Mandurah line

The Mandurah line, also known as the Southern Suburbs Railway, is a suburban railway line and service in Western Australia, linking Perth's central business district (CBD) with Mandurah to the south. Operated by the Public Transport Authority (PTA) as part of the Transperth system, the Mandurah line is 70.8 kilometres (44.0 mi) long and has thirteen stations. It commences in a tunnel under the CBD as a through service with the Yanchep line, where two stations are. South from there, the line enters the median strip of the Kwinana Freeway, where five of the line's stations are. The line diverges from the freeway for the southernmost six stations in the cities of Kwinana, Rockingham and Mandurah.

Mandurah line
A Transperth B-series train on the Mandurah line in the median of the Kwinana Freeway in Como
Overview
Other name(s)	Southern suburbs railway (during construction)
Owner	Public Transport Authority
Locale	Perth and Mandurah, Western Australia
Termini	Perth Underground (north) Mandurah (south)
Continues from	Yanchep line
Stations	13
Service
Type	Suburban rail
System	Transperth
Operator(s)	Public Transport Authority
Depot(s)	Mandurah Nowergup
Rolling stock	Transperth B-series trains Transperth C-series trains
Ridership	21,874,779 (year to June 2024)
History
Opened	23 December 2007 (2007-12-23)
Technical
Line length	70.8 km (44.0 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Character	At-grade and underground
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC from overhead catenary
Operating speed	130 km/h (81 mph)
Signalling	Fixed block signalling
Train protection system	Automatic train protection
Route map Show interactive map Legend km Yanchep line Perth 0.0 Perth Underground 0.6 Elizabeth Quay Swan River 7.2 Canning Bridge Canning River 11.7 Bull Creek 13.9 Murdoch Thornlie line 20.5 Cockburn Central 23.8 Aubin Grove 32.9 Kwinana 37.1 Wellard 43.2 Rockingham 47.5 Warnbro Karnup (planned) 64.5 Lakelands Mandurah depot 70.8 Mandurah Red shading denotes the Free Transit Zone This diagram: view talk edit Show route diagram

Planning for the Mandurah line commenced during the construction of the Yanchep line in the early 1990s. By the late 1990s, the plan was for the Mandurah line to branch off the Armadale line at Beckenham and follow the Kwinana freight railway to reach the Kwinana Freeway. After the election of a Labor government at the 2001 state election, the planned route was changed to go via a tunnel under the CBD instead. Commencing in 2004, the Mandurah line's construction was divided into seven major contracts. The construction of the CBD tunnel was particularly controversial, with that project encountering severe labour strikes and disputes between the contractor and the PTA.

The Mandurah line was designed similarly to the Yanchep line, using widely-spaced stations with bus interchanges and large park-and-rides. Originally planned to open between Perth and Warnbro station in 2006 and between Warnbro and Mandurah in 2007, the CBD tunnel opened on 15 October 2007 and the rest of the line opened on 23 December 2007. Two infill stations have opened since: Aubin Grove on 23 April 2017 and Lakelands on 11 June 2023; and two more have been proposed: South Perth and Karnup. In 2025, an extension of the Thornlie line is planned to open, connecting to the Mandurah line at Cockburn Central station via the route originally proposed for the Mandurah line.

B-series and C-series trains are the main rolling stock used on the Mandurah line, with A-series trains formerly commonly used as well. Trains run at a fifteen minute headway, reducing to as low as a five minute headway in peak, with some services terminating at Cockburn Central during peak. The travel time from Perth to Mandurah is 54 minutes. The line has significantly exceeded patronage expectations, reaching a peak of 21,874,779 boardings in the 2023–24 financial year, making it the busiest line in the Transperth system.

History

Proposals and early planning

Just as detailed planning for the Northern Suburbs Transit System was underway, the South West Area Transit (SWAT) Study was formed in February 1989 to examine the possibilities for extending Perth's rail services to the city's south west. A SWAT report was released in 1990 recommending a rapid transit system to Rockingham and Mandurah. The two options the report considered were an extension of the Fremantle line or a spur off the Armadale line at Kenwick. Both of these options would utilise pre-existing freight railways, although sections of the Fremantle freight railway had the problem of being only single track.^[1] With the Armadale, Fremantle and Midland lines about to be electrified in the early 1990s, the report suggested using the leftover diesel railcars to minimise initial costs.^[2]

Planning for the line was transferred to the Department of Transport in 1991.^[3][4] The department then released a report in 1992 for recommending a light rail line from Fremantle to the south west metropolitan area.^[5] Later that year, the Lawrence government made an in-principle commitment to building a rail line from Fremantle to Rockingham and Mandurah. It had ruled out a dedicated busway, but had not yet chosen between heavy rail and light rail.^[1][6][7] The SWAT Steering Committee was formed to assess various things for the line, namely the transit mode, route, cost, and the community's preference regarding the transit mode and route.^[1][4] The SWAT committee recommended the use of heavy rail like the rest of Perth's rail system. Premier Carmen Lawrence made the commitment ahead of the 1993 state election to build this line as far as Rockingham by 1996, and to Mandurah by 2001.^[8]

Separately from any other planning, Westrail was asked by the Department of Planning and Urban Development in 1992^[3] or 1993^[4] to investigate doing a direct route from Perth to Mandurah instead of via Fremantle. The direct route was to pass through the emerging regional centre of Thomsons Lake, now known as Cockburn Central,^[4] and make the journey to the Perth central business district (CBD) quicker.^[5] The median of the Kwinana Freeway south of the Narrows Bridge was seen as being too narrow for a railway, so that route was not considered. Westrail came up with a plan for the line to run underground from the Perth CBD to the Mount Henry Bridge. At $800 million, this was considered too expensive.^[4]

After Richard Court won the election for the Liberal Party, the government put aside any immediate plans for the line, saying that it was far too expensive and too soon after the Joondalup line was built.^[9] The Court government started a new study to determine if a busway would be an acceptable alternative to light rail or heavy rail, options which had already been costed at $326 million to $570 million.^[10] In August 1995, the government announced new plans for the railway to Mandurah. It was going to take a new route, branching off from the Armadale line at Kenwick, running parallel to the Kwinana freight railway to Jandakot, where it would then run south to Rockingham and Mandurah. The railway was to undergo a staged construction, with the first stage from Kenwick to Jandakot opening within 10 years at a cost of $150 million. The cost of the entire line was to be $570 million.^[5][11] The land for this was reserved in the Metropolitan Region Scheme in December 1994,^[5][12] and land acquisition commenced after that.^[12] The land for the railway was also reserved in the forthcoming Peel Region Scheme,^[13] which was gazetted on 23 October 2002.^[14]

Armadale line spur

Cabinet approved the creation of a master plan in April 1997, with its preparation starting later that year.^[5] Amongst its objectives were to establish the line's feasibility, develop concepts, confirm the final route, develop patronage estimates, decide on the number and location of stations, determine how the line will operate and integrate with other transport services, determine rolling stock and infrastructure requirements, determine the environmental impact, determine the cost, examine options for funding, and prepare enabling legislation.^[15] The master plan, called the South West Metropolitan Railway (SWMP) Master Plan, was endorsed by cabinet in March 1999.^[12]

The route laid out by the master plan was as follows. The service would commence at Perth station, running alongside the Armadale line until Kenwick, where it would enter a tunnel and pass under the Armadale line, Albany Highway, Roe Highway and the Kwinana freight railway. It would emerge from the tunnel and run south west, parallel to the freight railway. Along this section, the stations planned were at Thornlie (now Thornlie station), Nicholson Road (now Nicholson Road station), and Ranford Road (then named Canning Vale station; now Ranford Road station). There was also provision for a station at Jandakot Airport near Karel Avenue for the future. After travelling along the freight railway, the line would enter a tunnel and emerge within the median strip of the Kwinana Freeway. Having the line run along the side of the freeway was considered, as the freeway median was initially viewed as being too narrow. This option would have resulted in greater station accessibility but take the line close to current and planned residential areas. The line would have run along the eastern side of the freeway before crossing to the western side north of Berrigan Drive. This option was not chosen, limiting the adverse environmental impact of the freeway and railway to a narrower strip.^[16] The stations along the freeway section of the line were to be at Berrigan Drive (named South Lake station) and Beeliar Drive (then named Thomsons Lake station; now Cockburn Central station), with provisions for future stations at Gibbs Road/Russell Road (then named Success station; now Aubin Grove station), Rowley Road (named Mandogalup station), and Anketell Road (named Anketell).^[17] At Thomas Road, the railway would exit the freeway via a tunnel and travel south west through Kwinana. In Kwinana, the stations planned were at Thomas Road (now Kwinana station) and at Leda (now Wellard station), with a future station at Challenger Avenue (named South Parmelia station).^[17]

Proposed alternate routes for the Mandurah line through Rockingham. The route actually constructed is in orange.

Through Rockingham, there were several alignments considered. The Minister for Planning commissioned the Rockingham City Centre Railway Access Study in 1996 to provide some options. The study recommended a route which travelled through the Rockingham city centre, partially in a tunnel. Cabinet endorsed this route in August 1997 after being told the estimated cost was $119 million. This was the route that the City of Rockingham wanted as well, with the Rockingham Council saying it strongly opposed any route that bypassed the Rockingham city centre as it would be detrimental by siphoning workers out of Rockingham and into the Perth CBD.^[18] After cabinet endorsement, more detailed costing and evaluation of the endorsed route and alternative routes was done. The new cost of the favoured option was determined to be $269 million. As a result, more options were developed by a workshop,^[19] and these were refined to three options for the 1999 master plan.^[20] The first option had a cost of $143 million, and involved 2.25 kilometres (1.40 mi) of track in a trench or underground and two stations: one within the Rockingham city centre, and one north of Rockingham at Ennis Avenue.^[21] The second option had a cost of $107 million, and involved 1.40 kilometres (0.87 mi) of track in a trench or underground and two stations: one within the Rockingham city centre, and one north of Rockingham at Ennis Avenue.^[22] The third option bypassed the Rockingham city centre, had a cost of $31 million, involved no tunnels or trenches, and had one station at Dixon Road and provisions for a future station on Ennis Avenue south of Elanora Drive (named Cooloongup). This option also had a dedicated bus service to link the station to the city centre.^[23] In addition to the higher cost of the tunnel options, there would also have been higher transit time for those travelling though Rockingham without getting off the train there.^[24]

Running south from Rockingham along the eastern side of Ennis Avenue, the double tracked section of the line was planned to end at Safety Bay Road, at Waikiki station (now Warnbro station). South from there, the line was to run single tracked to Mandurah station, including crossing Stakehill Road, Paganoni Road, and a road in Lakelands at the line's only level crossings. Future station provisions were to be at Stakehill Road (named Stakehill station), Paganoni Road (named Karnup station), Lakelands, and Gordon Road.^[17]

Additionally, the master plan found that works were required along the Perth to Kenwick portion for the operation of the Mandurah line. These proposed works included an additional platform at Perth station,^[25] a rebuild of Victoria Park station, closure of Lathlain station, a rebuild of Carlisle station, closure of Welshpool station,^[26] a rebuild of Beckenham station,^[27] and the removal of most level crossings.^[28] The master plan stipulated that the Mandurah line run as a through service with the Joondalup line, a role which the Armadale line was fulfilling at the time. Among the advantages were that it would result in fewer trains needing to turn around at Perth station and the associated infrastructure requirements that arose from that. 104 railcars would have had to be purchased,^[29] which would be stored at a depot at Rockingham and at Nowergup on the Joondalup line.^[30]

In April 2000, an expanded version of the SWMR Master Plan was released by the government.^[12]

The Railway (Northern and Southern Urban Extensions) Act, which enabled the construction of the Mandurah line via Kenwick, passed the Western Australian Parliament in November 1999.^{[31][32]: 1}

In December 2000, the government announced that the railway between Warnbro and Mandurah would be double tracked. Under the previous single track design, maximum train frequency south of Warnbro was restricted to two trains per hour. The additional cost was $20 million.^[33]

Direct route

The Mandurah line is within the median of the Kwinana Freeway between Perth and Kwinana

However, following a change in State Government in 2001, a bill was passed that saw the route altered to start at Perth station, travel through a 1.6-kilometre (1.0 mi) tunnel,^[34] traverse the Kwinana Freeway, and then continue along its initial route after Jandakot.^[35] This second route was much more direct, and allowed through services with the Joondalup line; however it was more costly.^[36][37][38] The new route had a 20% faster journey time from Mandurah station to Perth, and a 40% faster journey time from Thomsons Lake to Perth. It also had higher projected patronage, with 24,950 passengers per day projected, as opposed to 19,100 for the route via Kenwick. The new route also meant that there is a higher maximum capacity for each line, as there are no tracks with multiple lines limiting maximum capacity. It also provided an opportunity for a new station at the south end of the Perth CBD, closer to the offices on St Georges Terrace.^[32]: 6 The route included the following stations:^[39]

• William Street (Perth) station
• Esplanade (Elizabeth Quay) station
• Canning Bridge station
• Leach Highway (Bull Creek) station
• South Street (Murdoch) station
• Thomsons Lake (Cockburn Central) station
• Thomas Road (Kwinana) station
• Leda (Wellard) station
• Rockingham station
• Waikiki (Warnbro) station
• Mandurah station

South Lake station was along the new alignment but was relegated to being built in the future. Leda station was budgeted for but was planned on opening later than the other stations. Thornlie, Nicholson Road, and Canning Vale stations were removed from the plan as they were along the Kwinana freight railway alignment.^[39]

This decision also led to the relocation of the Rockingham station from the city centre to the outer edge to offset the additional costs of the Perth section. The original route included tunnels to bring the railway into the Rockingham CBD. As a trade-off for relocating Rockingham station to the outer edge, the State Government promised a light rail link to the Rockingham CBD. This was later revised to a Central Area Transit style bus service partly within a dedicated busway. As part of the work, the Narrows and Mount Henry Bridges were rebuilt.^[40][41]

Detailed planning and construction

The construction of the Southern Suburbs Railway was divided into eight contract packages. This allowed for works on the freeway and bridges to begin before other parts of the project were finalised and for smaller businesses to be awarded contracts.^[42] All the packages were managed by New MetroRail, with the exception of Package E, which was managed by Main Roads Western Australia.^[43] The eight packages are as follows:

Package	Value[43]	Scope[43]
A	$310 million	Drainage, earthworks, tracks, traction power network from Mandurah to the Narrows Bridge Roadworks, bridges, and underpasses from Mandurah to Glen Iris Signalling and communications for the entire line Mandurah railcar depot
B	$32 million	Cockburn Central, Kwinana, and Wellard stations
C	$38 million	Rockingham, Warnbro and Mandurah stations
D	$32 million	Canning Bridge, Bull Creek, and Murdoch stations
E	$105 million	Roadworks along the Kwinana Freeway, including new bridges, barriers, and modification of the existing bridges
F	$324.5 million	Tunnelling, Perth Underground station, Esplanade station, connection to the rest of the rail network
G	$10.6 million	New train control system
H		Various minor works

The Parliament of Western Australia passed the Railway (Jandakot to Perth) Bill in November 2002 to authorise the Jandakot to Perth section.^[44][45][46] The government committed to building South Perth station by 2010 to secure the support of the Greens, to defeat an opposition motion for the bill to be sent to a parliamentary committee.^[47][48] Public comments for the environmental review began soon thereafter.^[44][45] The Environmental Protection Authority recommended to the minister for the environment, that the South West Metropolitan Railway be approved.^[49] The minister, Judy Edwards, approved the project in November 2003. As part of the environmental approval, fauna underpasses were required to be built within Leda Nature Reserve and Rockingham Lakes Regional Park.^[50][51]

Tunnelling

Main article: William Street tunnel

Tunnel at Elizabeth Quay station

The Perth City Rail Advisory Committee was formed in October 2001 in response to controversy over the route through the Perth CBD.^[52] The committee released its report in March 2002, detailing three main route options: a western route via the Mitchell Freeway, a central route via a tunnel under William Street, and an eastern route via a longer tunnel further east. The committee recommended the eastern route, but the government ruled that out due to its cost.^[53] The committee was re-established to reconsider the two remaining route options in more detail.^[54] In May, it recommended the William Street route,^[55] which was approved by Cabinet in June.^[56]

Expressions of interest for Package F were called for in March 2003^[57] and closed in April 2003. Five consortia submitted expressions of interest:^[58]

• CityConnect (Clough–McConnell Dowell–Obayashi JV)
• Bilfinger Berger–Baulderstone Hornibrook
• Leighton–Kumagai Gumi Team
• Multiplex–John Holland–Tyco Group
• Henry Walker Eltin–Bouygues JV^[58]

CityConnect and the Leighton–Kumagai Gumi Team were shortlisted in May 2003,^[59][60] and in November 2003, the Leighton–Kumagai Gumi Team was selected as the preferred proponent.^[61][62] The following month, the contract was approved by Cabinet, with a $100 million cost increase announced as well, taking the cost of the Southern Suburbs Railway to $1.059 billion.^[63][64] In February 2004, the contract was signed for $324.5 million.^[65][66]

A ceremony was held on 26 February 2004 for the start of preliminary drilling and surveying, which was the first physical work done for the Southern Suburbs Railway.^[67][68] Demolition of buildings to make way for the William Street station began in April 2004.^[69] The start of tunnelling was delayed by technical issues with the tunnel boring machine (TBM).^[70][71] Tunnelling from Esplanade station began on 25 October 2005.^[42][71] Initially expected to reach William Street station before Christmas,^[70] the first phase of tunnelling was delayed by technical issues and industrial action,^[72][73] which led to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission issuing a strike ban for the remainder of the project in December 2005.^[74][75] Over 400 workers nonetheless went on strike for twelve days in February and March 2006.^[76][77][78] Tunnelling was also paused for several weeks in April and May 2006 due to a dispute between the contractors and the Public Transport Authority regarding insurance.^[79][80][81] The TBM reached William Street station on 7 February 2006,^[42][82] and on 3 June 2006, it reached the Roe Street dive structure.^[42][83][84] The TBM reached William Street station for the second time on 31 August 2006^[85] and reached the Roe Street dive structure on 24 October 2006.^[42][86][87]

107 workers were prosecuted for violating the strike ban,^[88][89] of which eighty-seven were fined up to $10,000.^[90][91] Leighton filed several writs against the Public Transport Authority in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, regarding a dispute over the contract's rise and fall provisions,^[92] the cost of disposing of contaminated soil, an extension of the practical completion deadline,^[93] and the cost of dewatering.^[94] All legal action ended with a $43.675 million settlement in May 2009, bringing the total cost of the City Project to $439.3 million, excluding legal fees.^[95][96] Leighton also reached two settlements with the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union, worth millions of dollars in total.^[97][98]

Kwinana Freeway roadworks

The three parallel Narrows Bridges photographed in 2013, with the Mandurah line descending to exit the freeway

Package E was for the alterations to the Kwinana Freeway between the CBD and Glen Iris, including strengthening the existing Narrows Bridge for the northbound tracks and adding a parallel bridge for the southbound tracks, widening and strengthening Mount Henry Bridge, earthworks for Bull Creek and Murdoch stations, realigning and reconstructing the freeway ramps and intersections at Leach Highway and South Street, replacing a bus on ramp at Canning Bridge station, and realigning the freeway carriageways.^[99][100] Works were not required south of Glen Iris as this was done as part of the Kwinana Freeway upgrade earlier.^[101] This package was the only one managed by Main Roads Western Australia rather than New MetroRail.^[43]

By May 2003, two consortia had been shortlisted: Thiess Barclay Mowlem Joint Venture and Leighton Contractors.^[99] As Thiess was a subsidiary of Leighton, concerns about a lack of competition in the tender process were raised, but MacTiernan said that a lack of contractors that could do the work left the government with no choice but to accept the bids.^[102] Leighton was selected as the preferred proponent in October 2003^[100][103] and the contract was approved in December 2003 for $99.1 million. This coincided with an announcement that the planned commencement of services to Mandurah had been brought forward to the end of 2006.^[104] The contract was signed the following month.^[105][106]

Over one hundred workers went on strike for two days in April 2005 after two union official was allegedly assaulted by a subcontractor at the Leach Highway site.^[107] They were joined by two hundred and fifty workers from the City Project as well.^[108] The strike ended after three days.^[109]

A beam for the Narrows Bridge being transported to the site

Before the Mandurah line was built, the Narrows Bridge, which crosses the Swan River, consisted of two parallel bridges with bus lanes as the innermost lane of each bridge. The older, southbound bridge was too weak and did not have enough room for railway tracks, so a third bridge was built in between the two bridges for the southbound Mandurah line track. This was built using precast concrete beams which were craned into position. The northbound bridge had to be strengthened to carry the northbound track.^[110][111] For the Mount Henry Bridge, which crosses the Canning River, the original plan was for extra lanes to be added to both its west and east sides and for the middle lanes to be used for the railway, but Leighton proposed constructing a single standalone bridge on the western side,^[110][112] saving $17 million.^[112] Construction at the Mount Henry Bridge began in May 2004.^[42] The new bridge opened on 22–23 January 2006, allowing work on the rail corridor to begin on the original bridge. The new bridge was 15 metres (49 ft) wide, 660 metres (2,170 ft) long, and was constructed using the incremental launch method.^[112][113] Package E was completed in June 2006.^[114]

Railway construction

Mandurah line north of Bull Creek station, viewed from Cranford Avenue, April 2006

Package A involved civil works, drainage, track construction, and construction of the overhead line equipment, as well as earthworks for stations between Cockburn Central and Mandurah. By May 2003, four consortia had pre-qualified to tender for Package A:^[99]

• ConnectWest (Queensland Rail and BGC Contracting)
• Leighton Downer MVM (Leighton Contractors, Works Infrastructure and MVM Rail)
• RailLink Joint Venture (John Holland, Macmahon Contractors and Multiplex Constructions)
• Thiess Barclay Mowlem (Thiess and Barclay Mowlem)^[99]

In addition to Package E, concerns about a lack of competition were raised for Package A, as John Holland and Thiess were subsidiaries of Leighton Contractors, meaning three out of the four bids involved Leighton.^[102] ConnectWest withdrew during the tender period. RailLink Joint Venture was announced as the preferred proponent in December 2003^[115][116] and awarded the contract in May 2004 for $310 million.^{[117][118][119]}

In January 2005, prior to the start of construction on Package A, 140 workers on other John Holland sites across Perth went on a solidarity strike, demanding pay rates equalling Leighton's workers. The sites included an extension of Tonkin Highway, the Kenwick tunnel for the Thornlie line, a rail depot in Kewdale, and a building on St Georges Terrace.^[120] The strike lasted for five days,^[121] with John Holland later agreeing to the pay rise. The strike was investigated by the Building Industry Task Force.

Mandurah line north of Murdoch station, December 2006

Track laying began on 16 March 2006, starting from RailLink's temporary depot in Hillman.^{[42][122][123]} For the most part, a track laying machine was used, which could lay 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) of track per day.^{[122][123][124]} The machine started by laying track north to Roe Highway, then south to Gordon Road in Mandurah, then north to the Narrows Bridge. The track south of Gordon Road and north of the Narrows Bridge was not laid by the machine.^[124] By the end of 2006, track laying was complete.^[42]

The Public Transport Authority reached a $21.8 million settlement with RailLink due to unavoidable delays in construction.^{[125][126][127]}

Station construction

Cockburn Central station under construction in December 2005

The nine stations between Canning Bridge and Mandurah were grouped into three packages. Package B consisted of Cockburn Central, Kwinana and Wellard stations, Package C consisted of Rockingam, Warnbro and Mandurah stations, and Package D consisted of Canning Bridge, Bull Creek and Murdoch stations. In September 2003, the state government called for expressions of interest for the three station packages.^[128]

The Package D contract was awarded to John Holland for $32 million in November 2004.^{[129][130][131]} In March 2005, the Package B contract was awarded to a joint venture between DORIC Constructions and Brierty Contractors for $32 million.^[132][133] Package C was divided into two contracts, which were awarded in June 2005 for a total of $38 million. The contract for Rockingham and Warnbro stations was awarded to the DORIC Brierty Joint Venture and the contract for Mandurah station was awarded to JM and ED Moore.^[134][135]

Cockburn Central, Kwinana, Wellard and Mandurah stations reached practical completion on 2 January 2007. Rockingham and Warnbro stations reached practical completion on 9 March 2007.^[42] Canning Bridge, Bull Creek and Murdoch stations reached practical completion in June 2007.^[114]

Other

Package G was for a new train control system for the Southern Suburbs Railway and the existing network, which used a system installed in 1989. The contract for that was awarded to Union Switch & Signal in July 2003 for $10.6 million.^[136] The new system was launched on 4 July 2005.^[137]

Opening

Plaque at Mandurah station commemorating the opening of the Mandurah line on 23 December 2007

In April 2005, MacTiernan claimed that the Southern Suburbs Railway would be completed on time and on budget, despite the ongoing industrial problems.^[138] Later that month, she revealed that the opening date had been delayed from December 2006 to April 2007 due to delays on the City Project as a result of heritage protection works at Perth Underground station, engineering challenges on the foreshore, and industrial disputes, which had also caused a delay for Package A's track laying. A $45 million cost blowout was also revealed.^[139][140] A further delay to July 2007 was announced in April 2006.^[141][142] In May 2007, it was announced that the July opening date would not be met and that it was unknown what the new opening date was.^[143] A completion date of November was given in June 2007.^[144]

The first train ran through the William Street tunnel in August 2007.^[42][145] The City Project reached practical completion in September 2007 and was handed over to the PTA on 10 September.^[146][147] From 7 October to 14 October, the Fremantle line was fully closed and the Joondalup line was closed south of Leederville station so that the William Street tunnel's tracks, signalling, electrical, and communications systems could be connected to the rest of the network.^[42][148] The two underground stations opened on 15 October 2007.^{[149][150][151]}

A test train ran between Perth and Rockingham on 9 November 2007, the first train south of the Narrows Bridge.^{[42][152][153]} The success of the test train allowed for the line's opening date of 23 December 2007 to be announced the following day. Driver training was scheduled to begin on 19 November.^[154][155] A public ballot was held for people to win a ticket to ride the inaugural train.^[156] The line was opened on 23 December by Premier Alan Carpenter and Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Alannah MacTiernan.^{[157][158][159]}

Post-opening

Since opening, there have been proposals for stations to be built at South Perth, Aubin Grove, Karnup and Lakelands. Of those stations, Aubin Grove was opened in 2017 and Lakelands station opened in 2023.

After the opening of the Mandurah line, the government committed to building a station by 2010 at Richardson Street in South Perth.^[160] The station would serve major attractions such as Perth Zoo and crowds heading to the South Perth foreshore to watch the City of Perth Skyworks. After a change in government in September 2008, South Perth station was delayed to opening in 2013.^[160] The station was not in the 2009 state budget,^[161] and has not been built since.

Aubin Grove station

In August 2012, the government announced plans for the construction of Aubin Grove station, at Russell Road between Cockburn Central station and Kwinana station. The station was planned to cost $80 million.^{[162][163][164]} A tender for the construction of the station was released in July 2014.^[165][166] In February 2015, CAMPS, which is a joint venture between Coniglio Ainsworth Architects and M. P. S. Architects, was selected to design the station.^[167][168] In late-2015, Georgiou Group was awarded the construction contract.^[169] Construction began in March 2016,^[170] and on 23 April 2017, the station was opened. The project had a final cost of $125 million, of which $72 million was for the station.^{[171][172][173]}

Ahead of the 2017 state election, both major parties promised to build a $520 million extension of the Thornlie line to link up with the Mandurah line at Cockburn. The line was planned to follow the previously planned alignment of the Mandurah line, along the Kwinana freight railway, and have stations at Ranford Road and Nicholson Road, before entering the Kwinana Freeway and terminating at a new platform at Cockburn Central station. One of the publicised advantages of the line was that it would make getting to Perth Stadium quicker for people south of Cockburn Central, as the stadium, which was under construction at the time, is along the Armadale/Thornlie line.^[174][175] The Labor Party also promised to build a station at Karnup, between Mandurah and Warnbro, as part of their proposed Metronet program of public transport expansion.^[176]

Cockburn Central station platform three under construction in December 2022

The Labor Party won the election. Early works began in late 2019,^[177] with full constructing beginning in 2020.^[178] The extension is expected to open in 2024^{[needs update]}.^{[179][180][181]} As part of a major realignment of railway tracks at the Cockburn Central railway station, the Mandurah line was closed between Elizabeth Quay and Aubin Grove from 26 December 2021 to 14 January 2022,^[182] in what Metronet said was the longest ever shutdown on Perth's public transport network.^[183] In this time, the existing tracks were moved to the edge of the rail corridor to make room for the new Thornlie line tracks that will run between the Mandurah line tracks.^[182]

Lakelands station under construction

The Labor Party also promised ahead of the 2017 election to build a station at Karnup, between Mandurah and Warnbro.^[184] In March 2019, Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised $10 million in federal funding for a station at Lakelands, between Mandurah and Karnup.^[185] That was later increased to 80% of the $80 million construction cost, which prompted the state government in November 2019 to delay construction of Karnup station in favour of constructing Lakelands station. Requests from the state government for the federal government to fund Karnup station instead were refused.^[186][187] ADCO Constructions was selected as the preferred proponent in December 2021,^[188][189] with the company being awarded the contract in January 2020.^[190] Works for Lakelands station began in August 2021,^[191] and the station opened on 11 June 2023.^[192][193]

Description

The railway uses 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge; the same as the rest of the Transperth network. It is designed for a maximum train speed of 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph), however trains do not go above 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) in regular operation.^[194] 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 39 °C (102 °F), and by an additional 10 kilometres per hour (6.2 mph) when the air temperature is above 41 °C (106 °F).^[195][196]

The line uses an overhead 25 kV AC power supply system, which is the same system as the rest of the Transperth network. Third rail 750 V DC power was considered but was not chosen because it would require the rolling stock to be modified to use both power systems, which would reduce performance and cost over $20 million. This system would also require that traction supply substations be located within 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) intervals.^[197]

The Transperth network currently uses fixed block signalling and automatic train protection, which stops trains that pass a red signal and slows trains that drive too fast.^[198]: 21 These systems will be replaced by communications-based train control as part of Metronet.^[199][200] The new systems are planned to be in place on the Mandurah line by June 2029,^[198]: 77 and will allow up to at least 30 trains per hour to use the line.^[198]: 28

Fencing is used along the entire line aside from the freeway and tunnel sections. Concrete barriers are along the freeway section of the line, separating road traffic from the railway.^[194]

As a result of the large station spacing, the Mandurah line is the fastest passenger rail service in Australia, with an average speed of 84 kilometres per hour (52 mph).^[201]

Route

The Mandurah line operates as a through service with the Yanchep line. The service between Perth Underground station and Elizabeth Quay station is designated as both the Mandurah and Yanchep lines.^[202][203] This section is underground in twin bored tunnels, and has a roughly north–south heading. Perth Underground station has an underground pedestrian link to the rest of Perth station. North of Perth Underground station, along the Yanchep line, the track bends westwards, then surfaces parallel to the Fremantle line, allowing trains to switch tracks to the rest of the network.^{[citation needed]} Approximately 36 kilometres (22 mi) north along the Yanchep line is the Nowergup depot,^[204] where maintenance on trains occurs, and where most Mandurah and Yanchep line trains are stored.^{[citation needed]}

South from Elizabeth Quay station, the tracks bend westwards in a cut-and-cover tunnel, surfacing in parts for the next 400 metres (1,300 ft), before permanently surfacing. 200 metres (660 ft) after that, the railway passes under a bridge for the southbound carriageway of the Mitchell Freeway, whilst gradually turning south, and entering the freeway's median. Just south of there, the railway crosses the Swan River on the Narrows Bridge, where the Mitchell Freeway changes name to the Kwinana Freeway.^[205]

From the Narrows Bridge, the railway travels along the median of the Kwinana Freeway, parallel to the shore of the Swan and Canning rivers. The only station along this section is Canning Bridge station, which is at the point where the Canning Highway crosses the freeway and the Canning River. At approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of the Narrows Bridge, the railway and freeway cross the Canning River on the Mount Henry Bridge.^[205]

South of the Mount Henry Bridge, the railway continues in the median of the Kwinana Freeway. Stations along this section, from north to south, are Bull Creek station, where Leach Highway interchanges with the freeway; Murdoch station, where South Street interchanges with the freeway; Cockburn Central station, between the freeway's interchanges with Armadale Road and Beeliar Drive; and Aubin Grove station, where the freeway has an interchange with Russell Road and Gibbs Road. About halfway between Murdoch station and Cockburn Central station is the Glen Iris Tunnel, where the Thornlie line will enter the Kwinana Freeway median. 21 kilometres (13 mi) south of the Mount Henry Bridge, the railway dives down into a cut-and-cover tunnel, and exits the Kwinana Freeway.^[205]

After exiting the freeway, the railway goes in a south-westerly direction, passing through the City of Kwinana. Stations along here are Kwinana station and Wellard station. When the railway reaches Rockingham station, Perth, it turns in a southerly direction, and travels parallel to Ennis Avenue for 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), passing through Warnbro station. For the remainder of the line, it travels south, through rural and suburban areas, towards Lakelands station. About 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south of Lakelands, the railway then travels in the median of Mandjoogoordap Drive for 4 kilometres (2.5 mi), entering and exiting the road through cut-and-cover tunnels.^[205] At the line's Mandurah terminus, there is a small railcar depot, used for cleaning and storing trains overnight.^{[citation needed]}

Stations

Elizabeth Quay station

Canning Bridge station

Murdoch station

Warnbro station

The Mandurah line has 13 stations. All 11 stations outside the Perth CBD have been designed with a dedicated bus interchange.

Station	Distance from Perth[204]		Fare zone[202]	Location	Opened	Connections
	km	mi
Perth Underground	0.0	0.0	1/FTZ	Perth	15 October 2007	Bus at Perth Busport Australind, Airport, Armadale, Fremantle, Midland and Thornlie lines Services continue on the Yanchep line
Elizabeth Quay	0.6	0.4	1/FTZ	Perth	15 October 2007	Bus at Elizabeth Quay bus station
Canning Bridge	7.2	4.5	1	Como	23 December 2007	Bus
Bull Creek	11.7	7.3	2	Bateman, Bull Creek	23 December 2007	Bus
Murdoch	13.9	8.6	2	Leeming, Murdoch	23 December 2007	Bus
Cockburn Central	20.5	12.7	3	Cockburn Central, Jandakot	23 December 2007	Bus
Aubin Grove	23.8	14.8	3	Atwell, Success	23 April 2017	Bus
Kwinana	32.9	20.4	4	Bertram, Parmelia	23 December 2007	Bus
Wellard	37.1	23.1	4	Wellard	23 December 2007	Bus
Rockingham	43.2	26.8	5	Cooloongup, Rockingham	23 December 2007	Bus
Warnbro	47.5	29.5	5	Warnbro	23 December 2007	Bus
Lakelands	64.5	40.1	7	Lakelands	11 June 2023	Bus
Mandurah	70.8	44.0	7	Mandurah	23 December 2007	Bus

Service

Transperth train services are operated by the Public Transport Authority's Transperth Train Operations division.^[206] Mandurah line headways reach as low as five minutes during peak, increasing to fifteen minutes outside peak and on weekends, and half-an-hour to an hour at night. During peak, some trains terminate or commence at Cockburn Central station. The travel time from Perth Underground station to Mandurah station is 54 minutes. On weeknights, the last train arrives at Mandurah station at 1:11 am and the first train departs at 4:35 am. On Saturday and Sunday nights, the last train arrives at Mandurah station 3:09 am and the first train departs at 5:02 am on Saturdays and 6:25 am on Sundays.^[202]

Before January 2016, express services operated on the Mandurah line during peak periods to manage overcrowding. The introduction of more B-series sets allowed for most trains during peak to be six cars long, which increased capacity and allowed for all services to stop at all stations from 31 January 2016 onwards.^[207][208] Before then, some peak trains skipped Canning Bridge station.^[209][210] Before June 2009, services terminating at Cockburn Central operated off-peak as well, making for 7½-minute headways between Perth and Cockburn Central during the day.^[211][212] These services were withdrawn to save money.^{[213][214][215]}

From 2031, peak frequencies on the Mandurah line are planned to reach 18 trains per hour, which will be made possible by C-series trains having three doors per car, which reduces dwell times compared to B-series trains, and the communications-based train control signalling upgrade.^[216]

Rolling stock

Transperth B-series train at Lakelands station

Transperth C-series train at Canning Bridge station

The main rolling stock used on the Mandurah line are Transperth B-series and C-series trains, with A-series trains sometimes used. The A-series trains entered service between 1991 and 1999, have a maximum speed of 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph), and consist of two cars which are usually joined to form four-car trains. Each car has two doors on each side.^[217] The B-series trains entered service between 2004 and 2019,^[218] have a maximum speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph), and consist of three cars which are usually joined to form six-car trains. Each car has two doors per side.^[219] The C-series trains have been entering service since 2024, have a maximum speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph), and consist of six cars with three doors on the side of each car.^[216]

In May 2002, the government signed a contract with EDI Rail and Bombardier Transportation for the construction of Nowergup depot at the northern end of the Joondalup line and the delivery and maintenance of thirty-one three car B-series trains to be used on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines.^[220][221] The government ordered fifteen additional B-series trains in December 2006.^{[222][223][224]} The first of the additional railcars entered service in June 2009, allowing for some A-series trains to be transferred to other lines.^[213] In July 2011, a further fifteen B-series trains were ordered.^[225][226] This order eventually increased to twenty-two.^[227][228] The first of these trains entered service in December 2013. By the end of that order, all A-series trains had been transferred to other lines and almost every peak hour train on the Mandurah line was six-cars long.^[229]

In December 2019, the government signed a contract with Alstom for the delivery and maintenance of forty-one C-series trains^[230][231] to replace the A-series trains and provide the rolling stock required for network expansions. The C-series trains have three doors on the side of each car, decreasing dwell times.^[216] The first C-series train entered service on the Mandurah and Joondalup lines on 8 April 2024.^{[232][233][234]} The C-series trains are planned to only be used on the Yanchep and Mandurah lines initially, with B-series trains transferred to other lines to replace the retiring A-series trains.^[216]

Most trains on the Mandurah line are stored and cleaned at Nowergup depot. There is also Mandurah depot, which can store and clean a smaller number of trains. Maintenance occurs at Nowergup depot. As a result of increasing train frequency, a new depot may be required in the future along the Mandurah line.^[198]: 96

Patronage

The opening of the Mandurah line resulted in a large increase in Transperth train patronage, as well as a moderate increase in bus patronage.^[235] By February 2008, the average number of boardings on the Mandurah line was 30,000 per weekday and 15,000 per weekend day.^[236] By July 2008, this had reached nearly 50,000 boardings per weekday, reaching the target quicker than expected. Boardings across the whole train network had increased by 57 percent since the Mandurah line opened, from 115,000 to 180,000 per day.^[237] Over the first half of 2008, the Mandurah line made up 28 percent of all fare-paying boardings, beating the Joondalup line to become the busiest Transperth railway line. PTA chief executive officer Reece Waldock described the Mandurah line as a "victim of its own success" due to overcrowding and full car parks. He attributed the higher-than-expected patronage to three factors: a resources boom in Western Australia at the time, an increase in fuel prices, and people conscious of their impact on climate change.^[238]

The Mandurah line reached an initial peak of 21,150,408 boardings in 2012–13 before a period of stagnation.^[239] Patronage declined the following financial year due to shutdowns caused by the Perth City Link and economic factors,^[240] but slightly increased in the year next. In 2015–16 and 2016–17, patronage declined again,^[239] but then increased over the following two years, reaching 20,900,819 in 2018–19 due to a rebound in Western Australia's economy.^[239][241] The pandemic's onset in 2020 resulted in a massive decrease,^[242] reaching a low of 14,357,888 boardings in 2021–22,^[239] rebounding since then to reach a new record of 21,874,779 boardings in 2023–24.^[239][243]

The busiest stations on the Mandurah line as of 2013–14, excluding Perth Underground and Elizabeth Quay, are Murdoch, Cockburn Central, Mandurah, and Bull Creek. The least busiest stations as of 2013–14 are Wellard, Kwinana, and Canning Bridge.^[244] As of October 2017, Elizabeth Quay and Murdoch stations are the second and third busiest Transperth stations respectively.^[245]

Mandurah line annual patronage^[239]

Year	Patronage	±%
2010–11	18,519,864	—
2011–12	20,293,223	+9.58%
2012–13	21,150,408	+4.22%
2013–14	20,663,690	−2.30%
2014–15	20,699,900	+0.18%
2015–16	20,595,401	−0.50%
2016–17	20,343,828	−1.22%
2017–18	20,545,716	+0.99%
2018–19	20,900,819	+1.73%
2019–20	16,882,261	−19.23%
2020–21	14,856,023	−12.00%
2021–22	14,357,888	−3.35%
2022–23	17,669,846	+23.07%
2023–24	21,874,779	+23.80%