TRAINS

Description of Services

Transperth operates an electrified suburban train system with more than 750 services on an average weekday.

As at 30 June 2005, the system covered 98.7km of track with 58 stations on four lines, and a fleet of 150 railcars which can be coupled in configurations of two, three, four or six railcar trains.

The network consisted of the Joondalup Line (33.2km), Fremantle Line (19.0km), Midland Line (16.0km) and Armadale Line (30.5km).

The Year’s Developments

The New MetroRail Project (see page 11) ended the year well on track to supply a high-quality, rapid public transport system to the south-west metropolitan area and Peel Region as well as construct infrastructure improvements between Victoria Park and Beckenham Junction, and a spur line from Beckenham Junction to Thornlie.

The 4.2km extension of the Joondalup Line from Currambine to Clarkson was completed under the New MetroRail project during the year, and the new Clarkson Station was opened on 4 October 2004. The New MetroRail project also completed construction of a new station at Greenwood which was opened on 29 January 2005.

In co-operation with a private sector banking institution, ING Direct,Transperth provided free public transport on all services from 3pm on New Year’s Eve 2004 to 3am on New Year’s Day. Foregone revenue was covered by ING Direct. More than 400 train services operated during the 12-hour free travel period. This initiative was very well received by the public, and ING Direct indicated that its decision to select Transperth for this promotion was influenced by Transperth’s highly successful operating performance in recent years as a truly integrated public transport system.

New three-car trains were introduced into service with the opening of Clarkson Station, within a revised timetable for the Joondalup Line. These trains were used in coupled pairs (six-car trains) on the Joondalup Line for the first time on New Year’s Eve to accommodate large crowds of revellers.

The extension of the Joondalup Line to Clarkson and the introduction of three-car trains resulted in a significant increase in service kilometres and passenger place kilometres. Service kilometres recorded a 6.9 per cent increase from 6.700 million to 7.167 million, while passenger place kilometres rose nearly 10 per cent from 2090.4 million to 2293.6 million.

New stations were opened during the year at existing locations:

Bassendean - 24 July 2004 Armadale - 6 November 2004 Gosnells - 17 April 2005

All major construction contracts for the Southern Suburbs Railway (SSR) from Perth to Mandurah had been awarded by 30 June 2005. The value of the construction contracts for the SSR is $850 million which is about 55 per cent of the budget for the New MetroRail Project (see below).

During the year, works continued on infrastructure improvements on the line from Claisebrook to Armadale and the new Thornlie Line as part of the New MetroRail Project. The following works were completed:

• Howick Street footbridge in Victoria Park;
• Kenwick tunnel and fit-out with track, overhead wiring, signalling and communications;
• Beckenham sub-station and high-voltage power supply;
• Canning River railway bridge;
• Spencer Road bridge in Thornlie; and
• Platform works at Perth Station.

At 30 June 2005, the following works were under construction and due for completion by mid-July 2005:

• railway infrastructure between Beckenham Junction and Thornlie Station;
• Thornlie Station building;
• Spencer Road access road and associated works in Thornlie; and
• construction of a road bridge over the railway at Gerard Street in Cannington by the City of Canning and Main Roads WA, financed by the New MetroRail project.