THE first train to Ellenbrook has taken to the tracks, with testing now underway on the Morley-Ellenbrook line.

The line when completed will be the largest public transport project delivered in Perth since the Mandurah line was opened by the WA Labor government more than 16 years ago.

The project has seen 21 kilometres of new rail line constructed, including 150,000 sleepers and 96,000 tonnes of ballast, and five new stations constructed in Morley, Noranda, Ballajura, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook.

The new line spurs from the existing Midland and Airport lines at Bayswater station and will connect tens of thousands of people in the city’s north-eastern suburbs to the metropolitan rail network for the first time.

Once the line opens, commuters in the north-east will be able ride to the city for as little as $4.16 with a SmartRider.

The first train on the tracks marks the start of an extensive testing and commissioning program, which will ensure all infrastructure and systems are operating effectively and trains are running safely, efficiently and smoothly.

Testing will take place for approximately four weeks, with a gradual increase to operational speeds. Following the testing phase, training of Transperth’s drivers will commence.

This comes as the new Whiteman Park Station approaches formal completion. Whiteman Park will be the third station to be completed, alongside Ellenbrook and Ballajura.

Works on Morley and Noranda stations continues, with completion scheduled in the coming months.

When passenger services begin later this year, the line will provide around a 30-minute journey from Ellenbrook to Perth, halving the commuting time for passengers.