[1] Under the original 1999 Southern Suburbs Railway plan, Rockingham station would have been located within the Rockingham central business district in close proximity to major shopping and civic areas.

[citation needed] However, in 2002, the Mandurah railway line was altered to operate via a more direct route from Perth via the median strip of the Kwinana Freeway rather than via the Armadale and Kwinana lines as originally planned.

[citation needed] The planned central Rockingham station was abandoned at this time, in order to offset the extra cost of the Perth leg.

Evidence of the abandoned light rail is seen in the busway approach to the station, where concrete tracks can be seen.

[1] As of 2017, the City of Rockingham and surrounding councils remain supportive of building the transport link.