Nicholson Road and Ranford Road. Construction started in 2020.

At the 2021–22 State Budget, it was announced that the Thornlie–Cockburn link had been deferred by 12 months, as a result of Western Australia's skills shortage. This was alongside the deferment of 15 other state government infrastructure projects. The revised opening date is late 2024.

History: The new east-west link is not the first east-west railway in Perth, see below:

The Jandakot-Armadale Railway was constructed by the Railway Construction Branch, Public Works Department (PWD). Work started at Jandakot on 20 February 1907, after a month the forming up of the track bed and clearing were well advanced. About 80 men were employed and 1 mile of rails had been laid. Jandakot had been the terminus of the railway since the section from Robb’s Jetty opened on 1 April 1906. This railway was built to serve the settlers along its route but it was also a short cut for goods, timber and coal to the port of Fremantle. Because of this heavy goods traffic, the line was built new with heavy rails. The 58lb per yard steel rails were made by Cockerill Ougrée in Liège, Belgium. By the end of April 1907 the rails had been laid for 3½ miles. The rails were connected with the South Western Railway at Armadale in mid June and it was reported that the PWD had already hauled 100 tons of local goods using their construction locomotive. The railway was opened for goods and passenger traffic from 15 July 1907, while the official opening was performed by the Minister for Works, James Price, on 22 July 1907. A special train was run for the occasion from Fremantle through to Armadale. There were a number of sidings and stopping places from Fremantle heading towards Armadale along the route of the railway over the years from 1907 to 1964. These included: “Jandakot : opened with the railway from Robb’s Jetty on 1 April 1906. It was renamed Yangebupp on 1 April 1908, but renamed Jandakot on 14 September 1908. It was still open when the railway closed in 1964. It appears that this siding was about 8.9km, as the crow flies, west from the Banjup siding (and nowadays in the City of Cockburn). “Banjup : opened with the railway on 15 July 1907 and was known as No.1 Siding. It was named Banjupp (renamed Banjup August 1915). It had a public siding, shelter shed and loading ramp. The location remained open as a passenger stopping place until eliminated in January 1961. (This siding was located just west of the intersection of Armadale and Liddelow Roads). “Taylor’s Crossing: this was a passenger stopping place only, and opened sometime prior to 1922. It was eliminated in January 1961. (This locality was about 500 metres east of the intersection of Armadale and Taylor Roads). “Pine Tree Crossing : this was also a passenger stopping place only and opened about 1936-38. It was eliminated in January 1961. (This location is about the intersection of Armadale and Nicholson Roads). “Forrestdale: opened with the railway on 15 July 1907. It was named Jandakot on 1 April 1908, but renamed East Jandakot on 14 September 1908. It was renamed Forrestdale in August 1915. It had a public siding, shelter shed and loading ramp. It was still open when the railway closed in 1964. (This siding was located about the intersection of Armadale and Wirin Roads, Forrestdale). Train services from Bibra Lake to Armadale were therefore suspended from 23 January 1964.
Info from inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au

Attributions:
http://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.a...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
www.metronet.wa.gov.au

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