‘Have to be patient’ as Australind line expecting months-long delays waiting for Armadale line completion

The long-awaited return of the Australind train line has again been pushed back several months but may be an early Christmas present for commuters. The service — which closed in November 2023 — was slated to open in mid-2025 after upgrades to the Armadale train line. However, with WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti announcing last weekend the opening date of June 9 for the Thornlie-Cockburn Link, the Armadale line is expected to take several more months before it is running again. With the Australind train line dependent on the Armadale line’s completion, commuters wanting to head into Perth are being told to be “patient” as the project continues. Bunbury Geographe Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Julie Board said the community has already waited this long for a train line, another three months is not unreasonable. “The works between the Thornlie and Cockburn line are taking a little bit longer, and it’s really about getting that right,” she said. “We just have to be patient.” During her announcement Ms Saffioti said the upgrades have been a “very complicated” project to establish the new line. “There were some construction issues and we were anticipating to claw back that timeframe, but unfortunately we haven’t,” she said. “We apologise to all of those passengers affected, but we’ll be working really hard. “The team’s working really hard to get it open as soon as possible.” Rail Heritage WA committee member Alasdair Kenyon said it was “disappointing” for Bunbury residents to have the line’s reopening delayed even longer. “It’s a bit disappointing for people in Bunbury because we’d like our train back, but it’s not really surprising given the complexity and the size of the two projects. To get this far and only delay it a few months, I think it’s going quite well. ‘It’s very important, especially now the Government has announced it is going to build more trains, that means it’s going to be more convenient for more people. “With the train coming back, I’m sure there will be a lot more patronage and that should help all the business around Bunbury and the South West. “The sooner it gets here, the better.” Commuter Nathan Cunningham said he had been forced to used the replacement bus services several times going to Perth, and the lack of a train line is a “bit of a pain”. “Takes a while on the bus, it would be a lot quicker on the train,” he said. “You have to deal with traffic on the freeway which isn’t much fun, especially on a Friday afternoon. “If the Government was a bit more efficient maybe it would be done by now.” Another bus rider said the delays were “frustrating” as the train line played an important role in the region for many. “We have the same thing in Perth with the Armadale line, they’ve said middle of the year and it’s going to be another 12 months at least, it’s inconsistent and frustrating,” she said. “Down in Busselton we don’t get Ubers or anything so buses are everything. The train is everything, it’s cheap enough that you can travel.” Despite the delays in train service, several riders said they were pleased with the service they were receiving with the replacement buses. “The bus was perfect — I’m here and that’s the main thing,” one rider said.