Overview | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Service type | Passenger train | ||||
Status | Operational | ||||
Locale | Western Australia | ||||
First service | 24 September 1995 | ||||
Current operator(s) | Transwa | ||||
Former operator(s) | Westrail (1995-2000) WAGR Commission (2000-2003) | ||||
Ridership | 7,057 (year to June 2022) | ||||
Route | |||||
Termini | Midland Northam | ||||
Distance travelled | 97 kilometres | ||||
Average journey time | 1 hour 20 minutes | ||||
Service frequency | Daily (weekdays only) | ||||
Line(s) used | Eastern | ||||
Technical | |||||
Rolling stock | WEA/WEB railcar | ||||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||||
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The AvonLink is a rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa between Midland and Northam.
The consideration of revitalising passenger services in 1993 saw the Avonlink Ministerial Committee formed by Minister for Transport Eric Charlton. [1]
The first AvonLink service departed Northam for East Perth on 24 September 1995, and was significant, as it was the first new country passenger rail service in Western Australia for 47 years.[ dubious ] [2] [3] From July 2001, the Perth terminus moved from East Perth to Midland where a connection is made with Transperth Midland line services. [4]
In June 2004, the AvonLink was extended to Merredin on three days a week, operating as the MerredinLink . [5] In September 2006, Transwa trialed a day trip Sunday service to Northam. [6] The six-week trial proved popular with each service being fully booked out weeks in advance. However, due to overall lack of passengers at other times the service was discontinued.
In August 2013, Transwa announced the AvonLink would cease on 30 December 2013 due to poor patronage and be replaced by a road coach. [7] However, this announcement generated significant criticism. On 19 November 2013, two Wheatbelt region MLAs, Mia Davies and Shane Love, presented petitions to the WA State Parliament calling for the retention of the AvonLink. The petitions bore a total of more than 3,000 signatures of Avon Valley residents. [8] [9] [10]
On 3 December 2013, Minister for Transport Troy Buswell announced the AvonLink service would be retained, initially for a period of six months, while Transwa and the Wheatbelt Development Commission worked through the funding solution required to keep the service running beyond that initial period. [10] [11]
In May 2014, it was announced that an enhanced service would continue until at least June 2017. [12] [13]
In December 2014, an enhanced service was introduced with services increased from one to three trains on certain days. [14] From July 2017, the AvonLink was reduced back to one service in each direction on weekdays only. [15]
As at June 2022, one Avonlink service operates on weekdays in each direction between Midland and Northam stopping at Toodyay. [16]
The service commenced with WCA/WCE railcars built in 1971 to operate The Prospector . [17] [18]
In December 2000 Westrail awarded a contract to United Goninan, Broadmeadow for 9 WDA/WDB/WDC railcars to replace the 1971 built stock. 3 WDA/WDB and 1 WDC were for The Prospector and 2 WEA/WEB were for the AvonLink and MerredinLink services. [19] [20] The new train entered service on 1 August 2005. [3]
The AvonLink had 7,057 passengers in the year leading up to June 2022. [21]
Toodyay, known as Newcastle between 1860 and 1910, is a town on the Avon River in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 85 kilometres (53 mi) north-east of Perth. The first European settlement occurred in the area in 1836. After flooding in the 1850s, the townsite was moved to its current location in the 1860s. It is connected by railway and road to Perth. During the 1860s, it was home to bushranger Moondyne Joe.
Transwa is Western Australia's regional public transport provider, linking 240 destinations, from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south west to Esperance in the south east.
The Wheatbelt is one of nine regions of Western Australia defined as administrative areas for the state's regional development, and a vernacular term for the area converted to agriculture during colonisation. It partially surrounds the Perth metropolitan area, extending north from Perth to the Mid West region, and east to the Goldfields–Esperance region. It is bordered to the south by the South West and Great Southern regions, and to the west by the Indian Ocean, the Perth metropolitan area, and the Peel region. Altogether, it has an area of 154,862 square kilometres (59,793 sq mi).
The Eastern Railway is the main railway route between Fremantle and Northam in Western Australia. It opened in stages between 1881 and 1893. The line continues east to Kalgoorlie as the Eastern Goldfields Railway.
Midland railway station is the terminus of the Midland line in Perth. Western Australia. It is operated by Transperth and is connected with the feeder bus services that utilise the adjacent bus terminal in Midland.
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 travelling between East Perth and Kalgoorlie, and the other between Kalgoorlie and East Perth. 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.
The Australind is a rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa on the South Western Railway between Perth and Bunbury.
Kewdale Freight Terminal is a large intermodal rail facility in the Perth suburb of Kewdale, Western Australia. Branching off the Kwinana freight railway, it was built in the 1960s to replace the Perth marshalling yard. It initially comprised ten narrow gauge (1067mm) and seven standard gauge (1435mm) arrival roads.
Kellerberrin is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 205 kilometres (127 mi) east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. The town serves as a stop on the Prospector and MerredinLink rural train services. It is also located on the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail.
Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) was the operator of railway services 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 WAGR from September 1975 until December 2000, when the WAGR's freight division and the Westrail name and logo were privatised. Its freight operations were privatised in December 2000 with the remaining passenger operations transferred to the Public Transport Authority in July 2003.
Hines Hill is a town located 240 km (150 mi) east of Perth, between the towns of Merredin and Doodlakine in Western Australia. The town is situated on the Great Eastern Highway and also on the edge of Lake Baandee. The town has one of the first privately owned weighbridges in Western Australia is located close to the town.
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. Great Southern Rail operates the Indian Pacific.
Merredin railway station is located on the Eastern Goldfields Railway in Western Australia. It is in the town of Merredin.
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.
The Transwa WDA/WDB/WDC and WEA/WEB classes are two classes of railcars built by United Goninan, Broadmeadow for Transwa in 2004–2005 to replace the WAGR WCA/WCE class railcars on the AvonLink, MerredinLink and Prospector services in Western Australia.
The Public Transport Centre is a terminal and administration building for public transport in Perth, Western Australia. It is the centerpiece of East Perth Terminal, a standard gauge railway station and coach terminal adjacent to East Perth station on the Transperth narrow gauge suburban rail network.
Toodyay railway station is located on the Eastern Railway in the Avon River town of Toodyay in Western Australia.
Northam railway station is located in Northam on the Eastern Railway route in Western Australia. It is the second and more recent railway station in Northam.
The MerredinLink is a rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa between East Perth and Merredin.
Media related to Transwa Avonlink at Wikimedia Commons