Victoria Park
Southbound view in December 2023
General information
LocationKitchener Avenue & Rutland Avenue
Lathlain / Victoria Park
Western Australia
Australia
Coordinates31°58′19″S 115°54′09″E / 31.971832°S 115.902393°E / -31.971832; 115.902393
Owned byPublic Transport Authority
Operated byPublic Transport Authority
Line(s)
Distance6.1 kilometres (3.8 mi) from Perth
Platforms1 island platform with 2 platform edges
Tracks2
Construction
Parking41 bays
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone1
History
Opened1898
Rebuilt2 August 2008
Passengers
2013–14258,580
Services
Preceding station Transperth Transperth Following station
Burswood
towards Perth
 Armadale line Terminus
Before November 2023
Burswood
towards Perth
 Armadale line
All stops
 Carlisle
towards Armadale
Thornlie line
T
 Carlisle
towards Thornlie
Location
Location of Victoria Park station

Victoria Park railway station is a suburban railway station on the Transperth network in Western Australia. The station is in the Perth suburbs of Lathlain and Victoria Park. Since November 2023, the station has been the terminus of the Armadale and Thornlie lines due to the Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project. The whole of each line is expected to reopen in mid-2025.

The first Victoria Park station opened in 1898 after lobbying by the Municipality of Victoria Park. It gained a station master in 1922, which lasted until 1969. The Victoria Park section of the Armadale line underwent several improvements in the 2000s. Lathlain station closed in 2003, and a nearby level crossing was removed and replaced with a bridge. The Thornlie line commenced services on 7 August 2005, enabling most Armadale services to skip the station. In 2007, construction started on a new Victoria Park station, 230 metres (750 ft) south of the original station and closer to the demolished Lathlain station. The new station had greater accessibility and was no longer on a curve, which allowed for a smaller platform gap. The new Victoria Park station opened on 2 August 2008, and the old one was demolished soon afterwards.

History

Platform viewed from car park
The now demolished Victoria Park station in April 2005

The South Western Railway was opened between Perth and Pinjarra on 2 May 1893.[1][2] By 1897, the closest station to Victoria Park was Burswood railway station, so the Municipality of Victoria Park sent a deputation to the commissioner of railways, Frederick Piesse, for the establishment of a railway platform at Victoria Park.[3] The original Victoria Park railway station opened in 1898.[4][5] According to the Town of Victoria Park Local History Collection, the first mention of Victoria Park station on timetables was on 11 April 1898.[2] A footbridge was approved for the station in 1912,[6] and the station gained a station master on 1 September 1922.[1][2] It became an unmanned station again on 1 March 1969.[2] Over the course of its history, Victoria Park station had four station masters, who were commemorated by a plaque at the station in 1997.[7][8][9][2]

Westrail, the operator of railways in Perth at the time, planned to rebuild Victoria Park station in the late 1990s, but this was deferred pending the completion of planning for the Mandurah line.[10] The original plans for the Mandurah line had it branch off the Armadale line at Kenwick.[11] The first South West Metropolitan Railway Master Plan, published in 1999, found that there were too many stations spaced closely together on the Armadale line between Perth and Kenwick. Victoria Park station was 1,130 metres (3,710 ft) south of Burswood station and 775 metres (2,543 ft) north of Lathlain station. The master plan said that for Mandurah line services to integrate with Armadale line services, there had to be fewer stations along the shared section of track and a change in the stopping patterns of Armadale line services.[10]

The master plan therefore called for the removal of the nearby Bishopsgate Street level crossing, the removal of Lathlain station, the construction of a bridge across the railway at Miller Street/Roberts Road, and the rebuild of Victoria Park station about 230 metres (750 ft) south of the original Victoria Park station. The relocation of Victoria Park station had several advantages: it would put the station closer to the Victoria Park retail area along Albany Highway; fill the gap left by the closure of Lathlain station; make the station distribution along the Armadale line more even; allow for a straight platform with a smaller platform gap than the old station, which was on a curve; and allow for minimal disruption to the old station while the new station was being constructed.[12]

In 2001, a new state government was elected, who changed the route of the Mandurah line to be a more direct route from Perth rather than a branch of the Armadale line. Instead, the Thornlie line would be built as a one-station spur off the Armadale line at the same place as the previous Mandurah line route. A new master plan was released in August 2002. Although other planned upgrades to the Armadale line were cancelled, the Victoria Park station rebuild, Lathlain station closure, level crossing removal, and bridge construction were all planned to go ahead. Construction on the new station was planned to begin in October 2003 and be complete by July 2004.[13]

New MetroRail was formed in 2003 to manage extensions and upgrades to Perth's rail network, including the Victoria Park station rebuild. By this point, the new station was planned to open in late 2004.[14][15] Lathlain station was closed on 2 February 2003.[2][14] In September 2003, a contract worth $7.2 million was awarded to Works Infrastructure Pty Ltd for the deviation of tracks to make room for the island platform at Victoria Park station, the construction of the Miller Street/Roberts Road bridge, and the construction of a pedestrian bridge at Howick Street.[16][17] Two three-day shutdowns of the Armadale line occurred for the track realignment in January and March 2004.[18] The Miller Street/Roberts Road bridge opened on 26 June 2004, after which the Bishopsgate Street level crossing closed. By that point, tenders for the construction of Victoria Park station had been delayed until the completion of the Mandurah line due to staff shortages in the construction industry.[19] The Thornlie line opened on 7 August 2005.[20][21]

Metal plaque on brick wall
Plaque commemorating the opening of Victoria Park station on 2 August 2008

Broad Construction Services was awarded the $9.2 million contract to build the new Victoria Park station. Construction began in August 2007,[22][23] and the station was officially opened on 2 August 2008 by Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Alannah MacTiernan.[1][2][24] The old station was demolished soon after. The entire cost, including the realignment of the tracks, signalling, and demolition of the old station, was $12.1 million.[25]

As part of construction for Perth Stadium station, stowage tracks for 24 railcars were built between Great Eastern Highway and Victoria Park station, which are used to provide extra services during events at Perth Stadium.[26][27]

Since 20 November 2023, the Armadale and Thornlie lines have been closed south of Victoria Park station for the Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project. The first three days of the shutdown were used to modify the infrastructure at Victoria Park station to allow for trains to be turned around. The shutdown is expected to end by mid-2025.[28][29] A temporary bus interchange was built for rail replacement bus services.[30]

Description

A footbridge with a roof covering it and advertisements on the walls
Victoria Park station footbridge

Victoria Park station is on the boundary of Victoria Park and Lathlain, which are suburbs of Perth. The station is on the South Western Railway, which links Perth and Bunbury,[5] and is owned by the Public Transport Authority.[32] The adjacent stations are Burswood station to the north and Carlisle station (which is temporarily closed) to the south-east.[33] The station is 6.1 kilometres (3.8 mi) from Perth station.[31]

The station itself consists of an island platform which is linked to either side of the railway by a pedestrian bridge. The platform is 100 metres (330 ft) long, which allows for four-car trains, and was designed to allow for extension to 150 metres (490 ft) for six-car trains. The platform links to the bridge by a lift and set of stairs. On both sides of the railway is a ramp and set of stairs to the bridge. There is a car park with 41 bays on the south-western side. Train replacement bus stops are on the north-eastern side.[34] The station is fully accessible,[33] and was designed with consultation from the nearby Association for the Blind, now known as VisAbility.[22][23] The station's design was criticised by Victoria Park councillor Keith Hayes for a lack of shelter along the ramps, a lack of lifts on either side of the footbridge, and the lack of a ramp from the bridge to the platform, which is a problem when the lift is out of order. The length of the ramps was also criticised. Initial designs had lifts on either side of the railway, but that was cut as there was not enough money in the budget for that.[35][36]

The former Victoria Park station had a curved island platform with a pedestrian level crossing on the south-east end and a footbridge accessed by stairs on the north-west end.[37]

Art

Two large bells on the station's platform
Mute and Bright

On the platform is an art installation named Mute and Bright. This consists of two large steel bells. The bells play sounds created by visually-impaired artist Rob Muir. The artist's statement was "the artworks offer a visual solidity while producing timed and interactive sampling and replaying of altered sounds. They create an ever-changing soundscape that can be both heard and felt."[38]

Services

A bus interchange on the right with a bus and railway tracks on the left with a train
Temporary bus interchange at Victoria Park station

Victoria Park station is served by Armadale/Thornlie line services. These services form part of the Transperth system and are operated by the Public Transport Authority.[39] Victoria Park station has received eight trains per hour since the shutdown began, dropping to four trains per hour at night and one train per hour after midnight on weekends. Service hours are from approximately 5 am and midnight, extending to 2:40 am on Saturday and Sunday mornings.[40]

Train replacement bus services operate out of the temporary bus interchange. Route 908 goes between Victoria Park station and Cannington station. Other train replacement bus services bypass Victoria Park station to head directly to the Perth central business district.[28][41]

In the 2013–14 financial year, Victoria Park station had 258,580 boardings, making it an average station for the Armadale and Thornlie lines.[42]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Our history". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Local History Collection Timeline". Town of Victoria Park (3rd ed.). January 2016. pp. 4, 6, 17, 24, 27, 31, 39, 42. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "Victoria Park Wants". The Inquirer And Commercial News. 23 July 1897. p. 4. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ "History of Stations on the Armadale Train Line" (PDF). Right Track. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2008.
  5. 1 2 Arnold, John (2006). A History of Bringing the Rails to Pinjarra: The Southwest Railway of Western Australia. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-646-14228-9.
  6. ↑ "News and Notes". The West Australian. 30 March 1912. p. 10. Retrieved 31 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ Jeff, Austin (2011). Station masters of Western Australia. Rail Heritage WA. ISBN 978-0-9803922-4-1.
  8. ↑ "Railway Monument". Monument Australia. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "Monument unveiled at station". Swan Gazette. October 1997. p. 6.
  10. 1 2 "South West Metropolitan Railway Master Plan" (PDF). New MetroRail. March 1999. pp. 28–29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007.
  11. ↑ "South West Metropolitan Railway Master Plan" (PDF). New MetroRail. March 1999. Figure 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007.
  12. ↑ "South West Metropolitan Railway Master Plan" (PDF). New MetroRail. March 1999. pp. 43, 47, figures 25, 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007.
  13. ↑ "Perth Urban Rail Development Project – Supplementary Master Plan" (PDF). New MetroRail. August 2002. pp. v, ix, 108, figure 49. ISBN 0-7307-2426-3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007.
  14. 1 2 "OnTrack: Issue 1" (PDF). New MetroRail. March 2003. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  15. ↑ "Victoria Park railway services to be upgraded". Media Statements. 13 December 2002. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "OnTrack: Issue 4" (PDF). New MetroRail. December 2003. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2007.
  17. ↑ "Victoria Park Upgrades – Infrastructure". New MetroRail. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007.
  18. ↑ "OnTrack: Issue 5" (PDF). New MetroRail. April 2004. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007.
  19. ↑ "OnTrack: Issue 6" (PDF). New MetroRail. July 2004. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007.
  20. ↑ "Thornlie line and station opening a major milestone for public transport network". Media Statements. 7 August 2005. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  21. ↑ "OnTrack: Issue 10" (PDF). New MetroRail. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2007.
  22. 1 2 "Victoria Park Station work to start next month". Media Statements. 17 July 2007. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  23. 1 2 "New Victoria Park Station to start construction next month". Business News. 17 July 2007. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  24. ↑ "New Victoria Park Train Station opened". Media Statements. 2 August 2008. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  25. ↑ "Annual Report 2008–2009" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. p. 45. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  26. ↑ "New Perth Stadium Transport Project Definition Plan" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. December 2012. pp. 2, 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  27. ↑ "Perth Stadium Rail Project". AECOM. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  28. 1 2 "Armadale and Thornlie Line Shutdown". Transperth. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  29. ↑ Shepherd, Briana; Ho, Cason (20 November 2023). "Perth's Armadale/Thornlie rail line closure is underway. Here's what you need to know about getting around". ABC News. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  30. ↑ "LXR Oats Street CRG 7 – Minutes" (PDF). Metronet. pp. 2–3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  31. 1 2 "Manual – Rail Access" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. pp. 59–62. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  32. ↑ "Public Transport Authority: Railway System: April 2019" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  33. 1 2 "Victoria Park Station". Transperth. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  34. ↑ "Victoria Park Station Map" (PDF). Transperth. 31 August 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  35. ↑ "New train station still leaves a lot to be desired". Southern Gazette. Community Newspaper Group. 13 October 2009. p. 7.
  36. ↑ "Two tales of station funding". Southern Gazette. Community Newspaper Group. 17 November 2009. p. 3.
  37. ↑ "Victoria Park Station Layout". Transperth. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007.
  38. ↑ "Mute and Bright". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  39. ↑ "Transperth". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  40. ↑ "Armadale/Thornlie Line Train Timetable" (PDF). Transperth. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  41. ↑ "Bus Timetable 217" (PDF). Transperth. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  42. ↑ "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 20 August 2023.
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