RailWA

Perth Suburban Rail System-1
Home
Whats new on RailWA
Contact Us
Geraldton/ Midwest 2005-2012
Perth & the South West 2003-2012
Pilbara Trains 2009
Eastern Goldfields/ Esperance 2008-2011
2009 Rail Picture Gallery Part One
2008 Rail Picture Gallery
2008 Rail Picture Gallery Part Two
2007 Rail Picture Gallery
2007 Western Australia Photo's
2007 Photos Part Two
2006/ 2007 Gallery
2005 Train Gallery
Geraldton Mineral Trains
2004 Grain Trains
Around Geraldton in 2004
October/ November 1983 Part One
October/ November 1983 Part Two
1980
Auckland
Wickepin
Geraldton In 2003
March-April 1983
Along South-West Lines
Rail Tours & Passenger Trains
Joe Moir's Photographs
Loco Depots-Great Southern
Perth Suburban Rail System-1
Perth Suburban Rail System -2
Perth Suburban Rail System-3
David's DA Class Page
W.A. Narrow Gauge Trains
Geraldton and the Midwest
Albany
Kalgoorlie Area The 80's
Kalgoorlie Area The 90's
Steam Photos
Some Selected Photos of Days Gone By
Some Selected Photos of Days Gone By (2)
3801 In W.A.
Then and Now
Davids 2001 Train Gallery
Davids Photo's (Part 1)
Davids photographs (Part 2)
4472 Flying Scotsman and 4079 Pendennis Castle
Rail Tours
Locotrol Workings
Links Page

This is the first of several pages we hope to develop to give an overview of the Perth Suburban Rail System. This page covers "the eighties".

At the start of the decade the Perth Suburban system was not in an healthy state. In 1979 the Perth to Fremantle line was closed to passengers and up until 1983 the operations were concentrated on the Perth to Armadale and Perth to Midland lines.

In 1983 a new State Labor Government reopened the Perth to Fremantle Rail line to passengers. In 1987 Fremantle hosted the Americas Cup Yacht Races, to cater for the anticipated passenger demand stainless steel loco hauled cars from the Brisbane Suburban system were leased. The Queensland cars formed two sets of loco hauled cars, together with two loco hauled W.A. car sets and also a set of railcars hauled by a loco (as the railcar engines were life expired).

By the end of the decade the Perth system was being electrified and all the old stock would ultimately be replaced by Electric Multiple Units.The turnaround in the fortunes of the system had begun.

4caradgadacottesloe30nov86.jpg

Four car ADG/ADA railcar set seen arriving Cottesloe on the Fremantle Line with a service to Perth on 30 November 1986.

ab1535karrakatta30nov86.jpg

AB1535 and a Queensland set near Karrakatta (on the Fremantle line) on 30 November 1986.

a1512perthadxada30nov86.jpg

A1512 hauling a railcar set just out of Perth City Station with a train from Fremantle on 30 November 1986

a1502cottesloe30nov86.jpg

A1502 arrives at Cottesloe with a train for Fremantle. 1502 is hauling the Australind consist on an extra service. The Australind normally running the country service to Bunbury. The reason most of these photos and trains taken on the 30 November 1986, the Pope visited Perth and the rail system was heavily utilised to cater for the crowds.

a1513perth1nov86.jpg

A1513 is seen on the Australind set prior to leaving for Bunbury on the right is HVR W920 and ARHS DD592 with a tour train for Northam. This photo taken on 1 November 1986 shows all the eastern end of the station with its canopies removed as a multi-storey carpark was to be built above this end of the station and tracks.

All of the photos on this page should be sharper when downloaded as the images have been scanned slightly larger than normal. What do you think?