The Armadale line is a suburban rail service in Western Australia that runs from Perth to Armadale on the South Western Railway. This service is planned to extend to the suburb of Byford over an 8-kilometre-long (5.0 mi) new railway line constructed as part of the Byford Rail Extension project.[1]

Armadale and Thornlie lines
Overview
Current operator(s)	Transperth
Annual ridership	5.6 million (year to June 2022)
Route
Termini	Perth Armadale Thornlie
Stops	21
Line(s) used	South Western Railway
Technical
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC from overhead catenary
Track owner(s)	Public Transport Authority
Route map Legend km Joondalup Line / Fremantle Line 00.0 Perth 00.0 Mandurah Line Barrack Street Bridge Perth Siding Moore Street crossing (closed) 00.9 McIver Lord Street flyover 01.3 Claisebrook 00.0 Midland line 00.0 Claisebrook depot Midland line East Parade flyover River siding Goongoongup Bridge Victoria Park Drive 3.2 Perth Stadium 04.8 Burswood Great Eastern Highway Victoria Park turnback 06.0 Victoria Park (former) 06.2 Victoria Park 06.5 Lathlain Millers crossing Archer St/Mint St crossing 07.4 Carlisle 08.2 Oats Street Oats Street crossing Welshpool Road crossing 09.5 Welshpool Leach Highway flyover Hamilton Street crossing 11.4 Queens Park Wharf Street crossing 12.2 Cannington Gerard Street flyover Cannington siding Beckenham Substation Neutral section 13.8 Beckenham William Street crossing 00.0 Thornlie Spur 00.0 Thornlie Spur Neutral section Thornlie Spur only Roe Highway 00.0 Kwinana Railway Kenwick Link Canning River Spencer Road 17.0 Thornlie Nicholson Road Ranford Road Wanaping Road crossing Thornlie- Cockburn Link 15.8 Kenwick 00.0 Kenwick Junction Austin Avenue crossing 17.7 Maddington Canning Park Racecourse Kelvin Road crossing Albany Highway crossing Stokely station Jenna Bidi Bridge over Canning River Fremantle Road crossing Main Street crossing 21.0 Gosnells Dorothy Street crossing 21.2 Gosnells (former) Verna Street crossing (closed) 22.6 Seaforth Tonkin Highway flyover Lake Road crossing (closed) 25.9 Kelmscott Denny Avenue crossing (closed) Davis Road 27.4 Challis Streich Avenue crossing 28.1 Sherwood Armadale Road crossing Third Avenue crossing 30.1 Armadale Armadale Siding Extent of electrification 37.6 Byford planned South Western Railway Transperth railway lines Airport Armadale/Thornlie Fremantle Joondalup Mandurah Midland List of Transperth stations This diagram: view talk edit

The Thornlie line is a service that runs on the South Western Railway from Perth to a junction between Beckenham and Kenwick and continues on a short branch line to Thornlie that opened on 7 August 2005. This service is currently, as of 2022^[update], being extended to Cockburn Central (which until now was serviced by the Mandurah line only) as part of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link project that in part is constructing 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) of new railway line between Thornlie and Cockburn Central next to the Kewdale White Oil Line.[2][3]

History

The Armadale line runs on the South Western Railway which opened on 2 May 1893. In September 1991, the line commenced electrified operation.[4]

Between 2004 and 2005, Armadale, Carlisle and Gosnells were upgraded to provide better facilities to passengers and provide better access between trains and buses. Lathlain station was closed on 3 February 2003 as part of the project.[5]

Thornlie was opened on 7 August 2005.[4][6][7] The station is built on a 2.9-kilometre-long (1.8 mi) spur line of the South Western Railway.

Between 21 March 1993 and 8 August 2005, trains on the Armadale line continued through Perth to the Joondalup line. In 2004 new railcars were introduced, which became exclusive to the Joondalup line. From 2005 until 2012, Armadale line trains did not run through Perth to the other lines but on 20 August 2012, as part of works relating to the Perth City Link project to sink the Fremantle line, services from Fremantle connected to the line until the tunnel was opened on 18 July 2013 which saw the Armadale line terminate in Perth again.

Victoria Park and Kelmscott Stations were upgraded between 2007 and 2008 as part of the Public Transport Authority's 'Building Better Stations' program. Victoria Park station was opened on 20 July 2008.[8] and Kelmscott was opened on 21 November 2008.[9]

As part of the new Perth Stadium project, Belmont Park station closed on 13 October 2013.[10] Stadium station was opened in 2018 to replace it.

Transformation

As part of the Metronet project, both the Armadale main line and the Thornlie spur line will undergo extensions and upgrades. Additionally, the currently combined line will be split with the Thornlie Line getting its own purple colour.

Armadale Line

Six level crossings along the Armadale Line between Kenwick and Victoria Park are being removed by elevating the railway on a viaduct. These are Mint/Archer Street, Oats Street, Welshpool Road, Hamilton Street, Wharf Street and William Street. Also, five stations will be rebuilt as new, elevated stations. These are Carlisle, Oats Street, Queens Park, Cannington and Beckenham. Welshpool station will also permanently close due to low passenger numbers and technical difficulties with the elevated viaduct passing over Welshpool Road and then under the Leach Highway bridge. By elevating the rail, new parks and public space will be created underneath the viaduct for the local community.

The Armadale line will also be extended to the suburb of Byford with a new station being built approximately eight kilometres (5 mi) south of the Armadale railway station.[11]Armadale station will be rebuilt as an elevated station and 8 other level crossings at Armadale Road, Forrest Road, Church Avenue, Seventh Road (Pedestrian), Byron Road, Eleventh Road, Thomas Road and Larsen Road will be removed.

Thornlie Line

The Thornlie line will be extended to Cockburn Central railway station on the Mandurah line beside the Kewdale White Oil Line. Two new railway stations will be located on this extension, Nicholson Road and Ranford Road. Construction started in 2020.[2] As part of this the track between Beckenham Junction and Thornlie station will be duplicated, including through the Kenwick Tunnel. Thornlie station will undergo significant upgrades, with extended platforms for 6-car trains and a new concourse above the tracks.

At the 2021–22 State Budget, it was announced that the Thornlie–Cockburn link had been deferred by 12 months, as a result of Western Australia's skills shortage. This was alongside the deferment of 15 other state government infrastructure projects. The revised opening date is late 2024.[12][13][14]

On the 16th of August 2022 it was announced that the opening of these projects would be deferred to 2025 due to the pushback of the Armadale Line Shutdown.

Shutdown

From Late 2023 for 18 months, the Thornlie Line will completely close. The Armadale Line will close between Victoria Park and Armadale. The Armadale Line will continue to operate between Victoria Park and Perth, additionally calling at Burswood and Perth Stadium. This is to allow for the rebuilding of most of the lines as elevated rail to remove level crossings. This is also to facilitate works on the Thornlie-Cockburn Link and Byford Rail Extension.

The Shutdown was originally scheduled to commence in early 2023, but was pushed back to late 2023 so there would be more time for planning and design, and so there would only be impact on one AFL season instead of two.

Patronage

Below is the annual patronage of Armadale and Thornlie lines from 2010 to 2011 financial year. Figures are provided as total boardings, which includes all fare-paying boardings and free travel on stations within the free transit zones as well as transfers between stations. The figures for rail replacement and special events services are not included in the total.[15]

Description

During hot weather, the tracks can distort. As a result, on the Armadale line, train speeds are reduced by approximately 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph) when the air temperature is above 37 °C (99 °F), and by an additional 10 kilometres per hour (6.2 mph) when the air temperature is above 41 °C (106 °F). On the Thornlie line, train speeds are reduced by approximately 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph) when the air temperature is above 39 °C (102 °F), and by an additional 10 kilometres per hour (6.2 mph) when the air temperature is above 41 °C (106 °F).[16][17]

The Transperth network currently uses fixed block signalling and automatic train protection, which stops trains that pass a red signal and slows trains that drive too fast.[18]^: 21 These systems will be replaced by an automatic train control system, likely a communications-based train control system.[18]^: 27

Route

Transperth system map, with the Armadale and Thornlie lines in yellow. The proposed and under construction extensions to these lines are in grey.

Stations

During peak hour times on weekdays, some railway stations are almost always bypassed to enable faster commutes. Express trains also run along the Armadale Line on weekdays, and even often on weekends.

Key

Icon	Purpose
	Under construction
§	Special events station

Station	Distance from Perth[19]		Fare zone[20]	Suburbs served	Opened	Connections and notes
	km	mi
Armadale and Thornlie line
Perth	0.0	0.0	1/FTZ	Perth	1881	Bus transfers at Perth Busport Train transfers to Australind, Fremantle, Joondalup, Mandurah and Midland lines
McIver	0.7	0.4	1/FTZ	Perth	1989	Train transfers to the Midland line
Claisebrook	1.3	0.8	1/FTZ	East Perth, Perth	1883	Train transfers to the Midland line
Perth Stadium§	3.3	2.1	1	Burswood	2018	Open during events at Perth Stadium and on weekends
Burswood	4.6	2.9	1	Burswood	1893
Victoria Park	6.1	3.8	1	Lathlain, Victoria Park	1898
Carlisle	7.4	4.6	1	Carlisle, East Victoria Park	1893
Oats Street	8.1	5.0	1	Carlisle, East Victoria Park	1954	Bus transfers
Welshpool	9.3	5.8	1	Bentley, Welshpool	1899
Queens Park	11.3	7.0	2	Cannington, Queens Park	1899
Cannington	12.2	7.6	2	Cannington, East Cannington	1897	Bus transfers
Thornlie line
Thornlie	17.0	10.6	2	Thornlie	2005	Bus transfers
Nicholson Road			2	Canning Vale	2023 (planned)	Bus transfers
Ranford Road			2	Canning Vale	2023 (planned)	Bus transfers
Cockburn Central			3	Cockburn Central	2023 (planned)	Bus transfers
Armadale line
Beckenham	13.6	8.5	2	Beckenham	1954
Kenwick	15.6	9.7	2	Kenwick	1914
Maddington	17.6	10.9	2	Maddington	1896	Bus transfers
Gosnells	20.7	12.9	3	Gosnells	1905	Bus transfers
Seaforth	22.6	14.0	3	Gosnells	1948
Kelmscott	25.8	16.0	3	Kelmscott	1893	Bus transfers
Challis	27.3	17.0	3	Kelmscott	1973
Sherwood	28.6	17.8	3	Armadale	1973
Armadale	30.4	18.9	4	Armadale	1893	Bus transfers Train transfers to Transwa Australind
Byford			4	Byford		Bus transfers

References

External links

Media related to Armadale railway line at Wikimedia Commons