First Route 1 March 1881 (Fremantle to Guildford) 11 March 1884 (Guildford to Chidlow) 20 June 1885 (Chidlow to Spencers Brook) 13 October 1886 (Spencers Brook to Northam) Second Route 22 February 1896 (Bellevue to Mount Helena) Third Route 14 February 1966 (Bellevue to Northam)
The first sod of the Fremantle-Guildford Railway was turned by Governor Ord at Guildford on 3 June 1879. The event coincided with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the settlement of Western Australia.[1] The alignment of this first section of the railway has remained generally unchanged since it opened on 1 March 1881 and now forms part of Transperth's Fremantle Line and Midland Line.
Notable changes to this section include:
Electrification of the Perth suburban rail network in 1991[2]
Sinking of the line through the former Perth Yards as part of Perth City Link
The centenary of the railway was celebrated on 1 March 1981.[3][4]
First route
The First Route, from Guildford to Chidlow, was opened on 11 March 1884.[5] The principal contractor of the works was J.W. Wright & Co. The route ascended the escarpment around Greenmount Hill passing through Boya, Darlington, Glen Forrest, Mundaring and Sawyers Valley before turning north to Mount Helena, originally known as White's Mill and then as Lion Mill.[6] A significant delay in construction was experienced at a site that became popularly known as Devil's Terror - a location between Darlington and Glen Forrest. Clay was struck when a cutting was under construction followed by a subsurface spring. The resulting flooding turned the clay into a bottomless bog. The rail alignment had to be moved 100 metres south along the bed of Nyaania Creek, which was diverted into a specially constructed channel.[7]
A year after the opening of the line to Chidlow it was further extended to Spencers Brook, opening on 20 June 1885. The following year, it was extended again, opening to Northam on 13 October 1886. Both extensions were constructed by Edward Keane.[5]
It soon became apparent that the section between Bellevue and Mount Helena was too steep for the increasingly heavier trains and engines required for the route. As a result, the Second Route was quickly devised in the 1890s. After the completion of this alternative section, the original line became known in Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) records as the Smith's Mill Branch, then the Mundaring Branch, and later as the Mundaring Loop.[8]
Passenger traffic ceased between Boya and on 24 January 1954 and the route was closed from Koongamia to Mount Helena on 12 March 1965.
Some remnants of this original line exist today:
Darlington - The platform remains and forms part of a reserve.[9]
Glen Forrest - One signal remains at the station site and the station master's house is used by the Darlington History Group.[10]
Mundaring - The platform and grounds have been turned into part of the Mundaring Community Sculpture Park and the station master's house is now the office of the Mundaring and Hills Historical Society.[11][12]
Also known as the Parkerville deviation or Mahogany Creek deviation, the Second Route via Swan View, John Forrest National Park, Hovea, Parkerville and Stoneville to Mount Helena, opened a little over a decade after the First Route, on 1 July 1896.[5] It increased railway capacity to the east, while offering less demanding grades and improved safety compared to the alignment of the first route.[13]
The line was originally only a single track, and featured Western Australia's first and, until 1990, only railway tunnel. Due to ventilation problems, in 1942 the tunnel was the cause of a runaway train crash, prompting calls for a fix.[14] As traffic increased the newer route was duplicated in the 1930s, with the Tunnel Junction signal box established to manage traffic through the still single-track tunnel.[15] A single-track diversion of the tunnel was completed on 25 November 1945, allowing trains heading uphill towards the east to avoid the tunnel and providing double-track operation along the entire line.[16]
The Second Route closed on 13 February 1966, coinciding with the opening of the Third Route.
The Third Route, also known as the Avon Valley Deviation, opened on 14 February 1966 and coincided with the closure of the earlier two routes of the Eastern Railway.[17][18]
In the 1940s, it became clear to the Western Australian Government Railways that the original Eastern Railway alignments were not suitable for future traffic and the loadings that were to be carried between the coast and the areas east of the Darling Scarp.
The Third Route was originally built with timber sleepers and 94 lb (42.6 kg) rail. It was later upgraded using heavy (60 kg or 132.3 lb) continuously welded rail laid on new concrete sleepers during the late 1970s through into the early 1980s and can now accommodate axle loads up to 41 tonnes.[20]
The route, currently managed by Arc Infrastructure, is double-track line for almost its entire length and dual gauge (1,435 mm or 4 ft 8+1⁄2 instandard gauge and 1,067 mm or 3 ft 6 innarrow gauge) between East Perth and Avon Yard; tracks are narrow gauge-only at its western end through to Fremantle and standard gauge-only at its eastern end through to Northam. Crossing loops are provided there at three locations and these feature three parallel tracks. Numerous cuttings were also constructed, including the deep Windmill Hill Cutting east of Toodyay. Avon Yard, a major marshalling yard, is located five kilometres west of Northam.
Current use
Passenger
Cyclist preparing at the Bellevue end of the Railway Reserve Heritage trail
Intrastate freight services are generally operated by Aurizon. Interstate freight services are generally operated by Pacific National and SCT Logistics. Prior to privatisation, WAGR/Westrail operated all services on the line.
The original Eastern Railway alignments still survive today, in the form of a rail trail for cycling, horse riding and walking. The sections from Bellevue to Wooroloo form the 'Rail Reserves Heritage Trail'.[23] The section from Mundaring to Clackline, as well as the Mundaring Branch, form part of the Kep Trail.[24]
The Railway Reserves Heritage Trail is the result of the Mundaring Shire Council being allocated funds from a number of external authorities to maintain and improve the old railway alignment as a rail trail. Between 2004–2006, the trail has had considerable signage and track maintenance conducted along the trail. It is also used for the annual Trek the Trail event conducted in conjunction between Mundaring and Hills Historical Society, the Mundaring Shire Council and the Mundaring Visitor Centre.[25]
Acts of Parliament
The following acts of Parliament relate to the construction and maintenance of the Eastern Railway:
Eastern Railway Extension Act 1881, assented to on 7 April 1881, authorised the construction of the railway line from Guildford to Chidlow's Well.[27]
Eastern Railway (Further) Amendment Act 1882, assented to on 21 September 1882, authorised the construction of the railway line from Chidlow's Well to York.[28]
Eastern Railway Terminus Act 1883, assented to on 8 September 1883, authorised alterations to the terminus of the railway line at York.[29]
Eastern Railway Further Extension Act 1885, assented to on 18 September 1885, authorised construction of the railway line from York to Beverley.[30]
Eastern Railway, Spencer's Brook-Northam Branch Act 1886, assented to on 12 July 1886, authorised construction of the branch line from Spencer's Brook to Northam.[31]
Eastern Railway Improvement Act 1893, assented to on 13 October 1893, authorised alterations to the railway line.[32]
Eastern Railway siding (1914), assented to on 22 September 1914, authorised the construction, maintenance and working of a siding at East Perth.[33]
References
^"The Jubilee". The Inquirer & Commercial News. 4 June 1879. p. 3. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
^Kreitling, John (1991). Perth Electric - A new era. Perth: The Western Australian Government Railways Commission (Westrail). ISBN0-7309-4619-3.
^Minchin, R. S.; Higham, G. J.; Australian Railway Historical Society. Western Australian Division (1981), Robb's railway : Fremantle to Guildford railway centenary 1881–1981, Australian Railway Historical Society, West Australian Division, ISBN978-0-9599690-2-3
^Higham, Geoffrey J.; Rail Heritage WA (2006). All stations to Guildford : 125 years of the Fremantle to Guildford railway. Bassendean, W.A.: Australian Railway Historical Society, W.A. Division.
^ abcGunzburg, Adrian; Austin, Jeff (2008). "12. Construction of the W.A. Government Railways network, 1879-1931". Rail through the Bush: Timber and Firewood Tramways and Railway Contractors of Western Australia. Perth: Rail Heritage WA. pp. 208–210. ISBN978-0-9803922-2-7.
^Western Australian Government Railways (1946). Time Table for passenger, mixed, and goods trains over all lines. Perth: Western Australian Government Railways.
