| Midland line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Operational | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Public Transport Authority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Suburban rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System | Transperth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Transperth Train Operations | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Depot(s) | Claisebrook railway depot | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | Transperth A-series,Transperth B-series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ridership | 4,289,206 (year to June 2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1881 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 16.1 km (10.0 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz AC fromoverhead catenary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheMidland line is asuburban rail service on theTransperth network inPerth, Western Australia. It runs on theEastern Railway through Perth's eastern suburbs and connectsMidland with Perth.
The section of the Eastern Railway between Fremantle, Perth and Guildford was the first suburban railway line in Perth, opening on 1 March 1881.[1][2]
The line was extended from Guildford toChidlow's Well, opening in March 1884.[3]Throughout the 1880s, the Eastern Railway line was extended beyond Guildford and Midland Junction along its first route toChidlow andNortham. The second route varied afterBellevue proceeding to Chidlow via theSwan View Tunnel,Parkerville andStoneville.
The third route saw the removal of the Bellevue Railway station in its construction, with the new Midland railway terminus replacing the olderMidland Junction railway station.An anomaly of the Midland line timetables in the 1950s and 1960s was thatBellevue was nominally the terminus of the line until 1962.Koongamia, which was a new station prior toGreenmount 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 newMidland was constructed 200 metres (660 ft) 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 early decades of the twentieth century, a significant number of rail-crossing accidents between motor vehicles and trains occurred. Unattendedcrossings were provided withboom 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.[citation needed]
In December 2013, theGovernment of Western Australia announced its intention to construct a railway line branching off the Midland line east of Bayswater station toForrestfield viaPerth Airport.[4] Construction of theForrestfield–Airport Link commenced in November 2016 and was scheduled to open in 2021.[5][6][7][8] After construction delays it opened on 9 October 2022.[9][10]
TheEllenbrook line, which functions as a branch northward from the Midland line east of Bayswater station, was opened on 8 December 2024.[11][12][13]
During hot weather, the tracks can distort. As a result, train speeds are reduced by approximately 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph) when the air temperature is above 37 °C (99 °F), and by an additional 10 kilometres per hour (6.2 mph) when the air temperature is above 41 °C (106 °F).[14][15]
The Transperth network currently usesfixed block signalling andautomatic train protection, which stops trains that pass a red signal and slows trains that drive too fast.[16]: 21 These systems will be replaced by anautomatic train control system, likely acommunications-based train control system.[16]: 27 The new systems are planned to be in place on the Midland line by June 2027.[16]: 77
Since 21 July 2019, all regular services stop at all stations on this line.[17]
| Station | Distance from Perth[18] | Fare zone[19] | Location | Opened | Connections | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km | mi | |||||
| Perth | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1/FTZ | Perth | 1881 | Bus atPerth Busport ,Airport,Armadale,Australind,Ellenbrook,Fremantle,Mandurah,Midland,Thornlie–Cockburn andYanchep Lines |
| McIver | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1/FTZ | Perth | 1989 | Airport line, Armadale line, Ellenbrook line, Midland line, and Thornlie–Cockburn line |
| Claisebrook | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1/FTZ | East Perth, Perth | 1883 | Airport line, Armadale line, Ellenbrook line, Midland line, and Thornlie–Cockburn line |
| East Perth | 2.1 | 1.3 | 1 | East Perth, Perth | 1969 | Airport Line, Ellenbrook Line, Midland Line,Transwa coaches,MerredinLink,Prospector,[20] andIndian Pacific[21] |
| Mount Lawley | 3.2 | 2.0 | 1 | Mount Lawley | 1907 | Airport Line, Ellenbrook Line and Midland Line |
| Maylands | 4.5 | 2.8 | 1 | Maylands | 1896 | Airport Line, Ellenbrook Line and Midland Line |
| Meltham | 5.5 | 3.4 | 1 | Bayswater | 1948 | Airport Line, Ellenbrook Line and Midland Line |
| Bayswater | 6.8 | 4.2 | 1 | Bayswater | 1896 | Bus, Airport Line, Ellenbrook Line and Midland Line |
| Ashfield | 9.3 | 5.8 | 2 | Ashfield,Bassendean | 1954 | |
| Bassendean | 10.8 | 6.7 | 2 | Bassendean | 1910 | Bus |
| Success Hill | 11.7 | 7.3 | 2 | Bassendean | 1960 | |
| Guildford | 12.6 | 7.8 | 2 | Guildford | 1881 | |
| East Guildford | 14.1 | 8.8 | 2 | Guildford | 1896 | |
| Woodbridge | 15.4 | 9.6 | 2 | Woodbridge | 1903 | |
| Midland | 16.1 | 10.0 | 2 | Midland | 1968 | Bus,AvonLink,MerredinLink,Prospector |
Legend — Stopping Patterns
| Midland Services[22] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station | Zone | All | AE | W | ||
| ◻Perth | 1 | ● | ● | ● | ||
| ◻McIver | ● | ● | ||||
| ◻Claisebrook | ● | ● | ||||
| ◻East Perth | ● | ● | ● | |||
| ◻Mount Lawley | ● | ● | ● | |||
| ◻Maylands | ● | ● | ● | |||
| ◻Meltham | ● | ● | ● | |||
| ◻Bayswater | ● | ● | ● | |||
| ◻Ashfield | 2 | ● | ● | |||
| ◻Bassendean | ● | ● | ||||
| ◻Success Hill | ● | ● | ||||
| ◻East Guildford | ● | ● | ||||
| ◻Guildford | ● | ● | ||||
| ◻Woodbridge | ● | ● | ||||
| ◻Midland | ● | ● | ||||
Below is the annual patronage of Midland line from 2010 to 2024 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.[23]
| Year | Patronage | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | 6,319,788 | — |
| 2011–12 | 6,626,464 | +4.85% |
| 2012–13 | 6,688,843 | +0.94% |
| 2013–14 | 6,646,213 | −0.64% |
| 2014–15 | 6,661,434 | +0.23% |
| 2015–16 | 6,437,107 | −3.37% |
| 2016–17 | 6,143,986 | −4.55% |
| 2017–18 | 5,784,146 | −5.86% |
| 2018–19 | 5,994,370 | +3.63% |
| 2019–20 | 5,025,933 | −16.16% |
| 2020–21 | 4,407,653 | −12.30% |
| 2021–22 | 4,243,760 | −3.72% |
| 2022–23 | 3,889,196 | −8.35% |
| 2023–24 | 4,289,206 | +10.29% |