Victoria Park railway station, Perth

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 and is typically linked with Thornlie line services, although Armadale line services also use the station at night and on Sundays.

Not to be confused with Victoria Street railway station, Perth.

Victoria Park
Southbound view in February 2023
General information
LocationKitchener Avenue & Rutland Avenue
Lathlain / Victoria Park
Western Australia
Australia
Coordinates31°58′19″S 115°54′09″E
Owned byPublic Transport Authority
Operated byTransperth Train Operations
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
All stops
 Carlisle
towards Armadale
Thornlie line
T
 Carlisle
towards Thornlie
Location
Location of Victoria Park station

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. 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]

From 20 November 2023 to the middle of 2025, the Armadale and Thornlie lines will be closed south of Victoria Park station for the Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project. Trains will run between Perth and Victoria Park stations; turnback infrastructure will be built south of the station during the first three days of the shutdown.[28][29] A temporary bus interchange will be built by October 2023 for rail replacement bus services.[29]

Description

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.[31] The adjacent stations are Burswood station to the north and Carlisle station to the south-east.[32] The station is 6.1 kilometres (3.8 mi) from Perth station.[30]

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.[33] The station is fully accessible,[32] 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.[34][35]

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.[36]

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."[37]

Services

Victoria Park station is predominantly served by Thornlie line services but also Armadale line services at night and on Sundays.[38] These services form part of the Transperth system and are operated by the Public Transport Authority.[39] The Armadale line goes between Perth station and Armadale station along the South Western Railway.[5] The Thornlie line goes between Perth station and Thornlie station, branching off at Kenwick.[40]

The station is predominantly served by Thornlie line services, which stop at the station every 15 minutes during the day from Monday to Saturday and every half an hour at night. On Sundays, Thornlie line services stop at the station every half an hour. Armadale line services typically skip Victoria Park station but stop at the station late at night and on Sundays every half an hour. Service hours are between approximately 5 am and midnight, extending to 2 am on Saturday and Sunday mornings.[38]

In the 2013–14 financial year, Victoria Park station had 258,580 boardings, making it an average station for the Armadale and Thornlie lines.[41]

See also

References
  1. "Our history". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  2. "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. Arnold, John (2006). A History of Bringing the Rails to Pinjarra: The Southwest Railway of Western Australia. p. 11. ISBN 0646142283.
  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. "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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007.
  14. "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. "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. "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. "Armadale and Thornlie Line Shutdown". Transperth. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  29. "LXR Oats Street CRG 7 – Minutes" (PDF). Metronet. pp. 2–3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  30. "Manual – Rail Access" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. pp. 59–62. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  31. "Public Transport Authority: Railway System: April 2019" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  32. "Victoria Park Station". Transperth. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  33. "Victoria Park Station Map" (PDF). Transperth. 31 August 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  34. "New train station still leaves a lot to be desired". Southern Gazette. Community Newspaper Group. 13 October 2009. p. 7.
  35. "Two tales of station funding". Southern Gazette. Community Newspaper Group. 17 November 2009. p. 3.
  36. "Victoria Park Station Layout". Transperth. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007.
  37. "Mute and Bright". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  38. "Armadale/Thornlie Line Train Timetable" (PDF). Transperth. 10 October 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  39. "Transperth". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  40. "Transperth Zone Map" (PDF). Transperth. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  41. "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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