Australind (train)
Passenger train in Western Australia
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The Australind is a currently suspended rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa on the South Western Railway between Perth and Bunbury.
The Australind at Bunbury in January 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Service type | Passenger train | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Suspended (until early 2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | South West Western Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First service | 24 November 1947 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last service | 19 November 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current operator | Transwa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former operators | WAGR (1947–1975) Westrail (1975–2000) WAGR Commission (2000–2003) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ridership | 60,507 (year to June 2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Route | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | Perth Bunbury | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stops | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance travelled | 167 kilometres | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Average journey time | 2 hours 30 minutes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service frequency | Twice daily | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Train number | 9/10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line used | South Western Railway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rolling stock | ADP/ADQ class railcars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The service was suspended in November 2023 due to the shutdown of the Armadale line for upgrading and the retirement of rolling stock. The route will be temporarily replaced by coach bus services until early 2026.[1][2]
History
The Australind service began on 24 November 1947 and was hauled initially by U class steam locomotives.[3] With an average speed of 63 km/h (39 mph), it was the fastest narrow gauge passenger train in Australia.[4] It was named to commemorate the city of that name envisioned by Marshall Waller Clifton on Leschenault Inlet 100 years previously. The current hamlet of Australind, a satellite town of Bunbury, has never had a passenger rail service, nor even a railway line.
In February 1958, X class diesel locomotives took over. The service was relaunched on 1 October 1960 with onboard catering removing the need for an extended stop at Pinjarra. In November 1987, the ADP/ADQ class railcars took over the service, reducing the journey time to 2 hours 30 minutes.[5][6][7][8]
In November 2023 the service was suspended due to the shutdown of the Armadale line for upgrading.[1] The suspension also marked the retirement of the ADP/ADQ class trainsets, with the final two services – reserved for invited special guests – conducted on 18 and 19 November 2023.[9] The route was then temporarily replaced by coach bus services. Although originally scheduled to re-open in mid-2025, delays in the upgrade of the Armadale line pushed back the resumption of train services to early 2026, which will introduce new railcars based on the Transperth C-series train.[10][2]
Rolling stock
When introduced, the train consisted of new carriages built by the Midland Railway Workshops.[6] In August 1985, Westrail awarded Comeng, Bassendean a contract for five Westrail ADP/ADQ class railcars, three ADPs with driving cabs and two ADQs, using a similar body shell and interior fitout to the New South Wales XPT carriages.[11] Each carriage was powered by a Cummins KTA19 coupled to a Voith transmission. They usually operated as a three or four carriage set as five carriage set operation is not possible due to the limited platform length available at Perth station.[7]
In July 2003, the trains were painted in a new livery in line with the formation of Transwa. In 2007, the trains were painted white as part of a refurbishment program. In 2010/11, new seats were fitted.[12]
In 2019, two new train sets, each consisting of a three-car diesel multiple unit, were ordered for the Australind at a cost of $54 million. The trains were built by Alstom in Bellevue as diesel-powered variants of the Transperth C-series trains already under construction.[13][14][15] In January 2025 it was announced that two additional train sets would be procured for the route for $80 million; the new trains were obtained to increase reliability and future frequency of the service.[16] Testing for the new trains began in 2025.[2] The new train sets will be introduced to the service when the route resumes in 2026.[2]
Route
The Australind departs from Perth traversing the metropolitan Armadale line to Armadale, then the South Western Railway to Bunbury.[17]
Stations
Ridership
The Australind had 77,810 passengers in the year leading up to June 2023.[18]
