Perth railway station

Perth
Wellington Street entrance in March 2005
Location	Wellington Street, Perth
Coordinates	31°57′05″S 115°51′38″E / 31.951493°S 115.860448°ECoordinates: 31°57′05″S 115°51′38″E / 31.951493°S 115.860448°E
Owned by	Transperth
Operated by	Transperth
Line(s)	Armadale       Fremantle       Joondalup       Mandurah       Midland       Transwa Australind
Platforms	9 (1 island underground, 2 island above ground & 3 side above ground)
Tracks	9
Connections	Buses from Roe Street bus station
Construction
Structure type	Ground & underground
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Status	Staffed
Station code	MPH
Fare zone	1 /
History
Opened	1 March 1881
Electrified	Yes

Perth railway station is the largest station on the Transperth network serving the central business district of Perth, Western Australia. It serves as an interchange between the Armadale, Fremantle, Joondalup, Mandurah and Midland lines as well as Transwa's Australind service.

History

View from Platform 6 in October 2007

Underground Platform 2

Establishment

The foundation stone for the George Temple-Poole designed Perth station was laid on 10 May 1880, with the station opening on 1 March 1881 part of the Eastern Railway from Fremantle to Guildford.^[1][2][3] It had one through platform with terminating bay platforms at either end. The Neoclassical style building had a second storey added in 1894 that became the headquarters of the Western Australian Government Railways until 1976.^[4] A planned third storey and clocktower were never built.^[5][6] The building has been renovated and expanded 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 regional trains originating from the station. A collection of freight and administrative offices and tearooms were part of the railway station complex.

The railway building has at times housed various commercial operations as well as police offices. The WA Craft Council was a tenant in the 1980s.^[7]

For a considerable length of time the forecourt area was used 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.

Changes

As early as the 1950s, there were moves and suggestions for the redevelopment of the station area.^[8]

Following the cessation of most regional services, the completion of standard gauge tracks to East Perth station, and the relocation of most administrative offices to the Westrail Centre alongside, by the late 1970s Perth station remained as a terminus for The Australind service to Bunbury, as well as Transperth suburban services.

In connection with the electrification of the Armadale line, a ninth platform was added in 1992.^[9]

As part of the New MetroRail project, the station was refurbished with new underground platforms built at a 90-degree angle to the existing platforms beneath Gordon Stephenson House to the east of William Street, between Wellington and Murray Streets.^[10] The new platforms opened on 15 October 2007.^[11][12] The underground platforms, numbered 1 and 2, are known as Perth Underground, but are considered part of the overall Perth station. The existing platforms were refurbished with the above ground platforms reduced from nine to seven.^[10]

The underground platforms were linked to the original Perth station via a walkway under Wellington Street, and also via an entrance from the west end of the Murray Street pedestrian mall that opened on 19 December 2013.^[13][14]

In September 2013, a new Platform 9 on the Roe Street side of the station opened.^[15] This new platform was temporarily used for special event services until mid-December 2013, before becoming part of the Midland line.^[16]

Plaques formerly in entrance area to station

The railway station entrance area had plaques to commemorate the following events:

• 1 March 1981 – centenary of Fremantle to Guildford railway
• 14 November 1989 – Perth to Joondalup railway first spike driven
• 28 September 1991 – introduction of electric trains
• 11 April 1992 – commissioning of electric train services
• 25 March 1994 – centenary of railway station

Platforms & services

Perth Station
Legend
Track layout and surrounding railyard

Platforms currently in use are as follows:

[2776] Perth Underground station platforms

Stop	Platform	Line	Stopping pattern	Destination	Notes
99601	1	Joondalup	All stations	Butler
			K	Clarkson	Pattern K only operates on weekdays.[17]
			W	Whitfords	Pattern W only operates on weekdays.[17]
99602	2	Mandurah	All stations	Mandurah
			K	Rockingham	Pattern K only operates on weekdays.[17]
			W	Cockburn Central	Pattern W only operates on weekdays.[17]

[2776] Main platforms

Stop	Platform	Line	Stopping pattern	Destination	Notes
99603	3	Australind	All stations	Bunbury	Transwa service[18]
99604	4	Thornlie	T	Thornlie	[19]
99605	5	Armadale	All stations, B, C	Armadale	[19]
99606	6	Armadale	C#	Armadale	Peak hours on weekdays only.[19]
99607	7	Fremantle	All stations, A, B, S	Fremantle	[20]
			D	Shenton Park	Pattern D only operates on weekdays.[20]
			S+	Showgrounds	Pattern deviations to All, A, and B patterns to stop at Showgrounds.
99608	8	Midland	All stations, A, B, P	Midland	Services coming from Fremantle tunnel arrive at this platform, proceeding to Midland[21][22] Joondalup Line pattern P terminates at this platform[17]
99609	9	Midland		Midland	Special service platform

Transport links

Several Transperth bus routes stop at the Perth station. Buses operate from the nearby Roe Street bus station.

Stop	Route	Destination / description	Notes
[12129] Beaufort Street	1 Blue CAT	to Elizabeth Quay Bus Station → Northbridge → Elizabeth Quay Busport	Circular service
[26788] Wellington Street Eastbound	950	Morley Bus Station via Beaufort Street	High frequency[23]
[12901] Wellington Street Eastbound Red/Yellow CAT[24][25][26]	2 Red CAT	to East Perth → West Perth → East Perth	Circular service
	3 Yellow CAT	to East Perth via Wellington Street
[12902] Wellington Street Eastbound[24][25][26]	16	to Dianella via William Street, North Street, Wood Street, Crawford Road, Browning Street & Alexander Drive
	28	WACA Ground, East Perth
	41	to Bayswater via Lord Street, Eight Avenue, Maylands, Caledonian Street, Stone Street & Frington Street
	42	to Maylands via Lord Street & Peninsula Road
	43	to Bayswater via Lord Street, Central Avenue, Maylands, Caledonian Street, Stone Street & Frington Street
	44	to Morley Bus Station via Lord Street, Guildford Road, Bayswater, Langley Road & Embleton
	55	to Bassendean via Lord Street, Guildford Road, Ashfield, Hardy Road & West Road
	60	to Morley Bus Station via William Street, North Street, Dundas Road & Walter Road West
	66	to Morley Bus Station via Beaufort Street & Russell Street	Limited stops
[12924] Wellington Street Westbound Red/Yellow CAT[24][25][26]	2 Red CAT	to East Perth → West Perth → East Perth	Circular service
	3 Yellow CAT	to West Perth via Wellington Street
[26201] Wellington Street Westbound	16, 41, 42, 43, 48, 55, 60, 66, 67, 68	to Elizabeth Quay Bus Station
	28	to Claremont via Hay Street & Mount Claremont
	950	to QEII Medical Centre via Mounts Bay Road, University of Western Australia & Hampden Road	High frequency[23]
[10221] William Street on Horseshoe Bridge	1 Blue CAT	to Elizabeth Quay Busport → Northbridge → Elizabeth Quay Busport	Circular service

References

1. Newland, Andrew; Quinlan, Howard (2000). Australian Railway Routes 1854 - 2000. Redfern: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 64. ISBN 0-909650-49-7.
2. Higham, Geoffrey (2007). Marble Bar to Mandurah: A history of passenger rail services in Western Australia. Bassendean: Rail Heritage WA. pp. 10, 77. ISBN 978 0 9803922 0 3.
3. History of Perth Only Perth
4. Affleck, Fred (1978). On Track: The making of Westrail 1950 - 1976. Western Australian Railways Commission. p. 171. ISBN 0 7244 7560 5.
5. Nock, Ossie (1971). Railways of Australia. London: Charles & Black. p. 226. ISBN 0 7136 1190 1.
6. Perth Railway Precinct Stage Heritage Office
7. O'Connor, Porter and Salmon (1987). Challenges : fine Western Australian crafts : Crafts Council of Western Australia, Crafts Council Centre, Perth City Railway Station. Perth, W.A: Crafts Council of W.A.
8. New Heart for Perth Society (1953–1974). New Heart for Perth Society records, 1953-1974 (manuscript). Retrieved 2016-02-19. See specifically the section 'Biography'.
9. Lifting of northern pedestrian overpass at Perth station Government of Western Australia 12 June 1992
10. Perth City Link Public Transport Authority
11. Perth CBD's first underground train station in operation ABC News 15 October 2007
12. Annual Report for year ended 30 June 2008 Public Transport Authority
13. Pedestrian underpass Public Transport Authority March 2012
14. Annual Report for year ended 30 June 2014 Public Transport Authority
15. September 2013 works update Public Transport Authority
16. Midland Line permanent platform change Transperth 11 December 2013
17. Joondalup Line timetable Transperth 21 September 2014
18. Timetables Transwa
19. Armadale/Thornlie Line timetable Transperth 27 October 2014
20. Fremantle Line timetable Transperth 31 January 2016
21. Midland Line Timetable Transperth 18 July 2013
22. Midland Line - Platform Change Transperth 25 August 2014
23. Bus Timetable 202 Transperth
24. Routes 28, 81, 84, 85, 91, 92, 95, 213, 220, 401, School Specials, Blue, Red and Yellow CAT services - Forrest Place disruptions, Transperth website, accessed 10 March 2010
25. Routes 28, 81, 84, 91, 92, 213, 220, 401, Red and Yellow CATs – Forrest Place bus stops reintroduction, Transperth website, accessed 1 September 2011
26. Routes 23, 28, 30, 31, 34, 78, 79, 81, 92, 102, 107, 213, 220, 401, 881, 940, school specials, Red and Yellow CAT - service disruptions, Transperth website, accessed 20 May 2012

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

• Media related to Perth railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Station front in November 1936 Curtin University
• Vintage aerial photograph by Frank Hurley at the National Library of Australia

Perth
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