Australind (train)

Last updated

Australind
Transwa Australind, Bunbury Passenger Terminal, 2014.JPG
An Australind at Bunbury in January 2014
Overview
Service typePassenger train
StatusSuspended (until mid-2025)
Locale South West Western Australia
First service24 November 1947
Last service19 November 2023
Current operator(s) Transwa
Former operator(s) WAGR (1947–1975)
Westrail (1975–2000)
WAGR Commission (2000–2003)
Ridership60,507 (year to June 2022)
Route
Termini Perth
Bunbury
Stops13
Distance travelled167 kilometres
Average journey time2 hours 30 minutes
Service frequencyTwice daily
Train number(s)9/10
Line(s) used South Western Railway
Technical
Rolling stock ADP/ADQ class railcars
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map
Australind (train)

The Australind is a currently suspended rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa on the South Western Railway between Perth and Bunbury.

Contents

The Australind was suspended in November 2023 due to the shutdown of the Armadale line for upgrading, and pending retirement of the current rolling stock. The route has been replaced by coach bus services until mid-2025. [1]

History

The Australind departs Perth in March 1986 hauled by an X class XA1411 + The Australind, Perth, 1986.JPG
The Australind departs Perth in March 1986 hauled by an X class

The Australind service began on 24 November 1947 and was hauled initially by U class steam locomotives. [2] With an average speed of 63 km/h (39 mph), it was the fastest narrow gauge passenger train in Australia. [3] It was named to commemorate the city of that name envisioned by Marshall Waller Clifton on Leschenault Inlet 100 years previously. The current hamlet of Australind, a satellite town of Bunbury, has never had a passenger rail service, nor even a railway line.

In February 1958, X class diesel locomotives took over. The service was relaunched on 1 October 1960 with onboard catering removing the need for an elongated stop at Pinjarra. On 16 November 1987, the current ADP/ADQ class railcars took over the service reducing journey times to 2 hours 30 minutes. [4] [5] [6] [7]

In November 2023 the service was suspended due to the shutdown of the Armadale line for upgrading. [1] The final two services on the current train sets - reserved for invited special guests - were conducted on 18 and 19 November 2023. [8]

Rolling stock

Australind Claisebrook-Apr02.jpg
Original livery
OIC westrail australind at bunbury.jpg
2003 refurbished livery
Australind Pinjarra.JPG
2007 refurbished livery

When introduced, the train consisted of new carriages built by the Midland Railway Workshops. [5] In August 1985, Westrail awarded Comeng, Bassendean a contract for five Westrail ADP/ADQ class railcars, three ADPs with driving cabs and two ADQs, using a similar body shell and interior fitout to the New South Wales XPT carriages. [9] Each carriage was powered by a Cummins KTA19 coupled to a Voith transmission. They usually operate as a three or four carriage set. Five carriage set operation is not possible due to the limited platform length available at Perth station. [6]

In July 2003, the trains were painted in a new livery in line with the formation of Transwa. In 2007, the trains were painted white as part of a refurbishment program. In 2010/11, new seats were fitted. [10]

In 2019, two new train sets, each consisting of a three-car diesel multiple unit, were ordered for the Australind at a cost of $54 million. The trains will be built by Alstom in Bellevue as diesel-powered variants of the Transperth C-series trains already under construction. The new train sets will be introduced to the service when the route resumes in 2025. [11] [12] [13] In January 2025 it was announced that two additional train sets would be procured for the route for $80 million; the new trains were obtained to increase reliability and future frequency of the service. [14]

Route

The Australind departs from Perth traversing the metropolitan Armadale line to Armadale, then the South Western Railway to Bunbury. [15]

Stations

Ridership

The Australind had 60,507 passengers in the year leading up to June 2022. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perth railway station</span> Railway station in Perth, Western Australia

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 Airport, Armadale, Ellenbrook, Fremantle, Midland, and Thornlie lines as well as Transwa's Australind service. It is also directly connected to Perth Underground railway station, which has the Yanchep and Mandurah lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armadale railway station, Perth</span> Railway station in Perth, Western Australia

Armadale is a temporarily closed suburban and regional railway station, located on the South Western Railway 30 kilometres from Perth station serving the suburb of Armadale, Brookdale and Haynes. It was demolished in November 2023 as part of a project to rebuild the station on an elevated viaduct and extend the Armadale line to Byford. Before closure, it was the terminating point for Transperth Armadale line services and a calling point for Transwa Australind services.

<i>AvonLink</i> Passenger train between Midland and Northam, Western Australia

The AvonLink is a rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa between Midland and Northam.

<i>The Prospector</i> (train) Passenger train between East Perth and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia

The Prospector is a rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa between East Perth and Kalgoorlie. On this service, two trains depart almost at the same time in opposite directions. One travels between East Perth and Kalgoorlie, the other between Kalgoorlie and East Perth with crew changeover occurring in Merredin. The original vehicles ordered in 1968 for trains providing this service were replaced in 2004 with vehicles capable of reducing journey times to 6 hours 45 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotham Valley Railway</span> Tourist and heritage railway in Western Australia

The Hotham Valley Tourist Railway is a tourist and heritage railway in the Peel region of Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey, Western Australia</span> Town in Western Australia

Harvey is a town located in the South West of Western Australia along the South Western Highway, 140 kilometres (87 mi) south of Perth, between Pinjarra and Bunbury. It has a population of 2,797. Harvey Town is known for its dairy industry and oranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Australian Government Railways</span> Former government railway commission in Western Australia

Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) was the state owned operator of railways in the state of Western Australia between October 1890 and June 2003. Owned by the state government, it was renamed a number of times to reflect extra responsibility for tram and ferry operations that it assumed and later relinquished. Westrail was the trading name of the WAGR from September 1975 until December 2000, when the WAGR's freight division and the Westrail brand were privatised. Its remaining passenger operations were transferred to the Public Transport Authority in July 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Western Australia</span> Western Australia

Railways in Western Australia were developed in the 19th century both by the Government of Western Australia and a number of private companies. Today passenger rail services are controlled by the Public Transport Authority through Transperth, which operates public transport in Perth, and Transwa, which operates country passenger services. Journey Beyond operates the Indian Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Western Railway, Western Australia</span> Main railway route between Perth and Bunbury in Western Australia

The South Western Railway, also known as the South West Main Line, is the main railway route between Perth and Bunbury in Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Bunbury railway station</span> Former railway station in Bunbury, Western Australia

The Old Bunbury railway station was the main railway station for Bunbury, Western Australia from 1894 until 1996. It was the terminus for the Australind passenger railway service from Perth. It was replaced in May 1985 by the current Bunbury Terminal in East Bunbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAGR X class</span> Australian diesel-electric locomotive class

The WAGR X class is a now-withdrawn class of diesel locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock & Company and Metropolitan-Vickers, Bowesfield Works, Stockton-on-Tees for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between 1954 and 1956. Several members of the class have been preserved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railways in Perth</span> Public transport system serving Perth, Western Australia

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 eight Transperth suburban rail lines and 94 stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAGR WCA/WCE class</span>

The WAGR WCA class railcars and WCE class trailers were built by Comeng, Granville for the Western Australian Government Railways in 1971 to operate the new Prospector service between East Perth and Kalgoorlie. At the time of their construction the WCA class units were the longest and fastest diesel railcars in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westrail ADP/ADQ class</span>

The Westrail ADP/ADQ class is a retired class of railcars built by Comeng, Bassendean for Westrail in 1987 to operate the Australind service between Perth and Bunbury. Operation and ownership of the fleet was transferred to Transwa when Westrail was superseded by Transwa in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAGR ADF/ADU class</span> Western Australian diesel railcars

The WAGR ADF class was a six member class of diesel-electric railcars operated by the Western Australian Government Railways between 1949 and 1975.

The Bunbury Belle was a passenger train operated by the Western Australian Government Railways between Perth and Bunbury via the South Western line from June 1964 until July 1975.

The Shopper was a passenger train operated by the Western Australian Government Railways between Perth and Bunbury via the South Western line from June 1964 until July 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey railway station, Western Australia</span> Railway station in Western Australia

Harvey railway station is located on the South Western Railway in Western Australia. It serves the town of Harvey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northcliffe railway line</span> Former railway in Western Australia

The Northcliffe branch, also known as the Northcliffe section or Picton to Northcliffe line, is the railway route between Picton and Northcliffe in Western Australia.

References

  1. 1 2 "Australind service changes". Transwa. Public Transport Authority. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "The Australind – Fast Day Train to Bunbury". Kalgoorlie Miner . 26 November 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  3. ↑ Gunzburg, Adrian (1984). A History of WAGR Steam Locomotives. Perth: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 128. ISBN   0-9599690-3-9.
  4. ↑ May, Andrew S; Gray, Bill (2006). A History of WAGR Passenger Carriages. Midland, WA: Bill Gray. pp. 183, 312, 314. ISBN   0646459023.
  5. 1 2 Higham, Geoffrey (2007). Marble Bar to Mandurah: A history of passenger rail services in Western Australia. Bassendean: Rail Heritage WA. pp. 111, 113, 119. ISBN   978-0-9803922-0-3.
  6. 1 2 Dunn, John C. (2013). "Perth-Bunbury Railcars". Comeng: A History of Commonwealth Engineering Volume 5, 1985-2012. Dural, NSW: Rosenberg Publishing. pp. 113–122. ISBN   9781925078046.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ "Australind Timetable" (PDF). Transwa. Public Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  8. ↑ "End of an era: Australind train farewelled after 36 years serving communities between Bunbury and Perth". Harvey-Waroona Reporter. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  9. ↑ "Western Australia" Railway Digest September 1985 page 279
  10. ↑ Annual Report June 2011 Archived 27 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine Public Transport Authority
  11. ↑ Minister for Transport (18 August 2019). "Made in WA: Metronet railcars to be proudly built in WA". Archived from the original on 5 September 2019.
  12. ↑ "Alstom to supply next generation of EMUs to Perth". Metro Report International. 20 August 2019. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019.
  13. ↑ "New Australind Railcar Design Unveiled". Railway-News. 23 January 2020. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  14. ↑ "Major boost for Bunbury and Peel region with Government to procure two more Australind trains". 23 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  15. ↑ "Our fleet". Public Transport Authority. Perth, WA: Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  16. ↑ "Public Transport Authority Annual Report 2021-22" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. 2022. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.