Midland railway line

The Midland railway 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 and Fremantle.

Midland railway line
Overview
Other name(s)Midland line
StatusOperational
TerminiPerth Station
Midland Station
Service
TypeSuburban rail
SystemTransperth Trains
Operator(s)Transperth Trains
Depot(s)Claisebrook depot
Route map
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 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

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 was scheduled to commence in 2016, with the line opening in 2021.[3][4][5][6]

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
YearPatronage±%
2010–116,319,788
2011–126,626,464+4.85%
2012–136,688,843+0.94%
2013–146,646,213−0.64%
2014–156,661,434+0.23%
2015–166,437,107−3.37%
2016–176,143,986−4.55%
2017–185,784,146−5.86%
2018–195,994,370+3.63%
2019–205,025,933−16.16%

Railway stations

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

Midland line
Name of station Code Zone Serving suburbs Pattern stops at this station Connections
All
Perth MPH 1, FTZ Perth, Northbridge Through to Fremantle Line
Platform transfer to Armadale / Thornlie Line,
Joondalup Line and Mandurah Line
Transwa Australind service to Bunbury
Bus transfers at Perth Busport
McIver MMR 1, FTZ Perth, East Perth Armadale / Thornlie Line
Claisebrook MCK 1, FTZ East Perth Armadale / Thornlie Line
East Perth MEP 1 Perth, East Perth East Perth Passenger Terminal
Transwa Avonlink service to Merredin
Transwa Prospector service to Kalgoorlie
Indian Pacific to Adelaide and Sydney
Country and Interstate Coach Services
Mount Lawley MML 1 Mount Lawley
Maylands MMS 1 Maylands
Meltham MMM 1 Bayswater
Bayswater MBR 1 Bayswater Bus transfers, CircleRoute
Ashfield MAD 2 Ashfield, Bassendean
Bassendean MBN 2 Bassendean Bus transfers
Success Hill MSH 2 Bassendean
Guildford MGD 2 Guildford
East Guildford MEG 2 Guildford
Woodbridge MWM 2 Woodbridge
Midland MMD 2 Midland Bus transfers
Transwa Avonlink service to Northam and Merredin
Transwa Prospector service to Kalgoorlie
Country coach services

Disused stopping patterns

A2 Set 47 accelerates out of Success Hill en route to Midland on dual gauge track

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.

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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