Airport line, Perth

Airport line
Airport line
	High Wycombe dive structure
Overview
Other name(s)	Forrestfield–Airport Link (branch; during construction)
Owner	Public Transport Authority
Locale	Perth, Western Australia
Termini	High Wycombe (east); Claremont (west);
Stations	3 (branch); 20 (total)
Website	Forrestfield–Airport Link
Service
Type	Suburban rail
System	Transperth
Operator(s)	Transperth Train Operations
Depot(s)	Claisebrook railcar depot
Rolling stock	Transperth B-series trains
Ridership	4,860,015 (year to June 2024)
History
Commenced	3 November 2016
Opened	9 October 2022
Technical
Line length	8.6 km (5.3 mi) (branch); 25.2 km (15.7 mi) (total)
Number of tracks	2
Character	Underground and at-grade
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC from overhead catenary and overhead rail
Operating speed	130 km/h (81 mph)
Signalling	Fixed block signalling
Train protection system	Automatic train protection
Route map
Route map
	Legend
High Wycombe
High Wycombe stowage
Airport Central
Redcliffe
Bayswater
Meltham
Maylands
Mount Lawley
East Perth
East Perth tunnel
Claisebrook
McIver
Yanchep line
City West
West Leederville
Daglish
Shenton Park
Loch Street
Showgrounds

The Airport line is a suburban railway line and service in Perth, Western Australia, operated by the Public Transport Authority as part of the Transperth system. The Airport line is a branch of the Midland line and runs underground between Bayswater and High Wycombe via Perth Airport. The Airport line branch is 8.6 kilometres (5.3 mi) long and has three stations: Redcliffe, Airport Central, and High Wycombe stations. Airport line services continue west of Bayswater along the Midland and Fremantle lines via Perth station to terminate at Claremont station.

The Airport line was known during construction as the Forrestfield–Airport Link. It was constructed by a joint venture between Salini Impregilo and NRW at a cost of A$1.86 billion. Construction started in November 2016 and tunnel boring started in July 2017. The construction process was beset by several problems, including ground disturbances caused by tunnelling, a sinkhole and groundwater leak during the construction of a cross-passage, several worker injuries, and criticism over work conditions. Tunnelling was completed in April 2020, so the installation of overhead line equipment, tracks, and other equipment followed that. Works other than the Forrestfield–Airport Link included constructing a turnback siding at Claremont station for Airport line trains to turn around, and upgrades to Claremont and Bayswater stations. The Airport line was originally planned to open in 2020, but that was delayed several times due to the aforementioned problems and later supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The line opened on 9 October 2022, over two years late and $20 million under budget.

Transperth B-series trains, three cars in length, operate on the Airport line every 12 minutes during peak and every 15 minutes outside peak and on weekends. All Airport line branch stations are fully accessible and have 150-metre (490 ft) long platforms, long enough for a six-car train. Train lengths are limited by most Midland and Fremantle line stations, which have platforms only 100 metres (330 ft) long. The installation of communications-based train control by 2027 will allow frequencies to increase and planned platform lengthening will allow train lengths to increase. The line was forecast to have 20,000 boardings per day upon opening, but six months after it opened, the Airport line has 12,000 boardings per day. In the 2023–24 financial year, the Airport line had 4,860,015 boardings.
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