Perth railway station
Encyclopedia
Perth Station including Perth Underground is the largest railway station in Perth, Western Australia
, and functions as an interchange between the Transperth Trains
Armadale / Thornlie, Fremantle, Joondalup, Mandurah and Midland railway lines, as well as the Transwa
Australind
.
style building was built between 1893 and 1894. It replaced an earlier station built when the railway first opened in 1881. The building has been renovated numerous times since being built, as well as the forecourt entrance area.
The station was the centre of the Western Australian Government Railways
system - with most main-line trains leaving from this station. A collection of freight and administrative offices and tearooms were part of the railway station complex. The Westland
, Albany Progress
, and The Mullewa
overnight passenger trains departed from this station.
Following the discontinuance of the overnight services, the extension of standard gauge tracks to East Perth station
, and the relocation of most administrative offices to the new railway building alongside, Perth railway station remained as a terminus for the Bunbury Australind
passenger service, as well as suburban services.
The railway building has at times housed various commercial operations - as well as Police offices. The WA Craft Council was in the building in the 1980s
For a considerable length of time the forecourt area was utilised for car parking. This is now very limited except for official vehicles. The building had the Barrack Street and William Street bridges as limiting factors to its development, and in its current state is connected to both bridges by escalators and walkways, though the William Street entrance is fenced off.
New underground platforms were developed to the east of William Street (between Wellington and Murray Streets) as part of the New MetroRail
project. They are linked to the original Perth railway station via a walkway under Wellington Street, and there is also an entrance from the west end of the Murray Street pedestrian mall
. Services commenced on the new platforms at 5:37am on October 15, 2007. The new platforms, numbered 1 and 2, are known as Perth Underground but are also considered part of the overall Perth railway station.
Other recent works to Perth railway station include the installation of SmartRider
infrastructure, including Add Value Machines, fare gates, attendant offices and fencing.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, and functions as an interchange between the Transperth Trains
Transperth Trains
Transperth Trains is a division of the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia. It is responsible for operating Perth’s urban passenger rail system, as part of the Transperth network.- Lines :...
Armadale / Thornlie, Fremantle, Joondalup, Mandurah and Midland railway lines, as well as the Transwa
Transwa
Transwa is Western Australia's regional public transport provider, linking 275 destinations within Western Australia, from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south to Esperance in the east along with the regional centres of Bunbury, Kalgoorlie, Northam, Geraldton and Albany.Transwa is...
Australind
Transwa Australind
The Transwa Australind is a diesel railcar train operated by Transwa that runs between Perth, Western Australia, and the south-west city of Bunbury on the South Western Railway . The Australind fleet consists of three powered railcars ADP101, ADP102 and ADP103, with two non-driving trailers ADQ121...
.
History
The VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
style building was built between 1893 and 1894. It replaced an earlier station built when the railway first opened in 1881. The building has been renovated numerous times since being built, as well as the forecourt entrance area.
The station was the centre of the Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....
system - with most main-line trains leaving from this station. A collection of freight and administrative offices and tearooms were part of the railway station complex. The Westland
The Westland
The Westland was the name given in 1938 to the overnight train operated by the Western Australian Government Railways with sitting and sleeping cars that ran between Perth and Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, where it connected with the Trans-Australian Railway service to the Eastern states of...
, Albany Progress
Albany Progress
The Albany Progress was a narrow gauge passenger train that was run by the Western Australian Government Railways between 1961 and December 1978. The train ran between Perth and Albany on the Great Southern Railway...
, and The Mullewa
The Mullewa
The Mullewawas a named Western Australian Government Railways overnight passenger railway service that ran between Perth, Western Australia and Mullewa in the Western Australian 'Mid-West Region'....
overnight passenger trains departed from this station.
Following the discontinuance of the overnight services, the extension of standard gauge tracks to East Perth station
East Perth railway station
East Perth railway station is a Transperth railway station 1.9 km from Perth Train Station, on the Midland Line in Perth, Western Australia.It is next to the East Perth Terminal and Public Transport Centre, in Western Australia....
, and the relocation of most administrative offices to the new railway building alongside, Perth railway station remained as a terminus for the Bunbury Australind
Transwa Australind
The Transwa Australind is a diesel railcar train operated by Transwa that runs between Perth, Western Australia, and the south-west city of Bunbury on the South Western Railway . The Australind fleet consists of three powered railcars ADP101, ADP102 and ADP103, with two non-driving trailers ADQ121...
passenger service, as well as suburban services.
The railway building has at times housed various commercial operations - as well as Police offices. The WA Craft Council was in the building in the 1980s
For a considerable length of time the forecourt area was utilised for car parking. This is now very limited except for official vehicles. The building had the Barrack Street and William Street bridges as limiting factors to its development, and in its current state is connected to both bridges by escalators and walkways, though the William Street entrance is fenced off.
New underground platforms were developed to the east of William Street (between Wellington and Murray Streets) as part of the New MetroRail
New MetroRail
New MetroRail was a division of the Public Transport Authority in Western Australia. It was responsible for managing extensions to Perth's railway network...
project. They are linked to the original Perth railway station via a walkway under Wellington Street, and there is also an entrance from the west end of the Murray Street pedestrian mall
Murray Street, Perth
Murray Street is one of four main east-west roads within the Perth central business district.The street, the central portion of which has become a pedestrian mall, was named after Sir George Murray, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies from 1828 to 1830.It is the one main road in Perth that...
. Services commenced on the new platforms at 5:37am on October 15, 2007. The new platforms, numbered 1 and 2, are known as Perth Underground but are also considered part of the overall Perth railway station.
Other recent works to Perth railway station include the installation of SmartRider
SmartRider
SmartRider is Transperth's contactless electronic ticketing system using smartcard technology for the process of charging patrons for public transport in Western Australia....
infrastructure, including Add Value Machines, fare gates, attendant offices and fencing.
Plaques in entrance area
- 1 March 1981 - Centenary of Fremantle to Guildford Railway
- 14 November 1989 - Perth-Joondalup Railway first spike driven
- 28 September 1991 - Introduction of Electric Trains
- 11 April 1992 - Commissioning Transperth Electric Train Service
- 25 March 1994 - Centenary of Railway station
Platforms
Platforms currently in use are as follows, see here for the old platform arrangements:| Stop No. | Platform | Line | Stopping Pattern | Notes |
| [2776] Perth Underground platforms | ||||
| 99601 | 1 | Joondalup | All, C, P, W | Pattern C during peak hours on weekdays only. Pattern P terminates at platform 9. |
| 99602 | 2 | Mandurah | All, C, K, W | Pattern C during on weekdays only |
| [2776] Main platforms | ||||
| 99003 | 3 | Australind Transwa Australind The Transwa Australind is a diesel railcar train operated by Transwa that runs between Perth, Western Australia, and the south-west city of Bunbury on the South Western Railway . The Australind fleet consists of three powered railcars ADP101, ADP102 and ADP103, with two non-driving trailers ADQ121... |
All stations | Transwa Transwa Transwa is Western Australia's regional public transport provider, linking 275 destinations within Western Australia, from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south to Esperance in the east along with the regional centres of Bunbury, Kalgoorlie, Northam, Geraldton and Albany.Transwa is... regional service to Bunbury |
| 99004 | 4 | Thornlie | T | |
| 99005 | 5 | Armadale | All, B, C | |
| 99006 | 6 | Armadale | C# | Peak hours on weekdays only |
| 99007 | 7 | Fremantle | All, A, B, D, K, L, M, +S | |
| 99008 | 8 | Demolished. Will come back into existence when platforms are re-numbered following completion of Perth City Link project in 2014. | ||
| 99009 | 9 | Midland | All, A, B, P | |
Bus routes
Several bus routes stop at the Perth Train Station. Buses are also provided at Wellington Street bus station for transfers with Perth Train Station.| Route Number | Destination / Description | ||
| [12129] Beaufort Street | |||
| 1 Blue CAT | Busport - Northbridge - Busport Circular Service | ||
| [12924] Wellington Street (west bound Red/Yellow CAT) | |||
| 2 Red CAT | East Perth - West Perth - East Perth Circular Service | ||
| 3 Yellow CAT | to West Perth via Wellington Street | ||
| [26201] Wellington Street (west bound) | |||
| 28 | to Claremont via Hay Street and Mount Claremont | ||
| 84 | to City Beach via Cambridge Street and The Boulevard | ||
| 91 | to Wembley Downs via Grantham Street and Empire Avenue | ||
| 92 | to Wembley Downs via Grantham Street and Hale Road | ||
| [12901] Wellington Street (east bound Red/Yellow CAT) | |||
| 2 Red CAT | East Perth - West Perth - East Perth Circular Service | ||
| 3 Yellow CAT | to East Perth via Wellington Street | ||
| [12902] Wellington Street (east bound) | |||
| 28 | to WACA WACA Ground The WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association.... , East Perth |
||
| 81, 84, 91, 92 | to Wittenoom Street, East Perth | ||
| 213 | to Westfield Carousel Shopping Centre Westfield Carousel Westfield Carousel is a major shopping centre, owned by the Westfield Group and located in Cannington, a suburb of Perth. It is located approximately 12 kilometres from Perth on the Albany Highway, and approximately 600 metres from Cannington Train Station... via Albany Highway |
||
| 220 | to Armadale Train Station Armadale railway station, Perth Armadale Train Station is a Transperth train station 30 km from Perth Train Station, in Western Australia, on the Armadale Line. The current station building is less than five years old, having been constructed in a more favourable location than the previous station of the same... via Albany Highway |
||
| 401 | to Stirling Train Station Stirling railway station, Perth Stirling railway station is a Transperth train and bus interchange located northwest of Perth railway station in Western Australia, on the Joondalup Line.-History:... |
||
| 904 | Train Replacement Service to Clarkson | ||
| 905 | Train Replacement Service to Midland | ||
| 906 | Train Replacement Service to Fremantle | ||
| 907 | Train Replacement Service to Armadale | ||
| [10221] William Street (on Horseshoe Bridge Horseshoe Bridge The Horseshoe Bridge is a traffic bridge located in the central business district of the city of Perth, Western Australia.The bridge runs along William Street and crosses over the Fremantle to Perth railway line, at the western end of Perth Train Station... ) |
|||
| 1 Blue CAT | Busport - Northbridge - Busport Circular Service | ||
| 16, 21, 22, 41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 48, 55, 60, 66, 67, 68 | to Esplanade Busport | ||
| 401 | to Wellington Street bus station | ||
Further reading
- Finlayson, Don (1986) Steam around Perth ARHS WA - has photos of the earlier forms of the station - page 55 for example
External links
- Transperth website
- Vintage aerial photograph by Frank HurleyFrank HurleyJames Francis "Frank" Hurley, OBE was an Australian photographer and adventurer. He participated in a number of expeditions to Antarctica and served as an official photographer with Australian forces during both world wars.His artistic style produced many memorable images but he also used staged...
at the National Library of AustraliaNational Library of AustraliaThe National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...