Out-of-hours work

Details of upcoming out-of-hours work within the PTA rail reserve

Each week the Public Transport Authority (PTA) undertakes a range of essential maintenance activities to ensure the continued and safe operation of the rail network. To minimise disruption to passenger services, much of this work is required to take place outside of standard construction hours (i.e. before 7am, after 7pm, or on a Sunday), either after trains have stopped running, or during a scheduled shutdown of the line.

The PTA appreciates that out-of-hours work has the potential to cause disturbance to people living close to the rail reserve, and has historically provided notice of upcoming work via hard-copy letter. As the network continues to expand, the PTA has resolved that the practice of delivering hard-copy letters is no longer sustainable, and has been granted permission from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation to trial online publication of upcoming out-of-hours work. The PTA will continue to deliver hard-copy letters to residents living near major infrastructure project sites; this webpage is intended to provide details of routine maintenance only.

The below table provides details of upcoming out-of-hours work across the PTA rail network. To identify work which may impact you, please enter your suburb in the search bar at the top of the table. The glossary below the table provides explanations of the most common types of maintenance undertaken.

To reduce the need for residents to proactively check this webpage to find out about work near them, the PTA will implement an email notification system in coming weeks. If you would like to receive notice of out-of-hours work near you via email, please register using the sign-up form below.

If you would like more information or have any questions about upcoming out-of-hours work near you, please email nightwork@pta.wa.gov.au, or call 13 62 13.

Upcoming out-of-hours work within the PTA rail reserve

Register for email updates

Glossary of common maintenance activities and terms

Ballast: Crushed stones which form the foundation (or ‘trackbed’) on which the track and sleepers sit. Ballast is packed around the sleepers with a ‘shoulder’ of ballast piled on either side to prevent movement of the track.

Formation repairs: Repairs including the replacement, rearrangement, and compaction of the ballast trackbed and limestone formation to ensure that track and sleepers are properly supported. Usually includes the use of hand-operated compactors, mini excavator, and bobcat.

Maintenance train: A specialised train which undertakes maintenance as it travels along the rail line. Types include rail grinders, tampers, and regulators.

OLE maintenance: General inspection and maintenance of the overhead line equipment (OLE) which supplies power to railcars. Usually involves the use of a road-rail vehicle with an elevated work platform (i.e. cherry picker) attachment, and hand tools.

Perway patrol: Visual inspection of the rail reserve and track condition, either on foot or on board a road-rail vehicle.

Rail grinding: Grinding of the rail to remove minor defects (small amounts of metal) and maintain the profile (shape) of the track. Required to extend the life of the rail, reduce operational noise, and improve passenger comfort during travel. Involves the use of a rail grinding machine (maintenance train) which travels along the rail line.

Regulating and tamping: Maintenance of the ballast trackbed using specialised maintenance trains to compact, shape and distribute ballast around the tracks and sleepers.

Re-railing: Replacement of rail sections using a range of machinery including a loader and welding equipment.

Road-rail vehicle: A specialised vehicle with two sets of wheels (rubber and steel), capable of operating on both regular road and railway track. Usually used to conduct perway patrols, OLE maintenance, and to access maintenance sites.

Turnout maintenance: Inspection and maintenance of turnouts (which allow trains to switch between different tracks) using hand tools including a hand grinder.