Level crossings have long posed safety hazards, causing delays, congestion and tragic accidents. The METRONET Victoria Park–Canning Level Crossing Removal Project is addressing these risks by lifting trains above traffic.
For over a century, the Armadale Line in Perth has cut a firm line through the communities it was built to serve. A key bugbear was the rail line’s multiple level crossings; once practical in design, they have since become major safety concerns.
With the city growing and the need for modern infrastructure rising, the government-led METRONET Program of Work was designed to rejuvenate the rail line and transform Perth’s metropolitan area by creating a more connected and accessible city.
A key aspect of the program is the METRONET Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project – delivered by the Armadale Line Upgrade Alliance (Acciona Construction, BMD Constructions, WSP, AECOM and the Public Transport Authority) – which involves removing six level crossings along the Armadale Line by elevating the rail onto overhead viaducts.
With the project recently nominated for the 2025 Australian Construction Achievement Award, create sat down with Alliance Project Manager Jeff Tyloo to discuss innovative design solutions and community impact.
Why remove the level crossings?
Trains, vehicles and pedestrians all competing for the same space is a recipe for disaster, creating an unacceptable safety risk to the local community and rail network, Tyloo said.
“Level crossings at grade, sharing the same space as the road network significantly increases the likelihood of accidents and fatalities,” he said.
“Boom gate closures also created constraints on road capacity, especially during peak times, resulting in travel delays and unreliable journey times.”
But beyond congestion and safety were the social costs.
“In terms of community severance and reduced amenity, failing to remove the level crossings would maintain the existing separation between communities on either side of the track,” Tyloo said. “For the first time in over a century, this project will dismantle a section of the line where the rail historically divided the neighborhoods.”
The elevated rail solution
Previously, all six level crossings were at grade, creating an intersection of rail, road and pedestrian traffic.
For a better, safer use of space, the rail line was elevated – with four viaduct structures eliminating the need for road-level crossings entirely.
“The solution we developed completely separates rail from road and pedestrian traffic,” Tyloo said. “Road traffic continues unimpeded at ground level – with traffic lights at some intersections – while the rail line runs overhead.”
The design was primarily guided by track alignment, geometry considerations and the surrounding road network, vital for good rolling stock performance.
“The road geometry itself was shaped by signaling and timetabling requirements set by the Public Transport Authority (PTA), which in turn informed our decisions regarding the elevated structures,” he said.
“We had to keep in mind the way that the signaling systems were designed and we had to allow for future proofing of the corridor.”
A standout feature of the project was the use of custom-built rubber-tired gantry cranes for quick, safe installation of the beam bridge girders – the first of their kind in the WA rail network.
“We worked with a specialist supplier to design six gantry cranes capable of lifting 120 t each,” Tyloo said. “That allowed us to reduce the footprint of our works and avoid significant disruptions on local roads, as well as the removal of some significant trees within the corridor.”
Keeping Perth moving during construction
Major infrastructure projects are never simple in active urban areas. But the team had a clear goal to minimise disruption wherever possible.
“To support train operations during the Armadale Line closure, we constructed two temporary facilities, including the Victoria Park Station turnback and an associated bus interchange,” Tyloo said.
“Even though the Armadale line was proposed to be closed for 18 months southeast of Victoria Park Station, the construction of these facilities gave the PTA the ability to run train operations from Perth CBD to Victoria Park, maintaining connectivity through Optus Stadium.”
The team also delivered a new temporary bus interchange at Cannington to support replacement bus services and maintain access to key local hubs such as the Carousel shopping centre.
“We also staged the works carefully to keep cross-corridor access open as much as possible to enable the community to continue crossing the rail corridor while we were working within the area.”
Read more: How challenging the brief improved this level crossing removal project
Managing ground and utility challenges
Throughout the project, the team faced several geotechnical and underground utility challenges.
“The project was divided into two stratas,” Tyloo said. “To the north, we used a continuous flight auger piling design. In the south, we faced a very shallow water table – especially in winter – which made excavation and trenching difficult.”
To manage this, the team undertook extensive early investigations to understand peak flows.
“From there, we used a bored pile design and scheduled deeper excavation works during summer when the water table was lower,” he said.
Then there were the utilities.
“The project area runs close to some major water infrastructure, such as the Canning Dam trunk main,” Tyloo said.
The key strategy was early engagement with all service authorities, including the Water Corporation, Western Power, Telstra and ATCO Gas.
‘We designed bespoke foundation solutions around various utility assets to avoid relocation where we could,” he said. “Where relocation was unavoidable, we utilised our early engagement to get the crews out and move assets, which provided some more resilience in the networks along with new assets for the Water Corporation and Western Power.”
Building a sustainable future
Sustainability was a key consideration on the project, embedded into the design from day one across four main areas – the first being value engineering.
“We were able to reduce the reference design given to us by the client by about 20% in terms of cross-sectional footprint due to the viaduct structure we chose – cutting down the use of reinforced concrete, steel, cement and cementitious material, structural steel and all associated works,” Tyloo said.
Second, the team focused on efficiency.
“We built approximately 4 km of dual viaducts using a repeatable, standardised design,” he said. “That made construction faster and reduced waste.”
The team also embraced the opportunity to give something back to the community.
“The State Government’s decision to elevate the railway structure opened up six hectares of public open space for the community of all ages to enjoy,” Tyloo said. “We’re also working with local governments on urban forest and rewilding strategies to bring some urban wildlife back to the corridor.”
Lastly, they aimed high with green star ratings.
“We were the first project in Australia to achieve a Gold design rating under version 2.1 of the Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s tool, which is considered world-leading,” he said. “Cannington even achieved a 6-Star design review certification, which is a promising indicator for securing an as-built 6 star rating.”
What’s next for the corridor?
The METRONET Victoria Park–Canning Level Crossing Removal Project, which will open to passenger services in mid-2025, is part of a broader wave of upgrades along the Armadale Line.
“The line is being extended about 8 km south to Byford – supporting one of the fastest-growing areas in Australia – as part of METRONET’s ongoing work,” Tyloo said.
Meanwhile, the PTA’s Rail Revitalisation Program continues to improve 15 km of track, upgrading 25 pedestrian crossings and 10 level crossings – modernising drainage, signaling and communication systems.
“These works will link up with the improvements we’re delivering here,” he said. “It’s about building a safer, more connected rail network for the future.”
