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Mandurah line
Suburban rail line in Perth, Western Australia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Mandurah line, also known as the Southern Suburbs Railway or the South West Metropolitan Railway, is a suburban railway line and service in Western Australia, linking Perth's central business district (CBD) with Mandurah to the south. Operated by the Public Transport Authority (PTA) as part of the Transperth system, the Mandurah line is 70.8 kilometres (44.0 mi) long and has thirteen stations. It commences as a through service with the Yanchep line in the William Street tunnel under the CBD, where two stations are. South from there, the line enters the median strip of the Kwinana Freeway, where five of the line's stations are. The line diverges from the freeway for the southernmost six stations in the cities of Kwinana, Rockingham and Mandurah.
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Planning for the Mandurah line commenced during the construction of the Yanchep line in the early 1990s. By the late 1990s, the plan was for the Mandurah line to branch off the Armadale line at Kenwick and follow the Kwinana freight railway to reach the Kwinana Freeway. After the election of a Labor government at the 2001 state election, the planned route was changed to go via a tunnel under the CBD instead. Commencing in February 2004, the Mandurah line's construction was divided into seven major contract packages. The construction of the William Street tunnel was particularly difficult due to labour strikes and contract disputes.
The Mandurah line was designed similarly to the Yanchep line, using widely spaced stations with bus interchanges and large park-and-rides. Originally planned to open between Perth and Warnbro station in 2006 and between Warnbro and Mandurah in 2007, the William Street tunnel opened on 15 October 2007 and the rest of the line opened on 23 December 2007. Two infill stations have opened since: Aubin Grove on 23 April 2017 and Lakelands on 11 June 2023; two more have been proposed: South Perth and Karnup. In June 2025, the Thornlie–Cockburn Link is planned to open, connecting the Thornlie line to the Mandurah line at Cockburn Central station via the route originally proposed for the Mandurah line.
B-series and C-series trains are the main rolling stock used on the Mandurah line, with A-series trains formerly commonly used as well. Trains run at a fifteen minute headway, reducing to as low as a five minute headway in peak, with some services terminating at Cockburn Central during peak. The travel time from Perth to Mandurah is 54 minutes. The line has significantly exceeded patronage expectations, reaching a high of 23,075,517 boardings in the 2024–25 financial year, making it the busiest line in the Transperth system.
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History
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Route planning
In February 1989, ahead of the state election that year and amidst planning for the Northern Suburbs Railway, now known as the Yanchep line, the state government announced that it was investigating building a railway line to Rockingham or Mandurah. Later that year, the South West Rapid Transit Study was formed with a steering committee consisting of people from the Department of Transport, Main Roads Department, Department of Planning and Urban Development, Transperth, and Westrail. The committee released a report in 1990 outlining two route options: an extension of the Fremantle line or a branch off the Armadale line at Kenwick.[1] The premier of Western Australia, Carmen Lawrence, announced in February 1992 that the Fremantle option had been chosen.[2][3] It was announced that the Fremantle to Rockingham section would open in 1996 and the Rockingham to Mandurah section would open five years later. Legislation to build the railway was introduced to the Parliament of Western Australia later that year.[4]
Following the 1993 state election, the new Liberal government deferred the construction of the railway to Mandurah, but continued planning.[5] The railway's route was reserved in the Metropolitan Region Scheme in December 1994.[6] Ahead of the 1996 state election, Labor leader Geoff Gallop committed to building a railway line to Mandurah by 2005.[7] He later promised to construct a railway line from Fremantle to Rockingham within four years, which would be extended to Mandurah if Labor won a second term in government.[8] Transport Minister Eric Charlton instead promised the line would branch off the Armadale line at Kenwick.[9]
Kenwick route
In August 1997, the Liberal government commissioned a master plan for a railway line to Mandurah via Kenwick.[10][11] The South West Metropolitan Railway Master Plan was released in March 1999. It laid out the route of the Mandurah line and works proposed to occur.[12][13][14] There were to be stations at Thornlie, Nicholson Road, Canning Vale (later renamed Ranford Road), South Lake, Thomsons Lake (later renamed Cockburn Central), Thomas Road (later renamed Kwinana), Leda (later renamed Wellard), one or two stations in Rockingham, Waikiki (later renamed Warnbro), and Mandurah, with several more stations in between for the future.[15] Between Warnbro and Mandurah, the line was planned to only have a single track, allowing for a maximum frequency of two trains per hour to Mandurah.[16][17] In 2000, the plan for that section was changed to double track at an additional cost of $20 million.[18][19] The line was planned to open between Kenwick and Thomsons Lake in 2005, and be extended to Rockingham and Mandurah in 2006.[20]
Proposed alternate routes for the Mandurah line through Rockingham. The route actually constructed is in orange.
Three options for the railway's route through Rockingham were given in the master plan. Two options were via the Rockingham city centre, the first having a 2.25-kilometre (1.40 mi) tunnel and the second having a 1.40-kilometre (0.87 mi) tunnel,[21] each with a station in the city centre and at Ennis Avenue.[22] The third option was for the railway to run along Rockingham's outskirts, bypassing the city centre. This option had one station at Dixon Road.[23] The costs for the three options were $143 million, $107 million and $31 million respectively.[21][24] The City of Rockingham was strongly in favour of the first two options,[25] but trains travelling through Rockingham would take an additional five minutes for the first two options and demand modelling projected that patronage would be similar for all three options.[26] Two weeks after the master plan was released, a task force was formed to meet with members of the Rockingham community and receive submissions.[27] Out of nine thousand written submissions, ninety-three percent supported running the railway through the city centre.[28] In October 2000, the state government announced that a route through the Rockingham city centre had been chosen.[29][30]
Upgrades along the Armadale line would have been necessary, due to short station spacing and level crossings.[31] Lathlain and Welshpool stations were to be closed, and Carlisle and Victoria Park stations were to be rebuilt and relocated, in part to fill the gap left by the closure of Lathlain station.[32] Perth, Oats Street, Queens Park and Beckenham stations were to be upgraded as well.[33] Several road and pedestrian level crossings were to be grade separated.[34]
Excluding Rockingham, three short tunnels were required for this route, which were constructed ahead of time. The two tunnels for the railway to enter and exit the Kwinana Freeway median strip, at Glen Iris and Anketell, were constructed for $30 million as part of a project to upgrade and extend the freeway.[35][36][37] The northbound freeway carriageway between Kwinana and Jandakot was also moved 10 metres (33 ft) west so that there was space in the median strip for the railway line.[36][37] In Kenwick, a tunnel was constructed as part of the extension of Roe Highway and realignment of Albany Highway.[35][38]
State Parliament passed the Railway (Northern and Southern Urban Extensions) Bill in November 1999, authorising the construction of the railway to Mandurah and extension of the Joondalup line to Clarkson and Butler.[39][40] A new master plan with revisions was released in April 2000,[41] and June 2000, the South West Metropolitan Railway project and the Joondalup line extension to Clarkson were brought together into one project, known as the Perth Urban Rail Development Project.[42][43] In October 2000, the funding arrangements were decided, which allowed for the planned opening date to be brought forward to 2004 for Kenwick to Thomsons Lake and 2005 for the full line to Mandurah. The privatisation of AlintaGas would provide $300 million, a railcar lease would provide $398 million, and the remaining $449 million would be funded by government debt.[44][45]
Direct route
When in opposition, the Labor Party opposed the Kenwick route and wanted the railway to be an extension of the Fremantle line.[46][47][48] Murdoch University professor Peter Newman also criticised the route for not going via Fremantle,[49] but by 1999, had changed to advocating for a direct route along the Kwinana Freeway between Perth and Jandakot.[50] Labor came around to supporting the Kenwick route by 2000, due to not wanting to be seen as too critical.[51] The following year, Labor was elected to government, and in July 2001, the new Cabinet approved changing the Mandurah line from the Kenwick route to the direct route along the Kwinana Freeway. This involved a tunnel to bring the line through the CBD. The main advantage of this route was that it made for a shorter and more direct journey from Mandurah to Perth, reducing the journey time by twelve minutes. It also allowed for a station near Murdoch University and at the southern side of the Perth CBD, but was more expensive, requiring parts of the original plan to be cut. To make use of the already-built Kenwick tunnel, the Thornlie line was to be built as a one-station spur off the Armadale line. The Mandurah line's opening date was extended by a year, but the government committed to the cost not exceeding that of the Kenwick route.[52][53]
The master plan for the new route was released in August 2002. There were to be stations at William Street (later renamed Perth Underground), Esplanade (later renamed (Elizabeth Quay), Canning Bridge, Leach Highway (later renamed Bull Creek), South Street (later renamed Murdoch), Thomsons Lake (later renamed Cockburn Central), Thomas Road (later renamed Kwinana), Rockingham, Waikiki (later renamed Warnbro), and Mandurah.[54][55] South Lake station (at Berrigan Drive) was removed to save $6 million.[56] Leda station was funded but not planned for construction initially due to the lack of nearby suburban development;[57] the station, now known as Wellard, was later brought forward to be constructed with the rest of the line.[58][59] The upgrades to the Armadale line between Perth and Kenwick were scaled back.[60] The planned opening dates were December 2006 for Perth to Waikiki, and December 2007 for Waikiki to Mandurah.[61]
To ensure costs remained within that of the Kenwick route, the diversion through the Rockingham city centre was cancelled, resulting in strong criticism from the mayor of Rockingham.[53][62][63] Rockingham station was relocated to be at the intersection of Ennis Avenue and Rae Road, closer to the Rockingham city centre than the 1999 master plan.[57] To link the station to the Rockingham city centre and foreshore, the Rockingham City Centre Transit System was proposed. After guided buses and light rail were considered,[64][65] a bus service, partially along a dedicated transitway, was chosen in 2004.[66]
Detailed planning and construction
The construction of the Southern Suburbs Railway was divided into eight contract packages. This allowed for works on the freeway and bridges to begin before other parts of the project were finalised and for smaller businesses to be awarded contracts.[67] All the packages were managed by New MetroRail, with the exception of Package E, which was managed by Main Roads Western Australia.[68] The eight packages are as follows:
State Parliament passed the Railway (Jandakot to Perth) Bill in November 2002 to authorise the Jandakot to Perth section.[69][70][71] To secure the support of the Greens and defeat an opposition motion for the bill to be sent to a parliamentary committee, the government committed to building South Perth station by 2010.[72][73] Public comments for the environmental review began soon thereafter.[69][70] The Environmental Protection Authority recommended to the minister for the environment, that the South West Metropolitan Railway be approved.[74] The minister, Judy Edwards, approved the project in November 2003. As part of the environmental approval, fauna underpasses were required to be built within Leda Nature Reserve and Rockingham Lakes Regional Park.[75][76]
Tunnelling
The Perth City Rail Advisory Committee was formed in October 2001 in response to controversy over the route through the Perth CBD.[77] The committee released its report in March 2002, detailing three main route options: a western route via the Mitchell Freeway, a central route via a tunnel under William Street, and an eastern route via a longer tunnel further east. The committee recommended the eastern route, but the government ruled that out due to its cost.[78] The committee was re-established to reconsider the two remaining route options in more detail.[79] In May, it recommended the William Street route,[80] which was approved by Cabinet in June.[81]
Expressions of interest for Package F were called for in March 2003[82] and closed in April 2003. Five consortia submitted expressions of interest:[83]
- CityConnect (Clough–McConnell Dowell–Obayashi JV)
- Bilfinger Berger–Baulderstone Hornibrook
- Leighton–Kumagai Gumi Team
- Multiplex–John Holland–Tyco Group
- Henry Walker Eltin–Bouygues JV[83]
CityConnect and the Leighton–Kumagai Gumi Team were shortlisted in May 2003,[84][85] and in November 2003, the Leighton–Kumagai Gumi Team was selected as the preferred proponent.[86][87] The following month, the contract was approved by Cabinet, with a $100 million cost increase announced as well, taking the cost of the Southern Suburbs Railway to $1.059 billion.[88][89] In February 2004, the contract was signed for $324.5 million.[90][91]
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A ceremony was held on 26 February 2004 for the start of preliminary drilling and surveying, which was the first physical work done for the Southern Suburbs Railway.[92][93][94] Demolition of buildings to make way for the William Street station began in April 2004.[95] The start of tunnelling was delayed by technical issues with the tunnel boring machine (TBM).[96][97] Tunnelling from Esplanade station began on 25 October 2005.[67][97] Initially expected to reach William Street station before Christmas,[96] the first phase of tunnelling was delayed by technical issues and industrial action,[98][99] which led to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission issuing a strike ban for the remainder of the project in December 2005.[100][101] Over 400 workers nonetheless went on strike for twelve days in February and March 2006.[102][103][104] Tunnelling was also paused for several weeks in April and May 2006 due to a dispute between the contractors and the Public Transport Authority regarding insurance.[105][106][107] The TBM reached William Street station on 7 February 2006,[67][108] and on 3 June 2006, it reached the Roe Street dive structure.[67][109][110] The TBM reached William Street station for the second time on 31 August 2006[111] and reached the Roe Street dive structure on 24 October 2006, marking the end of tunnelling.[67][112][113]
107 workers were prosecuted for violating the strike ban,[114][115] of which eighty-seven were fined up to $10,000.[116][117] Leighton filed several writs against the Public Transport Authority in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, regarding a dispute over the contract's rise and fall provisions,[118] the cost of disposing of contaminated soil, an extension of the practical completion deadline,[119] and the cost of dewatering.[120] All legal action ended with a $43.675 million settlement in May 2009, bringing the total cost of the City Project to $439.3 million, excluding legal fees.[121][122] Leighton also reached two settlements with the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, worth millions of dollars in total.[123][124]
Kwinana Freeway roadworks
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Package E was for the alterations to the Kwinana Freeway between the CBD and Glen Iris, including strengthening the existing Narrows Bridge for the northbound tracks and adding a parallel bridge for the southbound tracks, widening and strengthening Mount Henry Bridge, earthworks for Bull Creek and Murdoch stations, realigning and reconstructing the freeway ramps and intersections at Leach Highway and South Street, replacing a bus on ramp at Canning Bridge station, and realigning the freeway carriageways.[83][125] Works were not required south of Glen Iris as this was done as part of the Kwinana Freeway upgrade earlier.[126] This package was the only one managed by Main Roads Western Australia rather than New MetroRail.[68]
By May 2003, two consortia had been shortlisted: Thiess Barclay Mowlem Joint Venture and Leighton Contractors.[83] As Thiess was a subsidiary of Leighton, concerns about a lack of competition in the tender process were raised, but MacTiernan said that a lack of contractors that could do the work left the government with no choice but to accept the bids.[127] Leighton was selected as the preferred proponent in October 2003[125][128] and the contract was approved in December 2003 for $99.1 million. This coincided with an announcement that the planned commencement of services to Mandurah had been brought forward to the end of 2006.[88] The contract was signed the following month.[129][130]
Before the Mandurah line was built, the Narrows Bridge, which crosses the Swan River, consisted of two parallel bridges with bus lanes as the innermost lane of each bridge. The older, southbound bridge was too weak and did not have enough room for railway tracks, so a third bridge was built in between the two bridges for the southbound Mandurah line track. This was built using precast concrete beams which were craned into position.[131][132] The first four beams were lifted into place by October 2005,[133] and by April 2006, the bridge was complete.[134] The northbound bridge had to be strengthened to carry the northbound track as well.[131][132]
For the Mount Henry Bridge, which crosses the Canning River, the original plan was for extra lanes to be added to both its west and east sides and for the middle lanes to be used for the railway, but Leighton proposed constructing a single standalone bridge on the western side,[131][135] saving $17 million.[135] Construction at the Mount Henry Bridge began in May 2004.[67] The new bridge opened on 22–23 January 2006, allowing work on the rail corridor to begin on the original bridge. The new bridge was 15 metres (49 ft) wide, 660 metres (2,170 ft) long, and was constructed using the incremental launch method.[135][136]
To enable the Mandurah line to exit the freeway and enter the William Street tunnel at its northern end, a bridge was built for the southbound Mitchell Freeway carriageway. This was done from the top down, allowing three lanes to remain open at all times.[137] Package E was completed in June 2006.[138]
Railway construction
Package A involved civil works, drainage, track construction, and construction of the overhead line equipment, as well as earthworks for stations between Cockburn Central and Mandurah. By May 2003, four consortia had pre-qualified to tender for Package A:[83]
- ConnectWest (Queensland Rail and BGC Contracting)
- Leighton Downer MVM (Leighton Contractors, Works Infrastructure and MVM Rail)
- RailLink Joint Venture (John Holland, Macmahon Contractors and Multiplex Constructions)
- Thiess Barclay Mowlem (Thiess and Barclay Mowlem)[83]
In addition to Package E, concerns about a lack of competition were raised for Package A, as John Holland and Thiess were subsidiaries of Leighton Contractors, meaning three out of the four bids involved Leighton.[127] ConnectWest withdrew during the tender period. RailLink Joint Venture was announced as the preferred proponent in December 2003[139][140] and awarded the contract in May 2004 for $310 million.[141][142][143]
Track laying began on 16 March 2006, starting from RailLink's temporary depot in Hillman.[67][144][145] For the most part, a track laying machine was used, which could lay 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) of track per day.[144][145][146] The machine started by laying track north from Hillman to Roe Highway, then south from Hillman to Gordon Road in Mandurah, then north from Roe Highway to the Narrows Bridge. The track south of Gordon Road and north of the Narrows Bridge was not laid by the machine.[137][146] By the end of 2006, track laying was complete.[67][147] Due to a delay caused by the late completion of other packages, the Public Transport Authority reached a $21.8 million settlement with RailLink in June 2006.[148][149][150]
Station construction
The nine stations between Canning Bridge and Mandurah were grouped into three packages. In September 2003, the state government called for expressions of interest for the three station packages.[151][152] The Package D contract, which was for Canning Bridge, Bull Creek and Murdoch stations, was awarded to John Holland for $32 million in November 2004.[153][154][155] In March 2005, the Package B contract, which was for Cockburn Central, Kwinana and Wellard stations, was awarded to a joint venture between DORIC Constructions and Brierty Contractors for $32 million.[156][157] Package C was divided into two contracts, which were awarded in June 2005 for a total of $38 million. The contract for Rockingham and Warnbro stations was awarded to the DORIC Brierty Joint Venture and the contract for Mandurah station was awarded to JM and ED Moore.[158][159]
By the end of 2005, construction had begun on most stations.[160] Cockburn Central, Kwinana, Wellard and Mandurah stations reached practical completion in January or February 2007, Rockingham and Warnbro stations reached practical completion in March or April, and Canning Bridge, Bull Creek and Murdoch stations reached practical completion in June 2007.[138][67]
Other
Package G was for a new train control system for the Southern Suburbs Railway and the existing network, which used a system installed in 1989. The contract for that was awarded to Union Switch & Signal in July 2003 for $10.6 million.[161] The new system was launched on 4 July 2005.[162]
Cost blowouts and opening
In April 2005, MacTiernan claimed that the Southern Suburbs Railway would be completed on time and on budget, despite the ongoing industrial problems.[163] Later that month, she revealed that the opening date had been delayed from December 2006 to April 2007 due to delays on the City Project as a result of heritage protection works at Perth Underground station, engineering challenges on the foreshore, and industrial disputes, which had also caused a delay for Package A's track laying. A $45 million blowout in the project's budget contingency was also revealed, due to the last two station contracts costing more than estimated.[164][165] A further delay to July 2007 was announced in April 2006, along with a $50 million blowout in the budget contigency due to claims made by Leighton–Kumagai and RailLink.[166][167][168] In May 2007, it was announced that the July opening date would not be met and that it was unknown what the new opening date was.[169] A completion date of November was given in June 2007.[170] Another $50 million cost blowout was revealed in September 2007, bringing the total cost of New MetroRail to $1.66 billion.[120][171][172] The 2009–10[173] and the 2010–11 state budgets revealed further cost increases, making the final cost of New MetroRail $1.725 billion,[174] which is regarded as significantly lower than the cost of other rail infrastructure projects in Australia.[175][176][177]
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The first train ran through the William Street tunnel in August 2007.[67][178][179] The City Project reached practical completion in September 2007 and was handed over to the PTA on 10 September.[138][180] From 7 October to 14 October, the Fremantle line was fully closed and the Joondalup line was closed south of Leederville station so that the William Street tunnel's tracks, signalling, electrical, and communications systems could be connected to the rest of the network.[67][181] Perth Underground and Esplanade stations opened on 15 October 2007.[182][183][184]
A test train ran between Perth and Rockingham on 9 November 2007, the first train south of the Narrows Bridge.[185][186][187] The success of the test train allowed for the line's opening date of 23 December 2007 to be announced the following day. Driver training was scheduled to begin on 19 November.[188][189] A public ballot was held for people to win a ticket to ride the inaugural train.[190] The line was opened on 23 December by Premier Alan Carpenter and Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Alannah MacTiernan.[191][192][193]
After opening
Within weeks of the line opening, parking at several stations was at capacity, causing many people to park illegally.[194]
Infill stations
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Provision was made for infill stations at South Perth,[195] Berrigan Drive, Russell Road / Gibbs Road, Rowley Road, Anketell Road, Challenger Avenue,[196] Stakehill Road, Paganoni Road, Lakelands, and Gordon Road.[60] The 2002 master plan justified not building South Perth station along with the rest of the Mandurah line as the station would receive low patronage due to the existing bus and ferry services being attractive and there being little opportunity to provide car parking.[195] Later that year though, the government committed to constructing the station by 2010 to receive the support of the Greens in passing the Railway (Jandakot to Perth) Bill.[72][73] During the Mandurah line's construction, the southbound freeway carriageway was relocated in the vicinity of Richardson Street to create room for South Perth station.[197] Following the 2008 state election, the opening of South Perth station was deferred until 2013,[198] and in 2009, the station was deferred indefinitely after being left out of the state budget.[199] Since then, the City of South Perth has advocated for the station to be built.[200][201][202][203] In 2017, the mayor of South Perth claimed that the station would receive 4,500 to 5,500 boardings per day by 2026.[204]
In August 2012, the government announced that Aubin Grove station would be built at Russell Road / Gibbs Road, with a budget of $80 million.[205][206][207] This followed a commitment two months earlier by Opposition Leader Mark McGowan to built the station if Labor were to win the upcoming state election.[208][209] An early contractor involvement model was used for Aubin Grove station. Georgiou Group was selected as the construction contractor in February 2015 for $57 million;[210] the contract was signed in late 2015.[211] The remaining $23 million in the budget was for railcar acquisition.[210] Construction began in March 2016[212] and the station opened on 23 April 2017.[213][214][215]
In 2015, McGowan committed to building Karnup station at Paganoni Road if he became premier.[216][217] After Labor won the 2017 state election, planning commenced for Karnup station.[218] In the same year, several public figures, including Mandurah Mayor Marina Vergone and federal Liberal MP Andrew Hastie, whose seat of Canning included Lakelands but not Karnup, began lobbying for Lakelands station to be built instead of Karnup station.[218][219] By July 2019, the federal government had committed $35 million for Lakelands station, which Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said was not enough for the state government to build the station.[220][221] In November 2019 though, after the federal government had committed $64 million, or 80 percent of the station's $80 million cost, the state government deferred Karnup station and committed to Lakelands station instead.[222][223][224] The contract to build Lakelands station was awarded to ADCO Constructions in January 2021.[225][226] Early works commenced in August 2021[227][228] and Lakelands station opened on 11 June 2023, the final cost $8 million under budget.[229][230][231] As of 2025, the state government still claims to be committed to building Karnup station.[232]
Thornlie–Cockburn Link
Extending the Thornlie line, as it was known at the time, from Thornlie to Cockburn Central, thereby completing the original route for the Mandurah line, was another commitment made by the Labor Party ahead of the 2017 state election.[233][234] The NEWest Alliance, a joint venture between CPB Contractors and Downer, was awarded the contract in December 2019,[235][236] and by the middle of 2020, construction was underway.[237] The Glen Iris tunnel, originally constructed in 2000 for the Mandurah line's original route, was used by the Thornlie–Cockburn line to enter the Kwinana Freeway median strip to reach Cockburn Central.[238] Cockburn Central had its platform extended to the north to create a new "dock-style platform", allowing the Thornlie–Cockburn line to remain operationally separate from the Mandurah line.[239]
From 26 December 2021 to 14 January 2022, the Mandurah line was shut down between Elizabeth Quay and Aubin Grove stations to facilitate works on the Thornlie–Cockburn Link.[240][241][242] A temporary bus station opened in the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre to handle train replacement bus services.[240][243] This was the longest planned shutdown of a railway line in Perth's history at the time and was done to relocate 3 kilometres (2 mi) of tracks between Cockburn Central station and the Glen Iris tunnel to make way for the Thornlie–Cockburn line tracks.[240][244] A second major shutdown of the Mandurah line occurred between 26 December 2022 and 3 January 2023 for the installation of turnouts linking the Thornlie–Cockburn line with the Mandurah line, communication and signalling equipment, overhead line equipment, and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) of rail.[245][246] The Thornlie–Cockburn Link opened on 8 June 2025, with a final cost of $1.35 billion.[247][248][249]
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Description
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Perspective
The Mandurah line was built with 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge track.[250] Trains are powered by 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line equipment[251] powered by substations at Sutherland Street in West Perth, Glen Iris, and Parklands near Mandurah.[252]: 130 The line is designed for a maximum speed of 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph), however the trains are only designed for 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) speeds.[250] The line uses automatic train protection and is signalled to allow for headways as low as three minutes using fixed block signalling.[253] As part of the High Capacity Signalling Project, the signalling system will be replaced by a moving block system using communications-based train control (CBTC), allowing for higher frequencies.[254][255] As of 2021, the CBTC system is planned to be implemented on the Mandurah and Yanchep lines by June 2029.[256]
Route
The Mandurah line runs from Perth Underground station in the north to Mandurah station in the south, a distance of 70.8 kilometres (44.0 mi). North of Perth Underground station, the line continues as the Yanchep line.[252] Trains in the William Street tunnel between Perth Underground and Elizabeth Quay stations are considered to be part of the Yanchep line and Mandurah line simultaneously.[257]
South from Perth Underground station, the Mandurah line runs through a 0.6-kilometre (0 mi) tunnel to Elizabeth Quay station, before surfacing, entering the Kwinana Freeway's median strip, and crossing the Swan River via the Narrows Bridge at the 1.9-kilometre (1.2 mi) mark. South of the Narrows Bridge, the Mandurah line continues south along the Kwinana Freeway median strip, crossing the Canning River on the Mount Henry Bridge at the 10.1-kilometre (6.3 mi) mark. There are five stations along the Kwinana Freeway. They are, from north to south, Canning Bridge, Bull Creek, Murdoch, Cockburn Central, and Aubin Grove. At Cockburn Central station, the Mandurah line connects to the Thornlie–Cockburn line. South of Cockburn Central station are two turnback sidings for trains to change direction.[252][258]
Near Kwinana, at approximately 31.5 kilometres (19.6 mi), the Mandurah line exits the Kwinana Freeway and veers to the southwest via the Anketell tunnel. Southwest from there, the line has six stations: Kwinana, Wellard, Rockingham, Warnbro, Lakelands, and Mandurah. At Rockingham station, the Mandurah line veers southwards to parallel Ennis Avenue for a few kilometres. North of Mandurah station, the line travels through the Mandjoogoordap Drive median strip. At Mandurah station is the Mandurah railcar depot.[252][258]
Stations
The Mandurah line spans seven fare zones.[259] All stations on the Mandurah line are fully accessible[260] and have a bus interchange.[257]
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Service
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Perspective
Transperth train services are operated by the Public Transport Authority's Transperth Train Operations division.[261] Mandurah line headways reach as low as five minutes during peak, increasing to fifteen minutes outside peak and on weekends, and half-an-hour to an hour at night. During peak, some trains terminate or commence at Cockburn Central station. The travel time from Perth Underground station to Mandurah station is 54 minutes. On weeknights, the last train arrives at Mandurah station at 1:11 am and the first train departs at 4:35 am. On Saturday and Sunday nights, the last train arrives at Mandurah station 3:09 am and the first train departs at 5:02 am on Saturdays and 6:25 am on Sundays.[259]
During events at Perth Stadium, additional services run from Mandurah to Perth Stadium station and vice versa via the Thornlie–Cockburn line.[262]
Before January 2016, express services operated on the Mandurah line during peak periods to manage overcrowding. The introduction of more B-series sets allowed for most trains during peak to be six cars long, which increased capacity and allowed for all services to stop at all stations from 31 January 2016 onwards.[263][264] Before then, some peak trains skipped Canning Bridge station.[265][266] Before June 2009, services terminating at Cockburn Central operated off-peak as well, making for 7½-minute headways between Perth and Cockburn Central during the day.[267][268] These services were withdrawn to save money.[269][270][271]
From 2031, peak frequencies on the Mandurah line are planned to reach 18 trains per hour, which will be made possible by C-series trains having three doors per car, which reduces dwell times compared to B-series trains, and the communications-based train control signalling upgrade.[272]
Rolling stock
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The main rolling stock used on the Mandurah line are Transperth B-series and C-series trains, with A-series trains sometimes used. The A-series trains entered service between 1991 and 1999, have a maximum speed of 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph), and consist of two cars which are usually joined to form four-car trains. Each car has two doors on each side.[273] The B-series trains entered service between 2004 and 2019,[274] have a maximum speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph), and consist of three cars which are usually joined to form six-car trains. Each car has two doors per side.[275] The C-series trains have been entering service since 2024, have a maximum speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph), and consist of six cars with three doors on the side of each car.[272]
In May 2002, the government signed a contract with EDI Rail and Bombardier Transportation for the construction of Nowergup depot at the northern end of the Joondalup line and the delivery and maintenance of thirty-one three car B-series trains to be used on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines.[276][277] Those trains were all delivered by June 2006.[137] The government ordered fifteen additional B-series trains in December 2006.[278][279][280] The first of the additional railcars entered service in June 2009, allowing for some A-series trains to be transferred to other lines.[269] In July 2011, a further fifteen B-series trains were ordered.[281][282] This order eventually increased to twenty-two.[283][284] The first of these trains entered service in December 2013. By the end of that order, all A-series trains had been transferred to other lines and almost every peak hour train on the Mandurah line was six-cars long.[285]
In December 2019, the government signed a contract with Alstom for the delivery and maintenance of forty-one C-series trains[286][287] to replace the A-series trains and provide the rolling stock required for network expansions. The C-series trains have three doors on the side of each car, decreasing dwell times.[272] The first C-series train entered service on the Mandurah and Joondalup lines on 8 April 2024.[288][289][290] The C-series trains are planned to only be used on the Yanchep and Mandurah lines initially, with B-series trains transferred to other lines to replace the retiring A-series trains.[272]
Most trains on the Mandurah line are stored and cleaned at Nowergup depot. There is also Mandurah depot, which can store and clean a smaller number of trains. Maintenance occurs at Nowergup depot. As a result of increasing train frequency, a new depot may be required in the future along the Mandurah line.[256]: 96
Patronage
Patronage on the Mandurah line has exceeded expectations and has also driven increases in usage on other train lines and bus routes by extending the network's overall reach.[291][292] The 2002 master plan projected there would be 24,950 passengers per weekday upon opening in 2006.[293] The projection was later increased to 50,000 passengers per weekday.[191][193] By February 2008, the Mandurah line's average number of boardings were 30,000 per weekday and 15,000 per weekend day.[294] By March, patronage had reached over 40,000 boardings per weekday,[295] and by July, nearly 50,000 boardings per weekday, reaching the revised target quicker than expected. Boardings across the whole train network had increased by 57 percent since the Mandurah line opened, from 115,000 to 180,000 per day.[296] Over the first half of 2008, the Mandurah line made up 28 percent of all fare-paying boardings,[297] and over the whole of 2008, the Mandurah line had approximately 15,000,000 boardings,[298] beating the Joondalup line to become the busiest Transperth railway line. The PTA's chief executive officer Reece Waldock described the Mandurah line as a "victim of its own success" due to overcrowding and full car parks. He attributed the higher-than-expected patronage to three factors: a resources boom in Western Australia at the time, an increase in fuel prices, and people conscious of their impact on climate change.[297]
The Mandurah line reached an initial peak of 21,150,408 boardings in 2012–13 before a period of stagnation.[299] Patronage declined the following financial year due to shutdowns caused by the Perth City Link and economic factors,[300] but slightly increased in the year next. In 2015–16 and 2016–17, patronage declined again,[299] but then increased over the following two years, reaching 20,900,819 in 2018–19 due to a rebound in Western Australia's economy.[299][301] The COVID-19 pandemic's onset in 2020 resulted in a massive decrease,[302] reaching a low of 14,357,888 boardings in 2021–22,[299] rebounding since then to reach a new record high of 23,075,517 boardings in 2024–25.[299][303]
The busiest stations on the Mandurah line as of 2013–14 are Perth Underground, Elizabeth Quay, Murdoch, Cockburn Central, Mandurah, and Bull Creek. The least busiest stations as of 2013–14 are Wellard, Kwinana, and Canning Bridge.[304] As of October 2017, Elizabeth Quay and Murdoch stations are the second and third busiest Transperth stations respectively.[305]
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