Armadale and Thornlie lines
The Armadale line is a suburban rail service in Western Australia that runs from Perth to Armadale on the South Western Railway. This service is planned to extend to the suburb of Byford over an new railway line constructed as part of the Byford Rail Extension project. The Thornlie line is a service that runs on the South Western Railway from Perth to a junction between Beckenham and Kenwick and continues on a short branch line to Thornlie that opened on 7 August 2005. This service is currently, , being extended to Cockburn Central (which until now  was serviced by the Mandurah line only) as part of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link project that in part is constructing of new railway line between Thornlie and Cockburn Central next to the Kewdale white oil line. History. The Armadale line runs on the South Western Railway which opened on 2 May 1893. In September 1991, the line commenced electrified operation. Between 2004 and 2005, Armadale, Carlisle and Gosnells were upgraded to provide better facilities to passengers and provide better access between trains and buses. Lathlain station was closed on 3 February 2003 as part of the project. Thornlie was opened  on 7 August 2005. The station is built on a spur line of the South Western Railway. Between 21 March 1993 and 8 August 2005, trains on the Armadale line continued through Perth to the Joondalup line. In 2004 new railcars were introduced, which became exclusive to the Joondalup line. From 2005 until 2012, Armadale line trains did not run through Perth to the other lines but on 20 August 2012, as part of works relating to the Perth City Link project to sink the Fremantle line, services from Fremantle connected to the line until the tunnel was opened on  18 July 2013 which saw the Armadale line terminate in Perth again. Victoria Park and Kelmscott Stations were upgraded between 2007 and 2008 as part of the Public Transport Authority's 'Building Better Stations' program. Victoria Park station was opened on 20 July 2008. and Kelmscott was opened on 21 November 2008. As part of the new Perth Stadium project, Belmont Park station closed on 13 October 2013. Perth Stadium station was opened in 2018 to replace it. Extensions. As part of the Metronet project, both the Armadale main line and the Thornlie spur line will undergo extensions. The Armadale  line will be extended to the suburb of Byford with a station being built approximately south of the Armadale railway station. The Thornlie line will be extended to Cockburn Central railway station on the Mandurah line. Two new railway stations will be located on this extension, Nicholson Road and Ranford Road. Construction started in 2020. At the 2021–22 State Budget, it was announced that the Thornlie–Cockburn link had been deferred by 12 months, as a result of Western Australia's skills shortage. This was alongside the deferment of 15 other state government infrastructure projects. The revised opening date is  . Patronage. Below is the annual patronage of Armadale and Thornlie lines from 2010 to 2011 financial year. Figures are provided as total boardings, which includes all fare-paying boardings and free travel on stations within the free transit zones as well as transfers between stations. The figures for rail replacement and special events services are not included in the total. Description. During hot weather, the tracks can distort. As a result, on the Armadale line, train speeds are reduced by approximately when the air temperature is above , and by an additional when the air temperature is above . On the Thornlie  line, train speeds are reduced by approximately when the air temperature is above , and by an additional when the air temperature is above . The Transperth network currently uses fixed block signalling and automatic train protection, which stops trains that pass a red signal and slows trains that drive too fast. These systems will be replaced by an automatic train control system, likely a communications-based train control system. Stations. During peak hour times on weekdays, some railway stations are almost always bypassed to enable faster commutes. Express trains also run along the Armadale Line on weekdays, and even often on  weekends.