Challis
Small shelter on brick platform
Station shelter in August 2022
General information
LocationRailway Avenue & Streich Avenue, Kelmscott, Western Australia
Australia
Coordinates32°07′36″S 116°00′46″E / 32.126607°S 116.012814°E / -32.126607; 116.012814
Owned byPublic Transport Authority
Operated byTransperth Train Operations
Line(s)South Western Railway
Distance27.3 kilometres (17.0 mi) from Perth
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeGround
AccessiblePartial
Other information
Fare zone3
History
Opened29 October 1973
Passengers
2017259 daily
Services
Preceding station Transperth Transperth Following station
Kelmscott
towards Perth
 Armadale line Sherwood
towards Armadale
Location
Location of Challis railway station

Challis railway station (officially Challis Station) is a suburban railway station in Kelmscott, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It is on the Armadale line which is part of the Transperth network, and is 27.3 kilometres (17.0 mi) southwest of Perth station and 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi) north of Armadale station. The station opened on 29 October 1973, as did the adjacent Sherwood station, filling the large gap between Armadale station and Kelmscott station. It consists of two side platforms with a pedestrian level crossing. It is not fully accessible due to steep ramps and wide gaps at the pedestrian level crossing.

Services are operated by Transperth Train Operations, a division of the state government's Public Transport Authority. Peak services reach seven trains per hour in each direction, whilst off-peak services are four trains per hour. The station is one of the least used ones on the Transperth network, with just 259 boardings per day in October 2017. The City of Armadale rezoned nearby land in the 2010s with the goal of increasing patronage.

Description

Two brick side platforms with small shelters on each
Challis station platforms in August 2022

Challis station is on the South Western Railway, which links Perth to Bunbury.[1] The northern 30.4 kilometres (18.9 mi) of this railway, between Perth and Armadale, is used by Armadale line suburban rail services as part of the Transperth network.[2][3] The line and the station are owned by the Public Transport Authority (PTA), an agency of the Government of Western Australia.[lower-alpha 1][6] Challis station is located between Kelmscott station to the north and Sherwood station to the south, within the suburb of Kelmscott, Western Australia. The station is between Streich Avenue to the east and Railway Avenue to the west,[7][8] 27.3 kilometres (17.0 mi), or a 30-minute train journey,[lower-alpha 2] from Perth station, and 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi), or a 5-minute train journey, from Armadale station.[2][3] This places the station in Transperth fare zone three.[3][8]

Challis station consists of two side platforms which are approximately 100 metres (330 ft) long, enough for a four-car train but not a six-car train. Eventually, as part of the PTA's efforts to make all stations compatible with six-car trains, the platform will be lengthened to 150 metres (490 ft).[9] The only way to cross the tracks is at a pedestrian level crossing at the northern end of the station. Two car parks with 32 bays in total are on either side of the station, and there are bike racks as well. Challis station is not fully accessible due to the ramps to the platforms being too steep and the pedestrian crossing containing large gaps.[7][8]

History

With the 1970 Corridor Plan for Perth, new areas between Armadale and Kelmscott were opened up for development. The Armadale–Kelmscott Shire Council began lobbying the state government for new stations within the large gap between Armadale and Kelmscott stations.[10] Plans were completed by May 1973 for two new stations, with construction commencing soon afterwards.[11] Originally planned to open on 20 October 1973,[10] Challis station opened on 29 October,[12] as did the adjacent Sherwood station (then known as Kingsley station).[13] The shire council wanted the station to be named "Streich" after a well known local doctor,[14] but the Western Australian Government Railways decided on "Challis", which came from the nearby Challis Primary School. The school was named after Challis Road, which was named after a family who had established an orchard in the area in the 1910s.[15]

Shelters were added in 1982–83.[16] The City of Armadale rezoned nearby land for higher densities in the late 2010s, with the goal of increasing patronage.[17][18]

Services

Tall bus stop pole with signage on it on the side of a road
Rail replacement bus stop at Challis station in August 2022

Challis station is served by Armadale line services operated by Transperth Train Operations, a division of the PTA.[lower-alpha 1][19] The line goes between Perth station and Armadale station. Armadale line services reach seven trains per hour during peak, dropping to four trains per hour between peaks. At night, there are two trains per hour, dropping to one train per hour in the early hours of the morning. Apart from at night and on Sundays/public holidays, most train services follow the "C" stopping pattern, which skips Burswood, Victoria Park, Carlisle, Welshpool and Queens Park stations. There are also two "B" stopping pattern services which run during the afternoon Armadale-bound. Those services are the same as the "C" pattern except they stop at Queens Park. Starting at night, trains stop at all stations. On Sundays and public holidays, half of all trains are "C" pattern trains and half are all stops trains.[3]

On Railway Avenue is a pair of bus stops for route 907, the rail replacement bus service.[7]

In the 2013–14 financial year, Challis station had 73,805 boardings, making it the second least used station on the Armadale and Thornlie lines behind Seaforth station.[lower-alpha 3][21] On an average weekday in October 2017, the station had 259 boardings, making it the third least used Transperth station behind Seaforth station (136) and Success Hill station (139).[17] The weekend average number of boardings was 209 in October 2018, the third lowest after Success Hill station (124) and Seaforth (170).[22]

Notes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Challis railway station.
  1. 1 2 The PTA succeeded the Western Australian Government Railways as the owner and operator of the rail network in 2003.[4][5]
  2. ↑ 30-minute train journey on a "C" pattern service, the most common service. 34-minute train journey on an all stops service.[3]
  3. ↑ Aside from Belmont Park station, which closed on 13 October 2013 and only operated during certain events.[20]

References

  1. ↑ Arnold, John (2006). A History of Bringing the Rails to Pinjarra : The Southwest Railway of Western Australia. p. 12. ISBN 0646142283.
  2. 1 2 "Manual – Rail Access" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. 30 August 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Armadale/Thornlie Line Train Timetable" (PDF). Transperth. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  4. ↑ "New PTA to provide better planned and integrated services". Media Statements. 30 June 2003. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  5. ↑ "Railways and WAGR Staff". WA.gov.au. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Public Transport Authority: Railway System: April 2019" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. April 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 "Challis Station – Access Map" (PDF). Transperth. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 "Challis Station". Transperth. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  9. ↑ "PTA210020 Long Form Consultancy (Book1) Conditions and Information for Tendering". Tenders WA. p. 4. Retrieved 14 May 2022. Click Download Now, then Download for Information Only. Make sure "PTA210020 Long Form Consultancy (Book1) Conditions and Information for Tendering" is selected, then click download documents.
  10. 1 2 "Two Rail Stopovers". Armadale-Gosnells Comment News. 4 August 1973. p. 9.
  11. ↑ "Railway stopover". Armadale-Gosnells Comment News. 5 May 1973. p. 4.
  12. ↑ "Our history". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  13. ↑ "Legislative Assembly: Tuesday, the 11th April, 1978" (PDF). Parliament of Western Australia. 11 April 1978. pp. 15–16. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "Legislative Assembly: Wednesday, the 7th November, 1973" (PDF). Parliament of Western Australia. 7 November 1973. p. 2. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  15. ↑ "Index of origin of road and locality names – Corrections form – 2015.pdf" (PDF). City of Armadale. p. 21. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  16. ↑ MetroBus (1998), MetroBus Annual Report 1997–1998, p. 55
  17. 1 2 Perpitch, Nicolas (13 March 2018). "Welcome to Seaforth – the loneliest train station on the Perth rail network". ABC News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "Town Planning Scheme No. 4: Residential Density Code Modifications East of Challis and Sherwood Train Stations: Amendment No. 89" (PDF). City of Armadale. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  19. ↑ "Transperth". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  20. ↑ "Last train to Belmont Park station". Public Transport Authority. 4 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "Question On Notice No. 4248 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 25 June 2015 by Mr M. Mcgowan". Parliament of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  22. ↑ Acott, Kent (27 January 2019). "Is public transport off the rails?". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
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