Transperth Trains

Infobox Public transit
name = Transperth Trains


imagesize = 200px

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imagesize2 = 300px
locale = Perth, Western Australia
transit_type = Rapid transit
Commuter rail
began_operation =
lines = 6 (173.1km)
stations = 69
ridership = 175,000
track_gauge = 1,067mm (3ft 6in)
operator = Transperth

Transperth Trains is a division of the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia responsible for operating Perth’s urban passenger rail system, as part of the Transperth network.

History

The rail network was electrified in the early 1990s. Before the introduction of electric multiple units, diesel trains were used. The cost of electrifying the three lines then in service (Midland, Fremantle and Armadale) was estimated at around $109 million. The electrification of the three lines was completed on 1990, and the first service with the A-series train was introduced during Royal Show week in September 1991, with regular services beginning on the Armadale line on 7 October 1991. The Midland and Fremantle lines commenced service with the then-new A-series trains in December 1991. The conversion from diesel to electric trains was accompanied many upgrades to the rail network such as upgrades to stations and track.

To service the expanding northern suburbs, Joondalup line was built in the median of the Mitchell Freeway in the early 1990s, after several years of planning cite book
title = Transport 2000 – A Perth Study, Northern Suburbs Rapid Transit Study (File 8722/1)
publisher = Department of Transport, Government of Western Australia
date = 1987
location =Perth, Western Australia Accessed at State Records Office of Western Australia, Perth] . The line was later extended to Currambine in 1993 and to Clarkson in 2005.

Mandurah Line

Legislation for the construction of the Mandurah Line was passed in December 1999.cite web|url=http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/scripts/viewarticle.asp?NID=1823|title=PTA History at a Glance, 1976 to 2000] The original route proposed branched from the Armadale line at Kenwick, and then ran alongside the freight lines until Jandakot where it would run in the middle of the Kwinana Freeway. However, a bill passed in November 2002 after a change of state government saw that the route would start at Perth, traverse the Kwinana Freeway, and then continue along its initial route after Jandakot.cite web|url=http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/scripts/viewarticle.asp?NID=1824|title=PTA History at a Glance, 2001 to Present]

Construction of the line started in February 2004. The line was officially opened on December 23 2007, with the first train carrying 1500 passengers, including 1000 members of the public selected by ballot. [cite web |url=http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=52023 |title=1500 people take the first Perth to Mandurah train journey |accessdate=2007-12-23 ] .

Thornlie Spur

Because the Government didn't begin its review of the Mandurah Line masterplan until after construction had began, the tunnel under Roe Highway had already constructed. To make use of the new tunnel, the government decided to convert this section into a small spur line to the suburb of Thornlie.

It wasn chose that Armadale trains would alternate with Thornlie trains, with the Thornlie trains stopping at all stations and Armadale trains only stopping at Oats Street and Cannington stations. Thornlie station was officially opened on 7 August 2005. Normal services began the next day.

New MetroRail

In 2003, the government launched the New MetroRail program as the official name of the upgrades to the rail network. Various projects part of this program were:

*Extension of the Joondalup Line to Clarkson.
*Construction of a new railway depot in the suburb of Nowergup.
*Acquiring 93 new B-series railcars to service the Clarkson and Mandurah lines. These railcars would be configured as 31 three-car sets.
*Construction of the Thornlie line and spur line.
*Rebuilding Bassendean, Gosnells and Armadale stations in 2004, 2005, and 2004 respectively.
*New station named Greenwood built between Warwick and Whitfords to relieve the pressure on these stations. This station opened 2005.
*Upgrade of the West Leederville station, including a third platform, to help serve crowds from Subiaco Oval.

Future Expansion

Plans are already in place to extend the Clarkson railway line futher north up to the suburb of Butler, then swinging west to the new suburb of Jindalee cite web|url=http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/scripts/viewarticle.asp?NID=2319|title=Preparations for Clarkson-Jindalee rail extension steps up|publisher=Public Transport Authority|date=2007-05-22|accessdate=2007-07-07] . The airport masterplan also calls for a spur line from the Midland Line to connect to the Airport. The line would deviate between Bayswater and Ashfield stations, run through the suburb of Redcliffe and meet with the Airport.

Ex-Premier Alan Carpenter had announced a study to see if it is possible to have a high speed rail service running from Perth to the south city of Bunbury replacing the current Australind train service. The new study says a new line could be built just after Cockburn Central station on the Mandurah Line, then following the Kwinana Freeway south to the new Perth - Bunbury Highway and following the highway until it reaches the Bunbury CBD. Alan Carpenter says the new line would reduce train travel times by up to one and a half hours than the current Australind service. [WA considers new high speed train service, " [http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23168840-2761,00.html "PerthNow - WA considers new high speed train"] ", February 6, 2008. Accessed 6 February, 2008.]

Fleet

Current fleet

* 43 two-car first-generation A-series EMU sets
* 5 two-car second-generation A-series EMU sets
* 31 three-car B-series EMU sets

A-series EMU

The A-series electric multiple-unit railcar sets are two-car trains with a driver’s cab at each end. They were built in Maryborough, Queensland by Walkers, (which is now EDi Rail) and ABB, which had become part of ADtranz by the time the second generation were built.

The A-series sets were a very important part of the electrification of Perth’s suburban railway system in the early 1990s and the Joondalup Line, which was a being constructed in the same period. The first ever A-series EMU was delivered on September 1, 1990. Originally, only 43 A-series trains were ordered and delivered, but because patronage became so high since the Joondalup Line had much higher patronage levels then estimated, another 5 A-series trains were ordered. These were known as second generation A-series trains, and they were delivered in 1998. They are slightly different from the first generation sets, with LED screens in the train and other upgrades to security and accessibility. Two-car A-series sets can be coupled together to make trains of four or six cars.

Specifications
* Builder: ABB/ADTranz and Walkers
* Gauge: 1067mm - narrow gauge
* Top speed: 110 km/h
* Passengers: 156
* Fleet numbers: 1 – 48

B-series EMU

Introduced in to service in October 2004, the B-series are the newest electric trains to operate in Perth. They were built by EDi Rail and Bombardier Transportation (the new owners of ADtranz) in Maryborough, Queensland, and operate on the new Mandurah Line and the existing Joondalup Line.

Unlike the A-series, the B-series has three cars to a set. The powered ‘A’ and ‘B’ cars each have a driver’s cab at one end, while the central ‘T’ car is entirely devoted to passengers, and supplies power from overhead lines to the powered cars. The B-series trains can operate as the single three-car set, or be coupled together to make trains of six or nine cars. B-series trains can reach a top speed of 130 km/h.

On September 19 2006 the Premier of Western Australia, Alan Carpenter, announced that the Public Transport Authority will purchase another 15 new 3-car sets from the EDI Rail-Bombardier Transportation joint venture. The extra B Series railcar sets are expected to arrive from mid 2009 and allow the 12 two-car, A1/2 series railcar sets currently being used on the Perth-Clarkson line, to increase total capacity by 3,900 passengers, or more than 30 per cent, for the Armadale-Perth and Midland-Fremantle services.

Specifications
* Builder: EDi Rail and Bombardier Transportation
* Gauge: 1067mm - narrow gauge
* Top speed: 130 km/h
* Passengers: about 700
* Fleet numbers: 49–79Soon the fleets will be from 49–94.

Past fleet

Diesel multiple units

Transperth used to operate ADK- and ADL-class diesel multiple units, until New Zealand Rail Limited bought them in 1993. The units remain in service today on Auckland’s commuter network, but will be retired once electrification of the urban rail system in that city.

Depots

Transperth trains run from two depots:
*Nowergup Depot, which is in Nowergup, past Clarkson. This depot is used to store and clean mainly B series trains.
*Claisebrook Depot, which is next to Claisebrook. This depot is used to store and clean mainly A series trains.
*A smaller depot at Mandurah has been constructed to store primarily B series trains.

Currambine Station, until its relocation to the middle of the Mitchell Freeway reserve in 2004, had a small cleaning and overnight storage facility designed to hold up to four two-car sets.

Lines

Transperth runs five train lines with one spur line. These lines are:
* , which goes in a south-east direction to Armadale. The Transwa Australind continues along the same track to Bunbury. A spur line to Thornlie station opened on 8th August 2005.
*, which goes in a westerly direction towards Fremantle. Major stations include Subiaco and Claremont.
*, which goes in a northern direction, in the middle of the Mitchell Freeway reserve, before moving eastward near Eddystone Avenue through to Joondalup, then returning to the Mitchell Freeway reserve and contuining towards Clarkson. The line then continues currently as a single track to the Nowergup Depot. When trains on the Joondalup Line arrive at Perth Station, they connect to the Mandurah Line. Future expansion plans provide for the extension of the line to Butler then Alkimos.
*, which goes east towards Midland. Transwa services diverge and continue to Kalgoorlie (the Prospector) and to Merredin (the Avonlink).
*, which goes in a southward direction, in the middle of the Kwinana Freeway reserve until the suburb of Kwinana, then curving south-west towards the suburb of Rockingham and then south to Mandurah. When trains on the Mandurah Line arrive at Perth Station, they connect to the Joondalup Line.

All of the above services except the Transwa Prospector and Transwa Avonlink run on narrow-gauge tracks. The Prospector and Avonlink run on standard-gauge tracks and takes the same route as the Midland line services. Consequently the track between East Perth and Midland is dual gauge.

References

External links

* [http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/ http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/] (official site)