Australind (train)

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.^[9] 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.^{[10][full citation needed]} 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 June 2026, which also introduced new ADR/ADS class railcars based on the Transperth C-series train to the route.^[11][12][13]

The resumed service was inaugurated on 28 June 2026, with a community event held at Bunbury Terminal; the first public service started operating on 29 June 2026.^[2] The resumed service initially started operating with a limited timetable of four return services per week and only one ADR/ADS class railcar on the route, with replacement coach bus services to continue until a second railcar comes online later in 2026, which will also see the regular timetable of two return services a day reinstated.^[2]

Transwa plans to double the number of services from two return services to four return services a day in 2027.^[2]

Original livery

2003 refurbished livery

2007 refurbished livery

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.^[14] 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.^[15]

In 2019, two new ADR/ADS class railcars 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.^[16][17][18] 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.^[19] Testing for the new trains began in 2025.^[11] The four new train sets, named Marley, Kwilena, Koombana and Linda following a public competition,^[20] were gradually introduced to the service when the route resumed in 2026.^[11]

The Australind departs from Perth traversing the metropolitan Armadale line to Armadale, then the South Western Railway to Bunbury.^[21]

The Australind had 77,810 passengers in the year leading up to June 2023.^[1]

In the year leading up to June 2025, 47,413 passengers used the service when it was operated by coach buses due to the suspension of rail services.^[22]

• AvonLink
• MerredinLink
• Prospector