Airport Railway Line, Perth
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The Airport line is a
suburban rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
way line and service in
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
, Western Australia, operated by the Public Transport Authority as part of the
Transperth Transperth is the public transport system for Perth and surrounding areas in Western Australia. It is managed by the Public Transport Authority (PTA), a state government organisation, and consists of train, bus and ferry services. Bus operat ...
system. The Airport line is a branch of the Midland line and runs underground between
Bayswater Bayswater is an area in the City of Westminster in West London. It is a built-up district with a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre, and is located between Kensington Gardens to the south, Paddington to the north-east, and ...
and
High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye, Buckinghamshire, River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, ...
via
Perth Airport Perth Airport is an international airport, international, domestic airport, domestic and general aviation airport serving Perth, Western Australia. It is the List of the busiest airports in Australia, fourth busiest airport in Australia meas ...
. The Airport line branch is long and has three stations: Redcliffe, Airport Central, and
High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye, Buckinghamshire, River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, ...
stations. Airport line services continue west of Bayswater along the Midland and
Fremantle line The Fremantle line is a suburban railway and service in Western Australia that connects the central business district (CBD) of Perth with Fremantle. History The railway on which the service runs opened on 1 March 1881 as the first suburban rai ...
s via
Perth station Perth Station was an ESTRACK Earth station in Australia, located at the Perth International Telecommunications Centre in the suburb of Cullacabardee. It has been retired from service in December, 2015 and has been replaced by the New Norcia ...
to terminate at Claremont station. The Airport line was known during construction as the Forrestfield–Airport Link. It was constructed by a
joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...
between
Salini Impregilo Webuild S.p.A. (previously Salini Impregilo S.p.A.; ) is an Italian industrial group specialising in construction and civil engineering. The company was formally founded in 2014 as the result of the merger by incorporation of Salini into Impregi ...
and
NRW North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...
at a cost of A$1.86 billion. Construction started in November 2016 and tunnel boring started in July 2017. The construction process was beset by several problems, including ground disturbances caused by tunnelling, a sinkhole and
groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit ...
leak during the construction of a cross-passage, several worker injuries, and criticism over work conditions. Tunnelling was completed in April 2020, so the installation of
overhead line equipment An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, electric multiple units, trolleybuses or trams. The generic term used by the International Union of Railways for the tech ...
, tracks, and other equipment followed that. Works other than the Forrestfield–Airport Link included constructing a
turnback siding A pocket track, tail track, or reversing siding (UK: centre siding, turnback siding) is a rail track layout which allows trains to park off the main line. This type of track layout differs from a passing loop in that the pocket track is usually ...
at Claremont station for Airport line trains to turn around, and upgrades to Claremont and
Bayswater Bayswater is an area in the City of Westminster in West London. It is a built-up district with a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre, and is located between Kensington Gardens to the south, Paddington to the north-east, and ...
stations. The Airport line was originally planned to open in 2020, but that was delayed several times due to the aforementioned problems and later supply chain issues caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The line opened on 9 October 2022, over two years late and $20 million under budget.
Transperth B-series train The B-series trains are a class of electric multiple unit built by Downer Rail in Maryborough, Queensland for Transperth Train Operations, Transperth between 2004 and 2019. Design Each set consists of three semi-permanently coupled cars desi ...
s, three cars in length, operate on the Airport line every 12 minutes during
peak Peak or The Peak may refer to: Basic meanings Geology * Mountain peak ** Pyramidal peak, a mountaintop that has been sculpted by erosion to form a point Mathematics * Peak hour or rush hour, in traffic congestion * Peak (geometry), an (''n''-3)-d ...
and every 15 minutes outside peak and on weekends. All Airport line branch stations are fully accessible and have long platforms, long enough for a six-car train. Train lengths are limited by most Midland and Fremantle line stations, which have platforms only long. The installation of
communications-based train control Communications-based train control (CBTC) is a railway signaling system that uses telecommunications between the train and track equipment for traffic management and infrastructure control. CBTC allows a train's position to be known more accura ...
by 2027 will allow frequencies to increase and planned platform lengthening will allow train lengths to increase. The line was forecast to have 20,000 boardings per day upon opening, but six months after it opened, the Airport line has 12,000 boardings per day. In the 2023–24 financial year, the Airport line had 4,860,015 boardings.


History


Proposals

The 2004
Perth Airport Perth Airport is an international airport, international, domestic airport, domestic and general aviation airport serving Perth, Western Australia. It is the List of the busiest airports in Australia, fourth busiest airport in Australia meas ...
master plan proposed a
light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
spur off the Midland line between
Bayswater Bayswater is an area in the City of Westminster in West London. It is a built-up district with a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre, and is located between Kensington Gardens to the south, Paddington to the north-east, and ...
and Ashfield stations, travelling above ground parallel to
Tonkin Highway Tonkin Highway is an north–south highway and partial freeway in Perth, Western Australia, linking Perth Airport and Kewdale, Western Australia, Kewdale with the city's north-eastern and south-eastern suburbs. As of April 2020, the northern ...
and along Brearley Avenue to the domestic terminal (terminals 3 and 4) and underground to the international terminal (terminals 1 and 2). The Midland line between Bayswater and Perth would have been a shared light rail and
heavy rail Various terms are used for passenger railway lines and equipment; the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas: Rapid transit A rapid transit system is an electric railway characterized by high speed (~) and rapid acceleratio ...
corridor, and there would have been new stations at
Great Eastern Highway Great Eastern Highway is a road that links the Western Australian capital of Perth with the city of Kalgoorlie. A key route for road vehicles accessing the eastern Wheatbelt (Western Australia), Wheatbelt and the Goldfields-Esperance, Goldfie ...
, the domestic terminal, and the international terminal. The
Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
state government in the 2000s started planning for this, having applied to
Infrastructure Australia Infrastructure Australia is a NSW based independent statutory body providing independent research to benefit NSW and advice to all levels of government and industry on projects and reforms relating to investment in Australian infrastructure. It ...
for federal funding. Following the 2008 state election, the new Liberal government withdrew the application to Infrastructure Australia, with Premier
Colin Barnett Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950) is an Australian former politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other ...
saying that he believed
airport rail link An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport between an airport and a nearby city. Direct links operate straight from the airport terminal to the city, while other links require an intermediate use of a people mover or ...
s were not viable in cities the size and density of
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
. The Public Transport Authority (PTA) nonetheless continued planning for the rail extension to the airport. Planning focused on building the line above ground between the Midland line at
Bayswater Bayswater is an area in the City of Westminster in West London. It is a built-up district with a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre, and is located between Kensington Gardens to the south, Paddington to the north-east, and ...
and the Airport alongside
Tonkin Highway Tonkin Highway is an north–south highway and partial freeway in Perth, Western Australia, linking Perth Airport and Kewdale, Western Australia, Kewdale with the city's north-eastern and south-eastern suburbs. As of April 2020, the northern ...
, before tunnelling under the airport and emerging on the eastern side at
High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye, Buckinghamshire, River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, ...
. In September 2012, the government announced the half tunnelled, half above ground heavy rail line as its preferred route and said it was looking at costing and when the Airport line would be built. In December 2012, the Labor opposition announced its
Metronet Metronet may refer to: * Metronet (British infrastructure company), who maintained London Underground infrastructure between 2003 and 2008. *Metronet (Western Australia) Metronet (styled METRONET) is a multi-government agency in Western Austral ...
plan to rapidly expand Perth's rail network, which it would take to the 2013 state election in March. This plan had the Airport line as part of a loop line which would connect to the
Armadale line The Armadale line is a partially-closed suburban railway service in Perth, Western Australia, operated by the Public Transport Authority as part of the Transperth system. The Armadale line is long, and starts at Perth station, heading south ...
,
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 ( ...
and
Fremantle line The Fremantle line is a suburban railway and service in Western Australia that connects the central business district (CBD) of Perth with Fremantle. History The railway on which the service runs opened on 1 March 1881 as the first suburban rai ...
to the south and the Midland line to the north. The opposition revealed further details of its proposed route, making it follow a fully above-ground route, requiring going around the airport's runways. This would have made the
Airport station Airport station may refer to: General use * List of airport stations Particular stations * Aeroport (Moscow Metro), in Moscow, Russia, serving a former airport * Airport station (GCRTA), at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, Ohi ...
far away from the international terminal, requiring a shuttle bus between the station and terminal. The Labor Party costed the route at A$731.5 million, but
Treasury A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry; in a business context, corporate treasury. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be ...
costed the route at $1.446 billion. In February 2013, the government committed to its own plans of building the Airport line by 2018 at a cost of $1.895 billion. The 2013 election resulted in the government's re-election, so the half tunnelled route entered further planning. By the end of 2013, Transport Minister
Troy Buswell Troy Raymond Buswell (born 19 March 1966) was an Australian politician who was a Liberal member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 2005 to 2014, representing the seat of Vasse. He was Treasurer of Western Australia in the Bar ...
said he was considering making the Airport line entirely underground from Bayswater to High Wycombe as it could be better value for money. Transport expert Peter Newman and Opposition Leader
Mark McGowan Mark McGowan (born 13 July 1967) is an Australian former politician and naval officer who served as the 30th premier of Western Australia from 2017 until his retirement in 2023. He was the leader of the Western Australian branch of the Austr ...
criticised the idea of building the line entirely underground, saying it would be far more expensive.


Forrestfield–Airport Link

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
approved the project, now known as the Forrestfield–Airport Link, in August 2014. The Forrestfield–Airport Link involved building twin-bored tunnels from the Midland line at Bayswater to High Wycombe, passing under the Swan River and Perth Airport. There were three stations along the route:
Airport West Airport West is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's central business district, located within the City of Moonee Valley local government area. Airport West recorded a population of 8,173 at the . Bounded by th ...
near terminals 3 and 4, Consolidated Airport near terminals 1 and 2, and Forrestfield. Airport West and Forrestfield stations were planned to have bus interchanges. Airport West and Consolidated Airport stations were planned to be underground, and Forrestfield station was planned to be above ground. It was forecast the link would have 20,000 boardings per day upon opening, increasing to 29,000 by 2031. The Airport line service was planned to interline with the Midland line west of Bayswater, passing through
Perth station Perth Station was an ESTRACK Earth station in Australia, located at the Perth International Telecommunications Centre in the suburb of Cullacabardee. It has been retired from service in December, 2015 and has been replaced by the New Norcia ...
before interlining with the Fremantle line to Daglish station, where Airport line trains would terminate and turn around. It was estimated to cost $2.2 billion, approximately $300 million more than promised in 2013, and open in 2020, two years later than promised. For the section between Bayswater and the Airport, three options were considered:
elevated rail An elevated railway or elevated train (also known as an el train or el for short) is a railway with the tracks above street level on a viaduct or other elevated structure (usually constructed from steel, cast iron, concrete, or bricks). The rai ...
,
cut-and-cover tunnel A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...
s, and deep level bored tunnels. Bored tunnels were chosen as they reduced disruption at ground level during construction and result in less land being taken up by rail infrastructure. The tunnels were chosen to have a diameter of and have an average depth of below ground level. The maximum depth is where the tunnels cross under the Swan River. The Forrestfield–Airport Link is the second time that
tunnel boring machine A tunnel boring machine (TBM), also known as a "mole" or a "worm", is a machine used to excavate tunnels. TBMs are an alternative to drilling and blasting methods and "hand mining", allowing more rapid excavation through hard rock, wet or dry so ...
s (TBMs) were used in
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
, the first being the construction of the Mandurah line under the Perth central business district in the mid-2000s. The Forrestfield–Airport Link was planned to begin construction in 2016 and open in 2020. In late 2014, the project was referred to the
Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia The Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia (EPA) is a statutory authority within the Government of Western Australia. Established on 1 January 1972, it comprises an independent board who provide public environmental advice to t ...
(EPA) and the federal
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment The Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) was an Australian Government department which operated from 1 February 2020 until 30 June 2022. It represented Australia's national interests in agriculture, water and th ...
for environmental approval. As part of the project is on Perth Airport land, federal environmental approval was sought. The EPA approved the project in July 2015, and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment determined that the project did not require assessment and approval from the federal government.


Procurement

Expressions of interest to build the Forrestfield–Airport Link opened on 29 January and closed on 12 March 2015. Five expressions of interest were received, from the following consortia: *Connecting Forrestfield (
Lendlease Lendlease is an Australian multinational construction and real estate company, headquartered in Barangaroo, Sydney, New South Wales. History Founding The company was established as Lendlease by Dick Dusseldorp in 1958 to provide finance fo ...
and Ghella) *CRCC-BGC-VDM Joint Venture (
China Railway Construction Corporation China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (abbreviated CRCC) is a listed construction enterprise based in Beijing, China, that was the second largest construction and engineering company in the world by revenue in 2014. The limited company ...
, BGC and VDM) *Forrestfield Connect (
Acciona Acciona, S.A. () is a Spanish multinational conglomerate dedicated to the development and management of infrastructure (construction, water, industrial and services) and renewable energy. The company, via subsidiary Acciona Energía, produces 21 ...
, BAM and Ferrovial Agroman) *JHL Joint Venture (
Leighton Contractors CIMIC Group Limited (formerly Leighton Holdings) is an engineering-led construction, mining, services and public private partnerships leader working across the lifecycle of assets, infrastructure and resources projects. History Founded in 194 ...
and John Holland) *SI-NRW Joint Venture (
Salini Impregilo Webuild S.p.A. (previously Salini Impregilo S.p.A.; ) is an Italian industrial group specialising in construction and civil engineering. The company was formally founded in 2014 as the result of the merger by incorporation of Salini into Impregi ...
and
NRW North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...
) JHL Joint Venture, SI-NRW Joint Venture, and Forrestfield Connect were shortlisted in April 2015. These consortia entered the request for proposal process in June 2015. Each consortia had to provide a detail and fully costed design by November 2015, which the PTA would then select. Enabling legislation for the Forrestfield–Airport Link was introduced to the
Parliament of Western Australia The Parliament of Western Australia is the bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia, which constitutes the legislative branch of the state's political system. The parl ...
in April 2015 and was passed in October 2015. SI-NRW Joint Venture was selected as the preferred proponent in February 2016, and in April 2016, the contract was signed at a cost of $1.176 billion. Salini Impregilo held an 80 percent stake in the joint venture and NRW held a 20 percent stake. The contract covered the construction of the Forrestfield–Airport Link and maintenance for ten years. $490 million was funded by the federal government. Upon the signing of the contract, it was announced that Airport West station had been renamed Belmont station, and Consolidated Airport station had been renamed Airport Central station.
Weston Williamson Weston Williamson + Partners (WW+P) is a British architectural firm formed in 1985 and based in London, Manchester, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Toronto, Riyadh, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. History Weston Williamson was established in 1985 by Andre ...
and
GHD Woodhead GHD Group Pty Ltd (formerly known as Gutteridge Haskins & Davey) is a global employee-owned multinational technical professional services firm providing advisory, architecture and design, buildings, digital, energy and resources, environmental ...
were appointed by SI-NRW as the designers of the three stations. Other contracts included a $31 million contract with
Georgiou Group Georgiou Group (Georgiou) is a building construction and civil engineering with offices throughout Australia. Georgiou provides a diverse range of construction services to government and private clients. In the 2023 financial year, the Company an ...
to build an elevated walkway between Airport Central station and the airport terminal, awarded in late 2018, and a contract extension with Downer EDI
Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, with headquarters in Toronto and Berlin. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. ...
for the construction and maintenance of ten
Transperth B-series train The B-series trains are a class of electric multiple unit built by Downer Rail in Maryborough, Queensland for Transperth Train Operations, Transperth between 2004 and 2019. Design Each set consists of three semi-permanently coupled cars desi ...
s. The total approved budget was $1.861 billion.
Infrastructure Australia Infrastructure Australia is a NSW based independent statutory body providing independent research to benefit NSW and advice to all levels of government and industry on projects and reforms relating to investment in Australian infrastructure. It ...
released their assessment of the Forrestfield–Airport Link in September 2016, rating it as a "priority project" and giving it a
benefit–cost ratio A benefit–cost ratio (BCR) is an indicator, used in cost–benefit analysis, that attempts to summarize the overall value for money of a project or proposal. A BCR is the ratio of the benefits of a project or proposal, expressed in monetary term ...
of 1.4. The projected economic benefits of the project were $2.372 billion.


Tunnelling

Site establishment at Forrestfield station began in September 2016, with the aim of getting the TBMs launched as soon as possible. On 3 November 2016, a
sod turning Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, turf-cutting, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such cer ...
ceremony took place at Forrestfield station with Premier
Colin Barnett Colin James Barnett (born 15 July 1950) is an Australian former politician who was the 29th Premier of Western Australia. He concurrently served as the state's Treasurer at several points during his tenure and had previously held various other ...
, State Transport Minister
Bill Marmion William Richard Marmion (born 22 May 1954) is an Australian politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia between 2008 and 2021, representing the seat of Nedlands. He served as a minister in the government of Col ...
, Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure Paul Fletcher and Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Darren Chester Darren Jeffrey Chester (born 13 September 1967) is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the House of Representatives for Gippsland in Victoria, representing the Nationals since 2008. Chester had served as the Minister for Veterans ...
, which marked the start of construction for the Forrestfield–Airport Link. The Labor Party won the 2017 state election, and so the Forrestfield–Airport Link was added to the
Metronet Metronet may refer to: * Metronet (British infrastructure company), who maintained London Underground infrastructure between 2003 and 2008. *Metronet (Western Australia) Metronet (styled METRONET) is a multi-government agency in Western Austral ...
program. Within weeks of taking office, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said that there was a high risk the project would be delayed beyond 2020, accusing the former Liberal government of mismanaging the project. By that point, almost all the planned time contingencies had been used up. In October 2018, Saffioti said that the former government had refused to give her the Forrestfield–Airport Link's project definition plan, which would have laid out the project's potential risks. She also criticised the former government for not including a turnback siding at Claremont or significant upgrades to Bayswater station in the project's budget. A competition to name the two TBMs was launched in April 2017. In May 2017, the 45 components of the first TBM arrived on site. It had been constructed in China by German company
Herrenknecht Herrenknecht AG is a German company that manufactures tunnel boring machines (TBMs). Headquartered in Allmannsweier, Schwanau, Baden-Württemberg, it is the worldwide market leader for heavy TBMs. Established by Martin Herrenknecht in 1975, the ...
and was assembled on site in High Wycombe. Each TBM cost approximately $20 million, was long and weighed . The winning TBM names were announced in June 2017. The first one was named ''Grace'', after a local primary school student with leukaemia. The second was named ''Sandy'', after the '' sandgroper'', a type of insect and a colloquial demonym for Western Australians. Winners were also announced for a competition to decorate the TBMs with artwork by local primary school students. Construction for Airport Central station began in May 2017, and Belmont by July 2017. Excavation at Airport Central station began in July 2017 and at Belmont station in February 2018. In July 2017, TBM ''Grace'' was lifted into the Forrestfield dive structure, and began tunnelling on 30 July. TBM ''Sandy'' was lifted into the dive structure by September 2017 and began tunnelling on 24 October. On 12 October 2017, construction on the Bayswater dive structure began. By 11 December, the Midland line had been temporarily relocated north to enable further work on the Bayswater dive structure. TBM ''Grace'' stopped tunnelling on 14 February 2018 due to a ground disturbance issue. TBM ''Sandy'' stopped on 28 March so that it would not be tunnelling next to ''Grace''. ''
The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuousl ...
'' reported that SI-NRW JV only stopped the TBMs after Perth Airport expressed concerns. The TBMs started tunnelling again on 17 April and 24 April respectively. TBM ''Grace'' arrived at Airport Central station on 8 May 2018, and TBM ''Sandy'' arrived on 19 May. After undergoing maintenance, both TBMs left the station in July, tunnelling towards Redcliffe. In September 2018, a leak developed during the construction of a cross passage between the two tunnels which caused a sinkhole underneath Dundas Road, about north Forrestfield station.
Groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit ...
and silt flowed into one of the tunnels, causing flooding in the tunnel. The two TBMs stopped work until the cross passage was repaired. Dundas Road was also closed. The final report on the incident said that the pressure of the groundwater damaged a section of tunnel by causing "permanent localised distortion to the tunnel shape and movement of the segments which make up the tunnel lining". As a temporary measure, steel frames were put up to support the tunnel while a permanent fix was designed. The chosen permanent solution was for spheroidal graphite iron rings to be placed inside the damaged tunnel area to brace it. On 18 December 2018, state Transport Minister Rita Saffioti announced that the opening of the Forrestfield–Airport Link had been delayed by one year to 2021 due to the sinkhole, as well as the TBMs moving slower than expected and an increased rate of safety stoppages. On 18 January 2019, the screw conveyor, which moves excavated soil away from the TBM face, was damaged on TBM ''Grace'', which caused the machine to be shut off. TBM ''Sandy'' was shut down as well and hairline cracks were soon found during an inspection of its screw conveyor. TBM ''Grace'' reached Redcliffe station on 9 May 2019. After several weeks for maintenance, the TBM left the station bound for Bayswater on 14 June. TBM ''Sandy'' reached the station on 6 July and left the station in early August 2019. In October 2019, TBM ''Grace'' reached the Swan River. TBM ''Grace'' broke through the Bayswater dive structure in February 2020. The TBM was then dismantled and craned out. TBM ''Sandy'' broke through the Bayswater dive structure on 20 April 2020, marking the completion of tunnelling for the Forrestfield–Airport Link.


After tunnelling

Tracklaying and the installation of
overhead line equipment An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, electric multiple units, trolleybuses or trams. The generic term used by the International Union of Railways for the tech ...
, communications, and signalling systems began in July 2020. SI-NRW JV contracted out the tracklaying to Martinus Rail. This was completed in July 2021. In February and March 2021, two shutdowns of the Midland line took place to connect the Forrestfield–Airport Link to the rest of the rail network. On 7 May 2021, Saffioti announced the project had been further delayed, this time saying the line would open in the first half of 2022, blaming delays in the supply of steel and other materials due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.


Safety issues

On the day that TBM ''Grace'' was launched, over 100 people from the
Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union The Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) is Australia's largest Trade union, union in the construction, forestry, wikt:maritime, maritime, Textile manufacturing, textile, Clothing industry, clothing and Shoemaking, footw ...
(CFMEU), Electrical Trades Union, and the
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), officially registered as the Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing, and Kindred Industries Union, is an Australian trade union. The AMWU represents a broad range of workers in the manu ...
protested, claiming that not enough local workers were used and that overseas workers were being exploited. CFMEU State Secretary Mick Buchan claimed that working conditions were worse on the Forrestfield–Airport Link than in
Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
. In October 2017, a worker at Bayswater junction suffered an electric shock when a crane hit high-voltage power lines. Salini Australia was fined $150,000 for the incident and ordered to pay $3,000 in costs. The crew involved did not usually work at the site they were at, and had not gone through an induction for that site. In July 2018, a worker was knocked unconscious after being struck in the head by a high pressure air hose at Airport Central station. The hose had disconnected from a pipe running along the tunnel wall. Salini Australia was fined $200,000 for the incident and ordered to pay $2,847.50 in costs. In November 2018, a carpenter was injured at Airport Central station. The CFMEU called for all work on the project to stop so that an independent safety audit could be done. The union claimed that grouting to waterproof the tunnel was not up to the specifications and that the tunnel could collapse due to this. The union also said that workers on
457 visa In Australia, the 457 visa was the most common visa for Australian or overseas employers to sponsor skilled overseas workers to work temporarily in Australia. It was abolished on 18 March 2018 by the Turnbull government and replaced by another visa ...
s were made to work in unsafe conditions. In December 2018, a worker's arm was crushed by one of the TBM's hydraulic thrust arms. In May 2019, of
slurry A slurry is a mixture of denser solids suspended in liquid, usually water. The most common use of slurry is as a means of transporting solids or separating minerals, the liquid being a carrier that is pumped on a device such as a centrifugal pu ...
pipes fell down in the tunnel as the brackets holding the pipes failed. The pipes were designed to carry slurry to and from the TBMs to control the pressure at the face of the machines. The incident caused TBM ''Sandy'' to stop work for about one week. A former TBM supervisor who quit working on the project due to safety concerns had predicted the pipes would collapse, writing to Transport Minister Rita Saffioti and Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston in October 2018 that the pipe brackets were "dangerously deficient". The CFMEU had also expressed concerns about the brackets, saying they did not meet Australian standards. Workers said that if anyone had been near the pipes at the time they collapsed, they would have been killed. In July 2019, a worker suffered severe chemical burns after standing in contaminated water for seven hours. The water managed to enter his knee high gumboots, causing chemical burns on his legs and feet. The worker was left unable to drive or work more than a year later. In September 2022, the United Professional Firefighters Union expressed concern that the Airport line's opening was being rushed. The union wanted for more firefighters to be familiarised with the tunnels before the line opened.


Other issues

In 2017, it was publicised that groundwater and soil underneath Perth Airport was contaminated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are toxic chemicals formerly used in
firefighting foam Firefighting foam is a foam used for fire suppression systems, fire suppression. Its role is to cool the fire and to coat the fuel, preventing its contact with oxygen, thus achieving suppression of the combustion. Firefighting foam was invented b ...
. About of soil dug up during tunnelling was contaminated. This soil was temporarily piled up at an industrial lot in Forrestfield before a permanent solution was decided. It was estimated that the temporary storage would cost $50 million and permanent disposal would cost $270 million. The state wanted to reuse the contaminated soil on the future third runway project at Perth Airport, but the federal government rejected that proposal. As of March 2023, some of the contaminated soil has been used on the
Great Eastern Highway Bypass Great Eastern Highway Bypass is a limited-access dual carriageway linking Great Eastern Highway and Roe Highway in Perth, Western Australia. Together with a section of Roe Highway, it bypasses the historical Guildford and Midland localities, t ...
upgrade, with the rest to be used on future infrastructure projects. In July 2021, SI-NRW JV commenced legal action against
GHD Group GHD Group Pty Ltd (formerly known as Gutteridge Haskins & Davey) is a global employee-owned multinational technical professional services firm providing advisory, architecture and design, buildings, digital, energy and resources, environmental ...
, alleging it was negligent in failing to prepare an adequate design concept. In particular, SI-NRW JV alleged that GHD breached the tender design agreement for the twelve cross passages and three stations, causing the joint venture to suffer a $17.5 million loss. GHD refuted by saying that the contract was only for the supply of basic design sketches for costings.


Other


Claremont station

The Airport line was originally planned to terminate at Daglish station, as there was already a
turnback siding A pocket track, tail track, or reversing siding (UK: centre siding, turnback siding) is a rail track layout which allows trains to park off the main line. This type of track layout differs from a passing loop in that the pocket track is usually ...
there. In 2018, it was announced that the terminus had been moved to Claremont station, five stations west of Daglish. This required an upgrade of Claremont station to modern accessibility standards and the construction of two turnback sidings west of the station. Claremont station was chosen as it is located halfway along the Fremantle line and is the line's third busiest station, after
Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...
and Subiaco. Perth station does not have the space for trains to turn around and stations beyond Claremont do not have a high enough forecast patronage for the extra services for those stations to be worth purchasing more rolling stock. In August 2020, John Holland was awarded a $36 million contract to undertake the construction works at Claremont station. From 5 February to 5 April 2021, Claremont station was closed and the Fremantle line was partially shut down to complete the upgrade of Claremont station and build the two turnback sidings. The Fremantle line reopened to full service on 6 April, but Claremont station remained closed as workers discovered problems with the station's original construction. Claremont station reopened on 1 June 2021.


Bayswater station

The original Forrestfield–Airport Link plan only called for $7 million to be spent on minor upgrades to Bayswater station to bring it into compliance with the
Disability Discrimination Act 1992 The ''Disability Discrimination Act 1992'' (Cth) is an Act passed by the Parliament of Australia in which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, education, publicly available premises, provision of goods and ...
. Local residents called for a more substantial upgrade to the station, and some called for the station to be rebuilt underground using the TBMs from the Forrestfield–Airport Link. The Labor opposition promised a $40 million upgrade of Bayswater station ahead of the 2017 state election. Labor later won the election, setting into motion planning for the Bayswater station upgrade. The scope of the upgrade to Bayswater station was revealed on 8 April 2018. The station was planned to be rebuilt as an elevated station with long platforms to handle six-car trains. Rebuilding underground was ruled out due to various factors, including high cost and disruption, low benefit, and constraints created by the already under construction Forrestfield–Airport Link. A turnback siding was also planned west of Bayswater station. The rebuilt station was planned to open in 2020, before the Airport line began operations. In August 2019, when the
Morley–Ellenbrook line The Ellenbrook line, known as the Morley–Ellenbrook line during construction, is a suburban railway line in Perth, Western Australia, which is operated by the Public Transport Authority as part of the Transperth system. The line branches fro ...
was confirmed to branch off the Midland line at Bayswater as well, the scope of the Bayswater station rebuild was expanded to building four platforms. On 9 April 2020, the contract for the Bayswater station project was awarded to the Evolve Bayswater Alliance, consisting of Coleman Rail and Decmil. The contract was worth $253 million. Construction began in January 2021. On 31 March 2023, the old Bayswater station permanently closed, and a 27-day shutdown of the Airport and Midland lines commenced. During the shutdown, of track was rebuilt to connect to the new station, the turnback siding was constructed, and the previous station was demolished. The Airport and Midland lines reopened on 27 April and the new Bayswater station opened on 8 October 2023.


Level crossings

The second last
level crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, Trail, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line or the road etc. crossing over or under using an Overpass#Railway, o ...
on the Airport line route, the Moore Street level crossing between
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
and McIver stations, closed on 1 October 2019. The last level crossing on the Airport line route, the Caledonian Avenue level crossing in Maylands, closed on 15 April 2022. The level crossing's boom gates were down for almost four hours per day, and due to the increase in frequency when the Airport line opens, it was decided the level crossing had to close. Replacing the level crossing with a bridge or underpass was considered, but those options were eliminated as they would require the demolition of several houses.


Opening

The first train entered the tunnel in March 2022 to test the tunnel's ventilation system, using the train to measure its resistance to airflow. An interview with Saffioti released on 3 April 2022 had the minister reiterate the intention to have the line open by the end of June 2022. Following the state budget on 12 May 2022, the government changed its position, now saying the line will open some time later in the year, although a specific opening date was not provided. A report by the Auditor General of Western Australia released in June 2022 criticised the government for its lack of transparency for major projects, including the Forrestfield–Airport Link. The project was assessed as being within its approved budget of $1.86 billion though. Three emergency readiness exercises occurred in July 2022. ''
The West Australian ''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuousl ...
'' also reported in July that there were delays due to problems with mobile phone coverage in the tunnels and problems with exhaust fans that are meant to extract smoke in the event of a fire. Driver training began on 8 August 2022. It was expected to take eight weeks to complete. On 16 August, the opening date was revealed to be Sunday 9 October 2022. The Forrestfield–Airport Link achieved practical completion on 30 September. The line was officially opened on 9 October by Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been the Leaders of the Australian Labor Party#Leader, leader of the Labor Party si ...
, Premier
Mark McGowan Mark McGowan (born 13 July 1967) is an Australian former politician and naval officer who served as the 30th premier of Western Australia from 2017 until his retirement in 2023. He was the leader of the Western Australian branch of the Austr ...
, and Transport Minister Saffioti. To celebrate, a community open day was organised for High Wycombe and Redcliffe stations on the day of the opening, which involved live entertainment and food. Revamped bus services started operating on Monday 10 October. The Forrestfield–Airport Link ended up $20 million under budget, and remains the only Metronet project not to go over budget.


Future

High Wycombe station was designed to allow for a future extension south. The ''Perth and Peel @ 3.5 Million'' plan states that an extension to link the Airport line to the
Thornlie–Cockburn line The Thornlie–Cockburn line is a suburban railway line and service in Perth, Western Australia, operated by the Public Transport Authority (Western Australia), Public Transport Authority as part of the Transperth system. The line branches fro ...
to form a Circle line should be investigated.


Description

The Airport line branch uses
narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...
track and has a maximum speed of . Trains are powered by
overhead line equipment An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, electric multiple units, trolleybuses or trams. The generic term used by the International Union of Railways for the tech ...
. In the tunnels, where space is limited, a rigid
overhead conductor rail An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, electric multiple units, trolleybuses or trams. The generic term used by the International Union of Railways for the tec ...
is used. The Airport line branch is powered by a
substation A substation is a part of an electrical Electricity generation, generation, electric power transmission, transmission, and electric power distribution, distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or pe ...
near High Wycombe station. The Midland and Fremantle lines are powered by substations near
East Perth East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that eas ...
and
City West City West (formerly known as ''Neuer Westen'' ("New West") or ''Zooviertel'' ("Zoo Quarter")) is an area in the western part of central Berlin. It is one of Berlin's main commercial areas, and was the commercial centre of former West Berlin when ...
stations. The Airport line uses
fixed block signalling Signalling block systems enable the safe and efficient operation of railways by preventing collisions between trains. The basic principle is that a track is broken up into a series of sections or "blocks". Only one train may occupy a block at ...
. As part of Metronet's High Capacity Signalling Project, the Transperth rail network will be upgraded to
moving block signalling In railway signalling, a moving block is a signalling block system where the blocks are defined in real time by computers as safe zones around each train. This requires both knowledge of the exact location and speed of all trains at any given t ...
using
communications-based train control Communications-based train control (CBTC) is a railway signaling system that uses telecommunications between the train and track equipment for traffic management and infrastructure control. CBTC allows a train's position to be known more accura ...
(CBTC). As of 2021, the CBTC system is planned to be implemented on the Airport, Midland and Fremantle lines by June 2027. This will allow for 30 trains per hour on the Claremont to Bayswater section of track and 15 trains per hour on the Airport line branch. Click Download Now, then Download for Information Only. Make sure HCS SWTR Book 1 – Scope of Works DRAFT 01-09-21_Redacted.pdf is selected, then click Download Documents.


Route

The Airport line branch's and service's eastern terminus is at High Wycombe station, an above ground station next to the
Kwinana freight railway The Kwinana freight railway lines are a network of railways predominantly servicing the heavy industrial areas at Kwinana Beach south of Perth and to provide for the transport of freight servicing Fremantle Harbour, Kewdale Intermodal Facility ...
and Forrestfield marshalling yard. The station serves
High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye, Buckinghamshire, River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, ...
, Forrestfield,
Maida Vale Maida Vale ( ) is an affluent residential district in North West London, England, north of Paddington, southwest of St John's Wood and south of Kilburn, on Edgware Road. It is part of the City of Westminster and is northwest of Charing C ...
, Gooseberry Hill, and Kalamunda. From there, the line heads north, entering the tunnel soon after and curving west, passing under the freight railway and marshalling yard, entering Perth Airport land, and passing under the site of a future third runway. At the mark, the line reaches Airport Central station, which is an underground station in the car park for Perth Airport terminals one and two. The line travels further west, bending northwest to travel under the airport's two runways. At the mark, the line reaches Redcliffe station, located in the residential area of Redcliffe, from Perth Airport terminals three and four. The line travels northwest from there, under the former Brearley Avenue and then
Tonkin Highway Tonkin Highway is an north–south highway and partial freeway in Perth, Western Australia, linking Perth Airport and Kewdale, Western Australia, Kewdale with the city's north-eastern and south-eastern suburbs. As of April 2020, the northern ...
. The line passes under the Swan River and then surfaces just north of
Guildford Road Guildford Road is a major road in Perth, Western Australia, linking the inner-city suburb of Mount Lawley with Guildford in the north-east. The road runs mostly parallel to the Swan River, on its northern side, and is part of State Route 5 ...
in
Bayswater Bayswater is an area in the City of Westminster in West London. It is a built-up district with a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre, and is located between Kensington Gardens to the south, Paddington to the north-east, and ...
. The Airport line enters between the two tracks of the Midland line and rises up to ground level to join the Midland line at the mark. Along the Midland line, Airport line services continue, stopping at seven stations along the way to
Perth station Perth Station was an ESTRACK Earth station in Australia, located at the Perth International Telecommunications Centre in the suburb of Cullacabardee. It has been retired from service in December, 2015 and has been replaced by the New Norcia ...
, which is the centre of the Transperth network. Past Perth station, Airport line services travel along the Fremantle line to Claremont station, where they terminate at the turnback sidings.


Stations

The Airport line has twenty stations, including Showgrounds station, where trains only stop during events at
Claremont Showground The Claremont Showground near Perth, Western Australia is home to the annual Perth Royal Show. In 1902, of land were reserved in the Perth suburb of Claremont for a new showground to replace the Guildford Showgrounds. The Royal Agricultural S ...
. High Wycombe, Airport Central, and Redcliffe stations are in fare zone two, and all other Airport line stations are in fare zone one. All stations on the Airport line branch are fully accessible and have long
island platform An island platform (also center platform (American English) or centre platform (British English)) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway inte ...
s, long enough for a six-car train. Most stations along the Midland and Fremantle line section have only platforms, limiting the length of trains that can use the Airport line. The exceptions are Bayswater,
East Perth East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that eas ...
,
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
, and
West Leederville West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...
stations. The remaining stations are planned to be lengthened eventually. Along the Midland and Fremantle line section, there are nine stations which are not fully accessible and seven stations which are fully accessible. Factors limiting accessibility include non-compliant ramps, a lack of
tactile paving Tactile paving (also called tenji blocks, truncated domes, detectable warnings, tactile tiles, tactile ground surface indicators, tactile walking surface indicators, or detectable warning surfaces) is a system of textured ground surface indicat ...
, large
platform gap A platform gap (also known technically as the platform train interface or PTI in some countries) is the space between a train car (or other Public transport, mass transit vehicle) and the edge of the station platform, often created by geometric c ...
s, and pedestrian level crossings.


Service

Since 10 October 2022, Airport line services operate every 12 minutes during peak and every 15 minutes outside peak and on weekends and public holidays. At night, services reduce to every half hour or every hour. A few services in the early morning and at night only run between Perth and High Wycombe, with the rest of the services running the full length of the line. After major events at
Optus Stadium Perth Stadium, commercially known as Optus Stadium due to sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the Burswood, Western Australia, Burswood suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It was completed during late 2017 and officially opened ...
, services are often truncated to only run between
Bayswater Bayswater is an area in the City of Westminster in West London. It is a built-up district with a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre, and is located between Kensington Gardens to the south, Paddington to the north-east, and ...
and
High Wycombe High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe ( ), is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye, Buckinghamshire, River Wye surrounded by the Chiltern Hills, it is west-northwest of Charing Cross in London, ...
stations. In 2017, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said that she would like the Airport line to operate earlier than 5 am to cater for FIFO flights. However, the operating hours later revealed had the first train depart Perth bound for High Wycombe at 5:12 am on weekdays, 5:45 on Saturdays, and 7:08 am on Sundays and public holidays. These operating hours have been criticised as not meeting early morning FIFO flights, but the government says that the Airport line meets 80% to 85% of all flights in and out of Perth Airport, and that the line needs to be available for maintenance at night. The 12-minute peak frequency required the Midland and Fremantle lines to reduce their peak frequency from every 10 minutes upon the Airport line's opening.


Rolling stock

The Airport line uses Transperth B-series
electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...
s. These trains first entered service in 2004. The final 10 B-series trains were bought specifically for the Airport line and were delivered by 2019. Each B-series train is three cars long, has a maximum speed of and has two doors on each side per car.


Patronage

Six months after opening, the Airport line had 12,000 passengers per day, below the 20,000 passengers predicted. In the 2022–23 financial year, ending in June 2023, the Airport line had 2,871,117 boardings, making it the least used Transperth train line. In the 2023–24 financial year, the Airport line had 4,860,015 boardings, beating the Midland and Armadale/Thornlie lines.


See also

*
Railways in Perth Railways in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, have existed since 1881, when the Eastern Railway was opened between Fremantle and Guildford. Today, Perth has eight Transperth suburban railway lines and 85 railway stations. The Tra ...
*
List of airport rail link systems This is a list of airport rail link systems which connect airports with cities in various countries. High-speed rail and inter-city rail Asia Europe North America Regional rail and commuter rail Africa Asia Eu ...


Notes


References


Further reading

* * * * * * *


External links


Forrestfield–Airport Link
website
Forrestfield–Airport Link
on the Metronet website
Forrestfield–Airport Link Environmental Impact Assessment
* * {{Railway lines in Western Australia Airport rail links in Australia Transperth railway lines Perth Airport Railway lines opened in 2022 Underground commuter rail 3 ft 6 in gauge railways in Australia 25 kV AC railway electrification Railway tunnels in Western Australia