It consists of 12 side-by-side segments which are each 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) wide and 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) high, and "presents a continuous narrative depicting the past, present and future association of the Nyoongar people with the [...] station site.

The first South West Metropolitan Railway Master Plan, published in 1999, detailed the route of the future Mandurah line.

It would branch off the Armadale line at Kenwick, requiring no new stations in the Perth central business district (CBD).

[12] New MetroRail was formed in March 2003 to manage the construction of the Mandurah line, among other rail projects in Perth.

[13][14] The construction of the Mandurah line, also known as the Southern Suburbs Railway, was divided into eight main packages.

[17] The contract for the design and construction of Package F was awarded to a joint venture between Leighton Contractors and Kumagai Gumi in February 2004 at a cost of A$324.5 million.

[21] Esplanade station lies on land reclaimed from the Swan River, resulting a challenging environment for digging and tunnelling.

[27][28] The first tunnel was completed in June 2006 when the TBM reached the dive structure next to Roe Street.

[29][30] Tunnelling was completed on 24 October 2006 when the TBM reached the Roe Street dive structure for the second time.

[27][31] By the end of 2006, most structural work had been completed and architectural finishes and electrical and mechanical fit-out had commenced.

Esplanade bus station was renamed Elizabeth Quay bus station as well, and Transperth ferries moved from stopping at the Barrack Street Jetty to stopping at the nearby Elizabeth Quay Jetty.

[44] Planning Minister John Day said the renaming was done to "make the precinct easily identifiable for locals and visitors", and that "it makes sense to have a consistent precinct, similar to Sydney's Circular Quay and the nearby train station.

The service between Elizabeth Quay and Perth Underground stations is considered part of the Joondalup and Mandurah lines simultaneously.