Railways in Perth
Railways in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, have existed since 1881, when the Eastern Railway was opened between Fremantle and Guildford. Today, Perth has seven Transperth commuter rail lines and 75 stations.
| Railways in Perth | |
|---|---|
A B-series train near McIver station | |
| Overview | |
| Owner | Public Transport Authority (2003–present) |
| Locale | Perth, Mandurah and surrounds |
| Transit type | Heavy rail, commuter rail |
| Number of lines | 7 |
| Number of stations | 75 |
| Annual ridership | 53,223,811 (year to June 2023) |
| Headquarters | Public Transport Centre |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 1881 |
| Operator(s) | Department of Works and Railways (1877–1890) WAGR (1890–2000) WAGR Commission (2000–2003) Public Transport Authority (2003–present) |
| Number of vehicles | 330 railcars |
| Technical | |
| System length | 181 kilometres (112 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge |
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz AC from overhead catenary |
| Top speed | 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) |
The Transperth network is owned and operated by the WA Public Transport Authority (PTA) and consists of seven lines: the Airport, Armadale, Fremantle, Joondalup, Mandurah, Midland, and Thornlie lines. Perth's trains had 53.2 million boardings in the 2022–23 financial year, giving the Transperth rail network the third highest patronage out of Australia's suburban rail networks, ahead of Brisbane. Under construction is the Morley–Ellenbrook line and the Thornlie–Cockburn link.
Notable features of the Perth rail network are that a significant portion is designed to operate in the median of freeways, with dedicated bus-train interchanges and extensive Park & Ride (P&R) facilities provided at newer stations. Passengers arrive on feeder buses or use P&R and transfer to trains at train stations. These system design features are a response to Perth's low density.