Midland railway line

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For the Midland Junction to Walkaway line south of Geraldton, see Midland railway line, Western Australia. For other uses, see Midland Railway (disambiguation).

Midland railway line
Overview
Other name(s)Midland line
StatusOperational
TerminiPerth
Midland
Stations15
Service
TypeSuburban rail
SystemTransperth
Operator(s)Transperth Trains
Depot(s)Claisebrook railway depot
Rolling stockTransperth A-series, Transperth B-series
History
Opened1881
Technical
Line length16.1 km (10.0 mi)
Route map
Legend
Continues to Fremantle line
000.0km Perth
Perth Southern Sidings
Moore St Crossing
000.9km McIver
Lord St Flyover
001.3km Claisebrook
00.0
00.0 Armadale/Thornlie line
00.0 Graham Farmer Freeway
001.9km East Perth
East Perth STD Gauge Platform spur
Lord St Subway
003.2km Mount Lawley
Third Avenue Bridge
Seventh Avenue Bridge
004.5km Maylands
Caledonian Avenue Crossing
005.5km Meltham
Railway Parade Bridge
Coode St/King William St Subway
006.7km Bayswater
Belmont line (closed 1955)
Katanning St Crossing
009.2km Ashfield
Collier Rd Crossing
Perth Rail Museum
Old Bassendean Sidings
010.8km Bassendean
Lord St Flyover
011.6km Success Hill
012.5km Guildford
West Swan Rd Crossing
014.0km East Guildford
Forrestfield Freight Spur
Devon St Crossing
015.5km Woodbridge
Amherst Rd Crossing
016.0km Midland
Freight line and regional rail continues
Transperth railway lines
Armadale/Thornlie
Fremantle
Joondalup
Mandurah
Midland
List of Transperth stations

The Midland railway line (officially branded as Midland Line) is a suburban railway line on the Transperth Trains network in Perth, Western Australia. It runs through Perth's eastern suburbs and connects Midland with Perth. Travelling from Midland, the trains terminate at Fremantle on the Fremantle line.

History[]

The line was a part of the first suburban railway line in Perth, opening on 1 March 1881. It originally operated as the Eastern Railway and ran between Fremantle and Guildford passing through Perth. The line was extended from Guildford to Chidlow's Well, opening in March 1884.[1]

Throughout the 1880s, the Eastern Railway line was extended beyond Guildford and Midland Junction along its first route to Chidlow and Northam. The second route varied after Bellevue proceeding to Chidlow. The third route saw the removal of the Bellevue Railway station in its construction, with the new Midland railway terminus replacing the older Midland Junction railway station.

An anomaly of the Midland line timetables in the 1950s and 1960s was that Bellevue was nominally the terminus of the line until 1962. Koongamia, which was a new station prior to Greenmount on the original first route, was the terminus from 1962 to 1966.

In 1966, the stations on the first two Eastern Railway routes as well as the old Midland Junction railway station were closed and the new Midland was constructed 200 metres to the west and became the new terminus.

Generally, changes from the 1970s saw a significant number of stations on the line moved or turned into island platform stations (to be compatible with the double track, dual-gauge track configuration between East Perth and Midland).

On 24 July 2004, Bassendean became the first station to be upgraded under the "Building Better Stations" project.

In the earlier decades of the twentieth century, a significant number of rail-crossing accidents between motor vehicles and trains occurred. Unattended crossings were provided with boom gates, flashing lights and bells to counter inattention or risk taking from drivers. Also, crossings were reduced, and in a number of locations, bridges were constructed.

In mid-February 2006, an express train heading from Midland to Perth was involved in an accident with a passenger car. Near Guildford, a tourist, unfamiliar with the road layout illegally turned right at a set of traffic lights onto the wrong side of the road crossing the railway. This lane was not protected on the oncoming side with a boom gate as it was a one-way lane. The train slammed into the vehicle, dragging it for a short distance. The accident resulted in the death of the car's driver, but no fatalities or reported injuries to the passenger and driver of the train.

Airport railway connection[]

In December 2013, the Government of Western Australia announced its intention to construct a railway line branching off the Midland line north of Bayswater to Forrestfield via Perth Airport.[2] Construction of the Forrestfield-Airport Link commenced in November 2016 and was scheduled to open in 2021.[3][4][5][6] However, it is now scheduled to open before mid 2022.

Morley–Ellenbrook line[]

The future Morley–Ellenbrook railway line is also due to be built as a branch from the Midland line northward after Bayswater station, due for completion in 2023–4.[7]

Patronage[]

Below is the annual patronage of Midland railway line 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.[8]

Midland railway line annual patronage
Year Patronage ±%
2010–11 6,319,788 —
2011–12 6,626,464 +4.85%
2012–13 6,688,843 +0.94%
2013–14 6,646,213 −0.64%
2014–15 6,661,434 +0.23%
2015–16 6,437,107 −3.37%
2016–17 6,143,986 −4.55%
2017–18 5,784,146 −5.86%
2018–19 5,994,370 +3.63%
2019–20 5,025,933 −16.16%
2020–21 4,407,653 −12.30%

Railway stations[]

Since 21 July 2019, all regular services stop at all stations on this line.

Station Distance from Perth[9] Fare zone[10] Suburbs served Opened Connections
km mi
Perth 0.0 0.0 1/FTZ Perth 1881 Bus transfers at Perth Busport
Train transfers to Australind, Armadale/Thornlie, Joondalup and Mandurah Lines
Services continue on the Fremantle Line
McIver 0.7 0.4 1/FTZ Perth 1989 Train transfers to the Armadale/Thornlie Line
Claisebrook 1.3 0.8 1/FTZ East Perth, Perth 1883 Train transfers to the Armadale/Thornlie Line
East Perth 2.1 1.3 1 East Perth, Perth 1969 Transfers to the AvonLink, MerredinLink, Prospector, Transwa coaches and Indian Pacific
Mount Lawley 3.2 2.0 1 Mount Lawley 1907
Maylands 4.5 2.8 1 Maylands 1896
Meltham 5.5 3.4 1 Bayswater 1948
Bayswater 6.8 4.2 1 Bayswater 1896 Bus transfers
Ashfield 9.3 5.8 2 Ashfield, Bassendean 1954
Bassendean 10.8 6.7 2 Bassendean 1910 Bus transfers
Success Hill 11.7 7.3 2 Bassendean 1960
Guildford 12.6 7.8 2 Guildford 1881
East Guildford 14.1 8.8 2 Guildford 1896
Woodbridge 15.4 9.6 2 Woodbridge 1903
Midland 16.1 10.0 2 Midland 1968 Bus transfers
Train transfers to the AvonLink, MerredinLink and Prospector

See also[]

Current information[]

Historical information[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Legislative Council - The Governor's Speech". The West Australian. 12 July 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  2. ^ Treasurer Troy Buswell says airport link could be built entirely underground ABC News 19 December 2013
  3. ^ Preferred respondent for new rail line announced Public Transport Authority 18 February 2016
  4. ^ Forrestfield airport rail link to be built by Italian firm ABC News 18 February 2016
  5. ^ "One-year delay for Perth Airport Link project after sinkhole strikes tunnel". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Perth Airport link delayed by one year after sinkhole". ABC News. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  7. ^ "WA fast-tracks $140 million of transport construction projects". Infrastructure Magazine. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Transperth patronage". Public Transport Authority. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  9. ^ "Manual – Rail Access" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. 30 August 2021. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Midland Line Train Timetable" (PDF). Transperth. Retrieved 14 August 2021.

Further reading[]

  • Watson, Lindsay The Railway History of Midland Junction: Commemorating The Centenary of Midland Junction, 1895-1995 Swan View, W.A: L & S Drafting in association with the Shire of Swan and the Western Australian Light Railway Preservation Association, 1995
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