Yanchep line

Yanchep line
Overview
Other name(s)
  • Northern Suburbs Railway
  • Joondalup line (former name)
OwnerPublic Transport Authority (2003–present)
LocalePerth, Western Australia
Termini
Continues asMandurah line
Stations16
Service
TypeSuburban rail
SystemTransperth
Operator(s)
Depot(s)
Rolling stock
Ridership16,135,201 (year to June 2024)
History
CommencedNovember 1989
Opened
  • 20 December 1992 (1992-12-20) (partial)
  • 21 March 1993 (full opening)
Last extension14 July 2024
Technical
Line length54.5 km (33.9 mi)
Number of tracks2
CharacterAt-grade and underground
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC from overhead catenary
Operating speed130 km/h (81 mph)
SignallingFixed block signalling
Train protection systemAutomatic train protection
Route map
km
54.5
Yanchep
46.7
Eglinton
43.0
Alkimos
40.7
Butler
33.2
Clarkson
29.2
Currambine
26.2
Joondalup
22.9
Edgewater
19.8
Whitfords
17.7
Greenwood
14.5
Warwick
8.8
Stirling
5.6
Glendalough
2.4
Leederville
0.0
Perth Underground
0.6
Elizabeth Quay
continues as Mandurah line

Bus connections at all stations
except Currambine, Edgewater,
and Greenwood.

The Yanchep line, formerly the Joondalup line, is a suburban railway line and service in Perth, Western Australia, linking the city's central business district (CBD) with its northern suburbs. Operated by the Public Transport Authority as part of the Transperth system, the Yanchep line is 54.5 kilometres (33.9 mi) long and has sixteen stations. It commences in a tunnel under the Perth CBD as a through service with the Mandurah line. North from there, the line enters the median strip of the Mitchell Freeway, where nine of the line's stations are. The Yanchep line diverges from the freeway to serve the centre of Joondalup and permanently leaves the freeway north of Butler for the northernmost four stations to Yanchep.

Planning for a rapid transit service to the northern suburbs began in 1987. After several transport modes were considered, including bus rapid transit, an electric railway was chosen. Known during planning and construction as the Northern Suburbs Railway, the project was approved by state cabinet in late 1989 and construction began in November 1989. The line was built under several different contracts, with the total cost of the original project being A$277 million. It used widely-spaced stations with bus interchanges and large park-and-rides, distinguishing the line from Perth's three existing rail lines. The line opened on 20 December 1992 as the Joondalup line to limited service and with three stations: Leederville, Edgewater and Joondalup. Four more stations opened in February 1993, and on 21 March 1993, peak service and feeder bus routes commenced. The final station, Currambine, opened on 8 August 1993.

An extension north to Clarkson station and rebuild of Currambine station opened on 4 October 2004, which coincided with the introduction of B-series trains. On 29 January 2005, Greenwood opened as an infill station. The Joondalup line originally through-ran with the Armadale line via Perth station, but in 2005, the line started terminating at Perth station, and on 15 October 2007 the line was rerouted through a new tunnel under the CBD, with two new stations: Perth Underground and Elizabeth Quay. The Mandurah line opened on 23 December 2007 to connect with the southern end of that tunnel. An extension north to Butler station opened on 21 September 2014 and a three station extension north to Yanchep station was opened on 14 July 2024, upon which the line became the Yanchep line.

B-series and C-series trains are the main rolling stock used on the Yanchep line. Trains run at a fifteen minute headway, reducing to as low as a five minute headway in peak, with some services terminating at Whitfords or Clarkson stations during peak. The travel time from Yanchep to Perth Underground is 49 minutes. The Yanchep line received 16,135,201 boardings in the 2023–24 financial year, making it the second busiest line in the Transperth system, after the Mandurah line.