A landmark achievement in sustainable and innovative transport infrastructure, the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project supports a growing city and help to shape vibrant communities in Perth’s north-eastern suburbs, whilst setting new sustainability benchmarks.

The MELconnx Alliance between Laing O’Rourke and the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia delivered the over AU$1 billion contract to design and construct the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project. The project spanned 21 kilometres of new rail and included five new modern stations at Morley, Noranda, Ballajura, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook – also integrating existing road and bus networks. Other key infrastructure delivered as part of the project included 1,200 metres of rail viaducts, two road bridges, one rail bridge, two pedestrian overpasses, three pedestrian underpasses, two fauna underpasses and 3,300 parking bays.

Key project features

• This is Perth’s largest public transport project since the Mandurah Line in 2006.
• Excavation and civil works for road over rail, underpass, and bridge/viaduct structures.
• Dual crane lifts and superlift for beam/concourse installation and custom engineering to construct two of Perth’s first elevated rail structures. A precast manufacturing facility in Byford constructing 90 long span concrete beams to form the Whiteman Park and Bayswater viaduct structures.
• Australia’s first ballast box spreader will be used to lay 21km of bottom track ballast.
• 17 Noongar and local artists engaged to create 20 public art pieces, setting the record for the largest collection commissioned on a METRONET project.
• Notable technical engineering excellence through the innovative use of modern methods of construction and design modular approach that enabled the construction of five individually unique stations, all of which shared common ingredients and modules, reducing waste and resources required during the build, increasing user familiarity and ease of use, and simplifying operation and maintenance.

Fast facts 

• MELconnx Alliance was awarded the first-ever IS v2.0/2.1 Design certification for a rail project, receiving a Gold design certification.
• Ellenbrook Station received a 6 Star Green Star As Built certification, with 89 points, the highest score ever awarded for an Australian railway station. Following that achievement, Ballajura Station was also awarded a 6 Star Green Star As Built rating.
• MELconnx Alliance exceeded all contractual sustainability targets, including lifecycle carbon targets. This encompassed a 17% reduction in material-related carbon emissions (measured in tonnes of CO₂) against a 15% target, along with a 32% reduction in water use (target: 15%) and a 33% reduction in energy use (target: 10%). Each of these achievements contributed to a significantly lower lifecycle carbon footprint for the project.
• Design refinements led to material optimisation in the construction of the viaducts, including the elimination of 25 longitudinal prestressed beams and approximately 1.8 kilometres of secondary containment barriers. A 10% increase in span lengths also removed the need for three sets of headstocks, columns, piles and associated materials, particularly concrete and reinforcement steel, as well as reducing associated fuel use.
• Whiteman Park station is home to Western Australia’s first 50KvA Hybrid solar battery and assist in powering the site. This sustainable initiative used batteries and solar panels during works to replace the need for a diesel generator, saving an estimated 45,000 litres of diesel – the equivalent of taking 42 cars off the road per year.
• Through innovative design, 61 hectares of native vegetation was saved from clearance/removal. For example, at Whiteman Park Station, the carpark was dramatically re-designed to preserve approximately five hectares of pristine native Banksia Woodland, providing greater green space and respecting the park’s heritage while bringing the carparking significantly closer to the station.
• Across numerous construction, culture, service and supply packages, $67.4 million worth of contracts have been awarded to 53 registered Aboriginal businesses, more than doubling the original commitment to the $25 million target in METRONET’s Gnarla Biddi (Aboriginal Engagement). Other standouts include employing 5.5% Indigenous people across 5,500-strong workforce, and 11 Indigenous traineeships completed on the project.