Yanchep line

The Yanchep line (known as the Joondalup line prior to 14 July 2024) is a suburban railway line and service in Perth, Western Australia, linking the city's central business district (CBD) with its northern suburbs. Operated by the Public Transport Authority as part of the Transperth system, the Yanchep line is 54.5 km long and has sixteen stations. It commences in a tunnel under the Perth CBD as a through service with the Mandurah line. North from there, the line enters the median strip of the Mitchell Freeway, where nine of the line's stations are. The Yanchep line diverges from the freeway to serve the centre of Joondalup and permanently leaves the freeway north of Butler for the northernmost four stations to Yanchep.

Planning for a rapid transit service to the northern suburbs began in 1987. After several transport modes were considered, including bus rapid transit, an electric railway was chosen. Known during planning and construction as the Northern Suburbs Railway, the project was approved by cabinet in 1989 and construction began in November 1989. The line was built under several different contracts, with the total cost of the original project being A$277million. It used widely-spaced stations with bus interchanges and large park-and-rides, distinguishing the line from Perth's three existing rail lines. The line opened on 20 December 1992 as the Joondalup line to limited service and with three stations: Leederville, Edgewater and Joondalup. Four more stations opened on 28 February 1993, and on 21 March 1993, peak service and feeder bus routes commenced. The final original station, Currambine, opened on 8 August 1993.

An extension north to Clarkson station and rebuild of Currambine station opened on 4 October 2004, which coincided with the introduction of B-series trains. On 29 January 2005, Greenwood opened as an infill station. The Joondalup line originally through-ran with the Armadale line via Perth station, but in 2005, the line started terminating at Perth station, and on 15 October 2007 the line was rerouted through a new tunnel under the CBD, with two new stations: Perth Underground and Elizabeth Quay. The Mandurah line opened on 23 December 2007 to connect with the southern end of that tunnel. An extension north to Butler station opened on 21 September 2014 and a three station extension north to Yanchep station was opened on 14 July 2024, upon which the line became the Yanchep line.

B-series and C-series trains are the main rolling stock used on the Yanchep line. A-series trains are used on weekdays and as backup services when B-series are used on Stadium services. End-to-end services run at a fifteen minute headway, reducing to a ten minute headway in peak. Additional peak services run between Perth and Whitfords or Clarkson stations, making for a five minute headway on inner sections of the line. The Yanchep line received 14,045,991 boardings in the 2022–23 financial year, making it the second busiest line in the Transperth system, behind the Mandurah line.

Planning
The 1955 Plan for the Metropolitan Region, Perth and Fremantle, also known as the Stephenson–Hepburn Report, proposed a 12 mi railway line branching off the Eastern Railway (Fremantle line) at Daglish, then heading west to Reabold Hill and then north to Whitfords Beach via City Beach, Scarborough, and North Beach. The branch was planned to have about eight or nine stations and projected to have about 20,000 daily passenger journeys. The report also proposed a highway to Yanchep, now known as the Mitchell Freeway. When the Metropolitan Region Scheme was adopted in 1963 though, the land for the proposed highway was reserved but the not the land for the proposed railway.

The Northern Suburbs Rapid Transit Study was commissioned in 1987 by Transperth and the Department of Transport at the request of the Government of Western Australia. The study, published in September 1988 and written by a team of consultants, considered the mode of transport to use and the route to take. Routes considered were along West Coast Highway, Marmion Avenue, the western side of the Mitchell Freeway, the median strip of the Mitchell Freeway, the eastern side of the Mitchell Freeway, Wanneroo Road, and Alexander Drive. The median strip of the Mitchell Freeway was determined to have the lowest cost and least environmental impact out of each of the routes. Transport modes considered by the study were buses on a separate roadway, buses on a guided busway (like the O-Bahn Busway in Adelaide), light rail, heavy rail, automated rubber-tyred trains, high-capacity monorail, and an automated people mover system. A monorail or automated people mover were ruled out due to the cost and unproven nature of those technologies. Light rail was also ruled out due to having a lower operating speed than other modes and the desire to not introduce another mode to Perth's transport system. A bus expressway, guided busway and electric railway along the Mitchell Freeway were all shortlisted for further consideration.

Public consultation found that 41.0 percent of people preferred an electric railway, 34.4 percent preferred a bus expressway, 19.3 percent preferred a guided busway, 3.2 percent did not want any rapid transit, and 2.2 percent preferred some other option. The people who preferred rail chose it because of its greater comfort, lower pollution and less crowding. The people who preferred the bus options chose them because there would be no transfer for trips into the Perth central business district (CBD) and the bus options would cost less than a railway. The study suggested that the bus options could be built in multiple stages and the rail option could first be built between Perth and Warwick and later be extended to Joondalup. The two bus options were projected to increase northern suburbs public transport patronage by fourteen percent and the rail option was projected to increase patronage by nine to twelve percent, which was less than the bus options because of the time taken to transfer from bus to train. The net cost of the railway was estimated to be $145million, compared to $87million for the guided busway and $79million for the bus expressway. The Northern Suburbs Rapid Transit Study concluded that either of the bus options were preferred over the electrified railway, and that further studies should determine whether to build a bus expressway or a guided busway.

In response to the Northern Suburbs Rapid Transit Study, the state minister for transport, Bob Pearce, set up an expert panel consisting of Murdoch University Associate Professor Peter Newman, Tyne and Wear Transport Director General David F. Howard, and University of Pennsylvania Professor Vukan Vuchic. The expert panel concluded that an electrified railway would be the best option instead of a bus rapid transit system. They costed an electric railway at $124million and gave a lower operating cost for the railway compared to the bus options, making up the difference in cost within 12 to 15 years. The expert panel criticised the Northern Suburbs Rapid Transit Study for concentrating on commuters travelling to the CBD and said that the bus system it recommended would not serve people doing short or local trips well. The panel said that other cities show that a rail trunk line with feeder buses would attract more passengers. The railway option was officially chosen by Pearce by the end of 1988. The Liberal Party supported plans for a bus lane within the Mitchell Freeway, which prompted Pearce to claim that the Liberals did not want the railway.

The Northern Suburbs Transit System Master Plan was released in November 1989. It laid out the route of the Northern Suburbs Railway and works proposed to occur. The railway was to be 29 km long and have seven new stations: Glendalough, Warwick, Whitfords, Edgewater, Joondalup, and Burns (later renamed Currambine). It also gave the option of building stations at Oxford Street in Leederville, Wishhart Street between Stirling and Warwick, or Hepburn Avenue between Warwick and Whitfords. The railway's planned route was mostly along the median strip of the Mitchell Freeway, deviating in the Perth central business district (CBD) to reach Perth station and in Joondalup to service the future city centre of Joondalup. A section between Joondalup and Burns was to be west of the future freeway, which at the time only reached as far north as Ocean Reef Road. The section through Joondalup was to be in a trench below surface level to allow for roads to bridge across. The railway was to be fully grade separated with no level crossings, unlike Perth's existing rail network.

The decision to locate the Northern Suburbs Railway in the Mitchell Freeway's median strip was made to reduce costs as the freeway was already grade separated from other roads and had its own right-of-way. The disadvantage of freeway-running railways is that access to the stations is more difficult, with walking distance in earlier plans from a bus interchange to the platform being between 70 m and 180 m, and even longer for park-and-ride passengers. Earlier plans also had limited shelter and facilities at each station. This was deemed bad for patronage, so the master plan instead located bus interchanges closer to the station platform. In the cases of Stirling, Warwick and Whitfords stations, the bus interchanges are on a bridge directly above the train platforms. The feeder buses were planned to run between pairs of adjoining stations at a 10 to 15 minute headway in peak, covering the area between Wanneroo Road and the coastline. According to forecasts, two thirds of Northern Suburbs Railway passengers would use the feeder buses and 120 buses would be required. The opening of the railway would allow for express buses along the Mitchell Freeway to be phased out.

Much of the Mitchell Freeway was designed with provisions for a public transport corridor in its median strip, however, the section between Loftus Street in Leederville and McDonald Street in Osborne Park, which was just a single carriageway with a dividing barrier, was not. On that section, a second carriageway, which now carries the freeway's northbound lanes, was planned to be constructed. Additional bridges would be built across Vincent Street, Powis Street, and Scarborough Beach Road for the new carriageway and the railway. Twelve other road bridges and nine pedestrian bridges needed minor modifications so that there was enough clearance for the overhead wires, and four bridges over the railway in Joondalup needed to be constructed. The master plan said that alterations to Perth station were required. This included a new platform at the station's northern side, a new concourse west of the Horseshoe Bridge, and an extra span on the Barrack Street bridge. New stowage tracks at Claisebrook depot would be required, and trains would also be stored at Whitfords station temporarily and at Currambine station.

The total cost of the Northern Suburbs Railway was estimated to be $222.8million (equivalent to $million in ), of which $133.17million was for the railway's construction and $89.63million was for the acquisition of 22 two-car electric multiple unit trains. An additional $27million for the works to widen the Mitchell Freeway between Leederville and Osborne Park was funded separately. The $222.2million was higher than the $150million estimated in 1988 due to an underestimation in the cost of some parts of the project, increased facilities at stations, more bridges, the extension to Currambine which was not accounted for, additional railcars due to higher forecasted demand, and inflation. The railway was planned to opened between Perth and Joondalup by the end of 1992 and from Joondalup to Currambine by the end of 1993.

Construction
In 1989, the state government confirmed it planned to build the Northern Suburbs Railway. On 14 November 1989, Premier Peter Dowding hammered in the first spike, marking the beginning of construction. That year, the Parliament of Western Australia passed an enabling act authorising the construction of the railway, and on 15 January 1990, the act received royal assent.

The 130 m tunnel under Roe Street for the railway to enter the Mitchell Freeway was constructed using the cut-and-cover method. The walls of the tunnel was built by Remm Construction and the excavation, floor and roof was done by Leighton Contractors. The tunnel was constructed throughout 1991 and was planned to cost $8million. The road and rail bridges across Vincent Street, Powis Street, and Scarborough Beach Road were built by Leighton Contractors for $8.8million. Work started on those bridges in April 1991. The bridges were incrementally launched to avoid disruption to road traffic. The new northbound Mitchell Freeway carriageway north of Loftus Street opened on 21 June 1992, after eighteen months of construction, allowing railway work along that section to begin. The Fitzgerald Street level crossing, used by buses to access the Wellington Street bus station, was relocated 250 m west to avoid intersecting with the Northern Suburbs Railway. The master plan called for the level crossing to be replaced by a bridge instead, but parliament passed legislation in late 1991 to prevent the bridge from being built. The legislation was introduced to parliament by the independent member for Perth, Ian Alexander, and was supported by the Liberal Party and the independent member for Morley, Frank Donovan. A nearby bridge next to the Mitchell Freeway ended being built and opened in 2010 as part of the construction of Perth Arena.

Installation of the masts for the overhead line equipment was underway by April 1992. The masts were built by Delta Corporation and installed by Barclay Mowlem as an extension to their contract for the electrification of the existing rail network. Tracklaying started in July 1992, starting at the southern end and heading north. In November 1992, a $1.2million contract was awarded to TG Industries to supply a galvanised steel barrier between the railway and the Mitchell Freeway. The original master plan only called for crash barriers at stations, where the tracks are below freeway level, and a few other circumstances. A $2.8million contract for the construction of Currambine station was awarded to Doubikin Constructions in November 1992 as well. The overhead line equipment was energised for the first time on 31 October 1992. On 20 November 1992, the first A-series train ran on the railway, and on 7 December 1992, driver route training commenced.

The first stage of the Joondalup line was officially opened on 20 December 1992 by Premier Carmen Lawrence and [Transport Minister Pam Beggs. This involved the opening of Leederville, Edgewater and Joondalup stations. The West Australian newspaper reported that hundreds of people attended the opening of Leederville and Edgewater stations, and thousands of people attended the opening of Joondalup station, but that the state opposition criticised the opening ceremonies by saying that they were an "expensive political extravaganza". From 21 December, train services ran under a limited service "discoveride" brand, meaning that train services had a limited frequency of every half-an-hour and only operated between 9:30am and 2:30pm.

Glendalough, Stirling, Warwick and Whitfords stations opened on 28 February 1993, and on 21 March 1993, full service on the line between Perth and Joondalup commenced. This included trains in peak hour for the first time and feeder buses servicing the Joondalup line's bus interchanges. Bus routes which ran directly to the CBD were withdrawn. New Coalition Transport Minister Eric Charlton held a small opening ceremony at Joondalup station for the start of full service, in contrast to the large opening ceremony conducted by the Labor government in December 1992. He also highlighted the increased operating costs that the new line would have, which was used as a justification for a fare increase. On 8 August 1993, the extension to Currambine station opened, marking the completion of the Joondalup line for the time being. The final cost was $277million.

Expansion under New MetroRail


The first contract for the Clarkson extension was awarded in March 2001, when Brierty Contractors signed a $14million earthworks contract. Work began in May 2001 and was completed in November 2002. In July 2001, the contract for the construction of the rail bridge over Burns Beach Road was awarded to Transfield Pty Ltd for $1.7million. The Burns Beach Road bridge was completed in May 2003. In April 2002, Barclay Mowlem and Alstom were awarded a contract worth $17million for the rail infrastructure for the extension. This contract included the design and construction of the track, traction power, signalling and communications systems, as well as track relocation at Greenwood station. The $3.2million contract for the construction of Currambine station was awarded to John Holland Group in March 2002. In November 2002, an $8.7million contract was awarded to Transfield for the construction of Clarkson station. In February 2004, a $6.8million contract to build Greenwood station was awarded to John Holland Group. Construction of the station began in March 2004.

Nowergup depot, which cost $36million, officially opened in June 2004. The extension to Clarkson and new Currambine station opened on 4 October 2004, the same day on which the first five Transperth B-series trains entered service on the Joondalup line. On 29 January 2005, Greenwood station was opened by Premier Geoff Gallop and the minister for planning and infrastructure, Alannah MacTiernan.

The contract for the City Project was awarded to Leighton–Kumagai Gumi in February 2004 for $324.5million. Upon the opening of the Thornlie line, through services with the Armadale line ceased on 8 August 2005, with Joondalup line trains now terminating at Perth station, in preparation for through running with the Mandurah line. The City Project reached practical completion in September 2007. From 7 October to 14 October 2007, the Joondalup and Fremantle lines were shut down to connect the tunnel tracks to the Joondalup line, and on 15 October 2007, the Joondalup line reopened with its new terminus at Esplanade station. The Mandurah line opened on 23 December 2007.

Extension to Butler


The first train ran on the Butler extension on 25 August 2014, with train driver familiarisation beginning after that. The extension was opened on 21 September 2014 by Premier Colin Barnett and Minister for Transport Dean Nalder, several months early and $20 million under budget.

Extension to Yanchep
Labor promised ahead of the 2017 state election that it would build the Yanchep Rail Extension as part of its revised Metronet plans. It was promised that the extension would open in 2021 and cost $386million. The September 2017 state budget gave the Yanchep Rail Extension a cost of $520.2million. The business case for the Yanchep Rail Extension was submitted to Infrastructure Australia in August 2017. In November 2018, Infrastructure Australia released its assessment of the project, adding the project to the Infrastructure Priority List as a "High Priority Project" and giving it a projected economic benefit of $2.549billion and a benefit–cost ratio of 2.6. Infrastructure Australia recommended that the contract for the Thornlie–Cockburn Link be combined with the contract for the Yanchep Rail Extension to save costs during procurement. The Infrastructure Australia assessment allowed $700million in federal funding to be spent on the Yanchep Rail Extension and the Thornlie–Cockburn Link, of which $350million was for the Yanchep Rail Extension.

Enabling legislation was introduced to the Parliament of Western Australia in May 2018 and passed in November 2018. The project definition plan, detailing the scope of the project, for the Yanchep Rail Extension was approved by state cabinet in July 2018. A request for proposal was released in September 2018 for the design and construct contract for the Yanchep Rail Extension and the Thornlie–Cockburn Link. Two consortia were shortlisted in April 2019: METROconnex, a joint venture between Coleman Rail, Clough Group, and Georgiou Group; and NEWest Alliance, a joint venture between CPB Contractors and Downer. In November 2019, NEWest Alliance was announced as the preferred proponent to design and build the Yanchep Rail Extension and the Thornlie–Cockburn Link. The following month, the contract was signed. The cost of the Yanchep Rail Extension at the time was $531.7million.



Early works began in November 2019 and a sod turning ceremony took place on 24 November, making the Yanchep Rail Extension the second Metronet project to begin construction, after the Forrestfield–Airport Link. Major works on the Yanchep Rail Extension began in mid-2020. Construction at Alkimos station had begun by March 2021, with the first major concrete pour taking place that month.

In June 2021, PerthNow reported that work on the Yanchep Rail Extension had stalled, but the PTA was still saying the extension would open in late 2022. The government first raised the potential for a delay in July 2021, and after the September 2021 state budget, it was revealed that the Yanchep Rail Extension's opening date would be delayed by a year to late 2023 due to a skills shortage and to ease pressure on Western Australia's construction industry. To cut costs, the construction of a shared path along the extension was cancelled, with the decision being justified by there also being a shared path along Marmion Avenue and a proposed one to be constructed as part of the extension of the Mitchell Freeway. The decision to cancel the shared path was criticised by cycling groups and the City of Wanneroo. By the end of 2021, work on all three stations was underway. At Eglinton and Yanchep stations, the foundations were being poured, and at Alkimos station, retaining walls had been put up.

The March 2022 federal budget revealed the federal government would provide $90million of additional funding for the project, bringing its share of the project to $440million. The May 2022 state budget revealed a $175.3million cost increase, the May 2023 state budget revealed a $375.3million cost increase,  and the May 2024 state budget revealed a $288million cost increase,  bringing the extension's total cost to $1.27billion. The Liberal Party has readily criticised the cost increases, saying the money should instead be spent on healthcare among other things, but Transport Minister Rita Saffioti blamed the cost increases on increases in the cost of steel, diesel, and concrete, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the May 2023 budget, the government said that the Yanchep extension "is due for completion at the end of 2023, with services commencing in the new year" That month, the first 2.7 km of track had been laid. The first train ran on the Yanchep Rail Extension on 22 December 2023. The opening date was revealed in April 2024. The extension was officially opened by Premier Roger Cook and Transport Minister Saffioti on 14 July 2024,  with celebrations occurring at Yanchep station. Regular train and bus services commenced the following day. Upon the extension's opening, the Joondalup line was renamed the Yanchep line.

Future
There are provisions for a special events station to serve Arena Joondalup.

The proposed East Wanneroo line is planned to link the Morley–Ellenbrook line to the Yanchep line near Clarkson station.

Description
The Yanchep line was built with narrow gauge track. Trains are powered by overhead line equipment powered by three substations at Sutherland Street in West Perth, Edgewater, and Nowergup. The maximum speed south of Currambine is 110 km/h and north of Currambine is 130 km/h. The line has used automatic train protection since it opened and is signalled to allow for headways as low as three minutes using fixed block signalling. As part of the High Capacity Signalling Project, the signalling system will be replaced by a moving block system using communications-based train control (CBTC), allowing for higher frequencies. As of 2021, the CBTC system is planned to be implemented on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines by June 2029.

Stations


The Yanchep line spans six fare zones. All stations on the Yanchep line are fully accessible except for Leederville, Stirling, and Edgewater stations, which have platform gaps that are too large. Leederville station also has a ramp that is too steep. All platforms are approximately 150 m long, allowing six-car trains to stop at all platforms.

Service
Yanchep line train 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 services terminate at or commence from Whitfords or Clarkson stations. Travel time from Yanchep to Perth Underground is 49 minutes. Trains commence at around 4:30am to 5:30am and end at around 1am to 2am, with later trains on weekends.

Rolling stock


Transperth B-series trains and C-series trains run on the Yanchep line. The B-series trains are three cars long each, and are typically coupled together to form six car sets. These trains have a maximum speed of 130 km/h, and have two doors on each side per car. The C-series trains are six cars long, have a maximum speed of 130 km/h, and have three doors on each side per car, which help reduce dwell times at stations compared to the B-series, making 18 trains per hour possible. Previously, there were Transperth A-series trains operating on the line. These trains are two cars long, typically coupled together to form four car sets, have a maximum speed of 110 km/h, and have two doors on each side per car. As more B-series trains were delivered, A-series trains were moved from the Joondalup and Mandurah lines to the other lines on the network. The C-series trains entered service on 8 April 2024. The B-series trains will be gradually transferred onto the other lines to replace A-series trains. By about 2031, all trains on the Yanchep line will be C-series trains.

In May 2002, the government signed a contract with EDI Rail–Bombardier Transportation for the delivery and maintenance of 31 three car B-series trains, and the construction of the Nowergup depot. In December 2006, the government signed another contract for 15 more three car B-series trains. The first of these additional railcars were delivered in 2009, allowing several A-series trains to be moved from the Joondalup and Mandurah lines to other lines on the network, and for frequencies to increase on most lines, including the Joondalup line. In July 2011, the government ordered 15 more three car B-series trains. In August 2012, this order was increased by two, to cater for the opening of Aubin Grove station on the Mandurah line. In November 2012, this order was increased by five, bringing the total order to 22 three car trains. By the final delivery from that order, all trains operating on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines were B-series trains. In December 2019, the government signed a contract with Alstom for the construction of 41 six car C-series trains. These trains are expected to enter service on 8 April 2024.

Most trains on the Yanchep line are stored and cleaned at Nowergup depot. There is also Mandurah depot on the southern end of the Mandurah line, which can store and clean a smaller number of trains. Maintenance occurs at Nowergup depot.

Patronage
By the Yanchep line's 30th anniversary on 20 December 2022, over 381million trips had been made on the line. In the year preceding June 2023, there were 14,045,991 boardings on the Yanchep line, making it the second busiest line in the Transperth system, behind the Mandurah line.