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114-485: The Thornlie line is a temporarily closed suburban railway line and service in Perth , Western Australia, operated by the Public Transport Authority as part of the Transperth system. The Thornlie line is a branch of the Armadale line which opened on 7 August 2005 and runs for 2.9 kilometres (1.8 mi) parallel to the Kwinana freight railway between the Armadale line at Kenwick and Thornlie station . Thornlie line services continued north of Kenwick along

228-466: A diamond crossing or a level crossing , which are not grade-separated. Roads with grade separation generally allow traffic to move freely, with fewer interruptions, and at higher overall speeds; this is why speed limits are typically higher for grade-separated roads. In addition, reducing the complexity of traffic movements reduces the risk of accidents . Grade-separated road junctions are typically space-intensive, complicated, and costly, due to

342-631: A $ 243.8   million cost increase was revealed in the May 2023 state budget, and a further $ 228   million cost increase was revealed in the May 2024 state budget, taking the total cost to $ 1.352   billion. From 26 December 2021 to 14 January 2022, the Mandurah line was shut down between Elizabeth Quay station to Aubin Grove station to facilitate works on the Thornlie–Cockburn Link. This

456-497: A bus interchange for feeder buses and a park and ride . Nicholson Road station was forecast to have 2,350 boardings per day in 2031 and Ranford Road station was forecast to have 1,985 boardings per day in 2031. 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) of new dual-track railway was to be constructed between Thornlie and Cockburn Central, using the pre-existing Glen Iris tunnel to enter the median of the Kwinana Freeway. Most of this track

570-651: A city's central business district, and often share right-of-way with intercity or freight trains. Some services operate only during peak hours and others use fewer departures during off peak hours and weekends. Average speeds are high, often 50 km/h (30 mph) or higher. These higher speeds better serve the longer distances involved. Some services include express services which skip some stations in order to run faster and separate longer distance riders from short-distance ones. The general range of commuter trains' travel distance varies between 15 and 200 km (10 and 125 miles), but longer distances can be covered when

684-455: A double tracked railway. To make way for the Thornlie line, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) of the freight railway was to be relocated slightly north. Thornlie station was to have its platform's length extended to 150 metres (490 ft) and be converted to allow for through trains, including the construction of an overpass. Cockburn Central station was to have a new platform extending north from

798-413: A headway rather than a published timetable and use dedicated tracks (underground or elevated), whereas commuter rail often shares tracks, technology and the legal framework within mainline railway systems, and uses rolling stocks with more seating and higher speed for comfort on longer city-suburban journeys. However, the classification as a metro or rapid rail can be difficult as both may typically cover

912-416: A highway) that they cross. However, grade-separated pedestrian crossings with steps introduce accessibility problems. Some crossings have lifts , but these can be time-consuming to use. Grade-separated roads that permit for higher speed limits can actually reduce safety due to 'weaving' (see below) as well as a perceived sense of safety. The term is most widely applied to describe a road junction in which

1026-574: A link from the Thornlie line to the Fremantle line. The Thornlie branch uses 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) narrow gauge track and has a maximum speed of 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph). Trains are powered by 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line equipment which is powered by a substation in Beckenham. The Thornlie line branch is single-tracked except at Thornlie station, which has two tracks. The Thornlie line

1140-581: A metropolitan area exclusively, run on separate tracks in the centre, and often feature purpose-built rolling stock. The fact that the terminology is not standardised across countries (even across English-speaking countries) further complicates matters. This distinction is most easily made when there are two (or more) systems such as New York's subway and the LIRR and Metro-North Railroad , Paris' Métro and RER along with Transilien , Washington D.C.'s Metro along with its MARC and VRE , London's tube lines of

1254-422: A mixture of roads , footpaths , railways , canals , or airport runways . Bridges (or overpasses , also called flyovers), tunnels (or underpasses ), or a combination of both can be built at a junction to achieve the needed grade separation. In North America, a grade-separated junction may be referred to as a grade separation or as an interchange – in contrast with an intersection , at-grade ,

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1368-414: A partial grade separation will accomplish more improvement than for a road), and because at-grade railway connections often take up significant space on their own. However, they require significant engineering effort, and are very expensive and time-consuming to construct. Grade-separated pedestrian and cycling routes often require modest space since they do not typically intersect with the facility (such as

1482-935: Is especially the case for lines operated by Korail , such as the Gyeongui-Jungang Line , the Gyeongchun Line , the Suin-Bundang Line , or the Gyeonggang Line . Even some lines not operated by Korail, such as the AREX Line, the Seohae Line or the Shinbundang Line mostly function as commuter rail. Lastly, even for the "numbered lines" (1–9) of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway which mostly travel in

1596-419: Is fully grade-separated, i.e. traffic on one road does not have to stop at yield lines or signals on one road, but may have to do so when switching to the other: On roadways with grade-separated interchanges, weaving is a result of placing an exit ramp a short distance after an entry ramp, causing conflicts between traffic attempting to leave the roadway at the next junction and traffic attempting to enter from

1710-603: Is heavily used by commuters in the Greater Tokyo Area , who commute between 100 and 200 km (62 and 124 mi) by Shinkansen . To meet the demand of commuters, JR sells commuter discount passes. Before 2021, they operated 16-car bilevel E4 Series Shinkansen trains at rush hour, providing a capacity of 1,600 seats. Several lines in China, such as the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway and

1824-730: Is known as a flying junction and one which is not a level junction . In 1897, the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) made use of a flying junction at Worting Junction south of Basingstoke to allow traffic on the Salisbury and Southampton routes to converge without conflicting movements; this became known as "Battledown Flyover". Also in Britain, the Southern Railway later made extensive use of flying junctions on other parts of its busy former LSWR main line. Today in Britain,

1938-417: Is often a case of asset sweating , by using a single large combined fleet for intercity and regional services. Loco hauled services are usually run in push-pull formation, that is, the train can run with the locomotive at the "front" or "rear" of the train (pushing or pulling). Trains are often equipped with a control cab at the other end of the train from the locomotive, allowing the train operator to operate

2052-963: Is often used in contrast to rapid transit or light rail . Some services share similarities with both commuter rail and high-frequency rapid transit ; examples include New Jersey Transit in the U.S., German S-Bahn in some cities, the Réseau Express Régional (RER) in Paris, the S Lines in Milan, many Japanese commuter systems, the East Rail line in Hong Kong, and some Australasian suburban networks, such as Sydney Trains . Many commuter rail systems share tracks with other passenger services and freight . In North America, commuter rail sometimes refers only to systems that primarily operate during rush hour and offer little to no service for

2166-1963: Is one suburban rail called the Chittagong Circular Railway . Another suburban railway called the Dhaka Circular Railway is currently proposed. Karachi in Pakistan has a circular railway since 1969. Tehran Metro currently operates the Line 5 commuter line between Tehran and Karaj . Turkey has lines connecting Başkentray , İZBAN , Marmaray and Gaziray . Major metropolitan areas in most European countries are usually served by extensive commuter/suburban rail systems. Well-known examples include BG Voz in Belgrade (Serbia), S-Bahn in Germany, Austria and German-speaking areas of Switzerland, Proastiakos in Greece, RER in France and Belgium, Servizio ferroviario suburbano in Italy, Cercanías and Rodalies ( Catalonia ) in Spain, CP Urban Services in Portugal, Esko in Prague and Ostrava (Czech Republic), HÉV in Budapest (Hungary) and DART in Dublin (Ireland). London has multiple commuter rail routes: The Merseyrail network in Liverpool consists of two commuter rail routes powered by third rail, both of which branch out at one end. At

2280-470: Is operationally more like a typical metro system (frequent trains, an emphasis on standing passengers , short station spacings) than it is like commuter rail in other countries. Japanese commuter rail commonly interline with city center subway lines, with commuter rail trains continuing into the subway network, and then out onto different commuter rail systems on the other side of the city. Many Japanese commuter systems operate various stopping patterns to reduce

2394-526: Is still possible to tell them apart. Some operators, for example Thameslink , focus solely on commuter services. Others, such as Avanti West Coast and LNER , run solely intercity services. Others still, such as GWR and EMR , run a mixture of commuter, regional and intercity services. Some of these operators use different branding for different types of service (for example EMR brands its trains as either "InterCity", "Connect" for London commuter services, and "Regional") but even for those operators that do not,

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2508-581: Is the only section of the Transperth network that is single-tracked. The Thornlie line uses fixed block signalling . As part of Metronet's High Capacity Signalling Project, the Transperth rail network will be upgraded to moving block signalling using communications-based train control (CBTC). As of 2021, the CBTC system is planned to be implemented on the Armadale and Thornlie lines by June 2031. Until

2622-579: Is used in Australia (Sydney for example) to describe the regional trains operating beyond the boundaries of the suburban services, even though some of these "inter-city" services stop all stations similar to German regional services. In this regard, the German service delineations and naming conventions are clearer and better used for academic purposes. Sometimes high-speed rail can serve daily use of commuters. The Japanese Shinkansen high speed rail system

2736-426: Is widely used in many commuter rail trains to increase capacity in rush hours. Carriages are usually not organized to increase seating capacity (although in some trains at least one carriage would feature more doors to facilitate easier boarding and alighting and bench seats so that they can be folded up during rush hour to provide more standing room) even in the case of commuting longer than 50 km and commuters in

2850-470: The 2017 state election , both major parties committed to extending the Thornlie line to Cockburn Central station. The Liberal government said it could be done at a cost of $ 520   million and be open in late 2023, whereas Labor said it could be constructed for $ 474   million by 2021 as part of its revised Metronet plans. Labor won the 2017 election and planning for the Thornlie–Cockburn Link began in late March 2017. In May, following negotiations between

2964-919: The Brisbane ( Queensland Rail 's City network ) and Perth ( Transperth ) systems in Australia, in some systems in Sweden, and on the Genoa-Casella line in Italy. Some countries and regions, including Finland , India, Pakistan, Russia , Brazil and Sri Lanka, as well as San Francisco ( BART ) in the US and Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia, use broad gauge track. Metro rail and rapid transit usually cover smaller inner-urban areas within 12 to 20 km (7 to 12 mi) of city centers, with shorter stop spacing, use rolling stocks with larger standing spaces, lower top speed and higher acceleration, designed for short-distance travel. They also run more frequently, to

3078-769: The Chennai MRTS , also covers over 300 stations and carries more than 2.5 million people daily to different areas in Chennai and its surroundings. Other commuter railways in India include the Hyderabad MMTS , Delhi Suburban Railway , Pune Suburban Railway and Lucknow-Kanpur Suburban Railway . In 2020, Government of India approved Bengaluru Suburban Railway to connect Bengaluru and its suburbs. It will be unique and first of its kind in India as it will have metro like facilities and rolling stock. In Bangladesh, there

3192-597: The Department of the Environment and Energy in early 2020. To make way for the Thornlie–Cockburn Link, the Karel Avenue and Ranford Road bridges were replaced with longer and wider bridges. The Nicholson Road bridge, which was constructed between December 2016 and May 2018 to replace a level crossing, did not have to be rebuilt as it was designed with the Thornlie–Cockburn Link in mind. The Karel Avenue bridge

3306-526: The Great Central Railway , built between 1896 and 1899, was the first fully grade-separated railway of this type in the UK. This also applies to light rail and even to street cars . Attempts have been made to increase the capacity of railways by making tracks cross in a grade-separated manner, as opposed to the traditional use of flat crossings to change tracks. A grade-separated rail interchange

3420-528: The Greater Tokyo Area , Seoul metropolitan area , and Jabodetabek area have to stand in the train for more than an hour. Currently there are not many examples of commuter rail in Africa . Metrorail operates in the major cities of South Africa , and there are some commuter rail services in Algeria , Botswana , Kenya , Morocco , Egypt and Tunisia . In Algeria, SNTF operates commuter rail lines between

3534-845: The Guangshen Railway have more frequent metro-like service. The two MTR lines which are owned and formerly operated by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation ( East Rail line and Tuen Ma line which is integrated from the former West Rail line and Ma On Shan line in 2021), then the "KCR" ), and MTR's own Tung Chung line connect the new towns in New Territories and the city centre Kowloon together with frequent intervals, and some New Territories-bound trains terminate at intermediate stations, providing more frequent services in Kowloon and

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3648-585: The Jakarta city center with surrounding cities and sub-urbans in Banten and West Java provinces, including Depok , Bogor , Tangerang , Serpong , Rangkasbitung , Bekasi and Cikarang . In July 2015, KRL Commuterline served more than 850,000 passengers per day, which is almost triple of the 2011 figures, but still less than 3.5% of all Jabodetabek commutes. Other commuter rail systems in Indonesia include

3762-625: The Mandurah line had the line as a spur off the Armadale line along the Kwinana freight railway in the same manner as the present-day Thornlie line. The South West Metropolitan Railway Master Plan was released in March 1999, detailing the route and stations along the railway. The South West Metropolitan Railway would have diverged from the Armadale line in Beckenham , entering a tunnel to pass under

3876-1023: The Metro Surabaya Commuter Line , Commuter Line Bandung , KAI Commuter Yogyakarta–Solo Line , Kedung Sepur , and the Sri Lelawangsa . In the Philippines, the Philippine National Railways has two commuter rail systems currently operational; the PNR Metro Commuter Line in the Greater Manila Area and the PNR Bicol Commuter in the Bicol Region . A new commuter rail line in Metro Manila,

3990-614: The North–South Commuter Railway , is currently under construction. Its North section is set to be partially opened by 2021. In Malaysia, there are two commuter services operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu . They are the KTM Komuter that serves Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley area , and the KTM Komuter Northern Sector that serves Greater Penang , Perak , Kedah and Perlis in

4104-767: The Shanghai–Nanjing High-Speed Railway , serve a similar role with many more under construction or planned. In South Korea, some sections of the high-speed rail network are also heavily used by commuters, such as the section between Gwangmyeong Station and Seoul Station on the KTX network ( Gyeongbu HSR Line ), or the section between Dongtan Station and Suseo station on the SRT Line. The high-speed services linking Zürich , Bern and Basel in Switzerland (200 km/h (120 mph)) have brought

4218-588: The Underground and the Overground , Elizabeth line , Thameslink along with other commuter rail operators , Madrid's Metro and Cercanías , Barcelona's Metro and Rodalies , and Tokyo's subway and the JR lines along with various privately owned and operated commuter rail systems. Regional rail usually provides rail services between towns and cities, rather than purely linking major population hubs in

4332-650: The Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project along the Armadale line starting in early 2023. Works would be conducted for the Thornlie–Cockburn Link during the shut down as well, such as duplication of the tracks between Beckenham junction and Thornlie station. In August 2022, the 18-month shutdown was delayed until late 2023, thereby delaying the completion of the Thornlie–Cockburn Link to 2025. The shutdown began on 20 November 2023. Since then, various train replacement bus routes have operated. Track laying for

4446-605: The Yamanote Line , Keihin Tohoku Line , Chūō–Sōbu Line services arguably are more akin to rapid transit with frequent stops, simple stopping patterns (relative to other JR East lines) no branching services and largely serving the inner suburbs; other services along the Chūō Rapid Line , Sōbu Rapid Line / Yokosuka Line , Ueno–Tokyo Line , Shōnan–Shinjuku Line etc. are mid-distance services from suburban lines in

4560-521: The 2010s. In December 2012, the Labor Party announced it planned to incorporate the Thornlie line into a loop line to link the proposed Airport line to the Fremantle line via the Armadale and Mandurah lines if it were to win the 2013 state election . This was part of its proposed Metronet plan. There would have been stations at Nicholson Road , Ranford Road and a station called South Lake at

4674-402: The 300 km/h (186 mph) Nuremberg–Ingolstadt high-speed railway . The regional trains Stockholm – Uppsala , Stockholm– Västerås , Stockholm– Eskilstuna and Gothenburg – Trollhättan in Sweden reach 200 km/h (120 mph) and have many daily commuters. In Great Britain , the HS1 domestic services between London and Ashford runs at a top speed of 225 km/h, and in peak hours

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4788-422: The A4/M5 junction west of Bristol . Weaving can often cause side-on collisions on very fast roads with top speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour, as well as the problem of blind spots. Where junctions have unusual designs weaving can be a problem other than on the main road. An example of this can be found at Junction 7 of the M6, where traffic joining the roundabout from the M6 Eastbound off-slip must weave with

4902-405: The Armadale line to Perth station , stopping at most stations, in contrast to Armadale line services, which skipped most stations along that section. The Thornlie line has been suspended since 20 November 2023 due to construction work; it is planned to reopen in mid-2025. The Thornlie line originated from initial plans for the Mandurah line , which was to branch off the Armadale line and run along

5016-463: The Armadale line, although these are planned to be lengthened eventually to allow for six car-trains on the Thornlie line. The first platforms to be extended are planned to be at Claisebrook and Victoria Park . All stations from Perth to Oats Street are within fare zone one, all stations from Queens Park to Ranford Road are within fare zone two, and Cockburn Central station is within fare zone three. Transperth train services are operated by

5130-448: The Central Business Districts (CBDs) of these three cities within 1 hour of each other. This has resulted in unexpectedly high demand for new commuter trips between the three cities and a corresponding increase in suburban rail passengers accessing the high-speed services at the main city-centre stations ( Hauptbahnhof ). The Regional-Express commuter service between Munich and Nuremberg in Germany runs at 200 km/h (120 mph) on

5244-402: The East Rail Line share tracks with intercity trains to mainland China . The three KCR lines are integrated into the MTR network since 2008 and most passengers do not need to exit and re-enter the system through separate fare gates and purchase separate tickets to transfer between such lines and the rest of the network (the exceptions are between the Tuen Ma line's East Tsim Sha Tsui station and

5358-401: The Eastbound off-slip must leave. Weaving can be alleviated by using collector/distributor roads or braided ramps to separate entering and exiting traffic. In railway construction, grade separation also means the avoidance of level crossings by making any roads or footpaths crossing the line either pass under or over the railway on bridges . This greatly improves safety and is crucial to

5472-403: The Glen Iris tunnel, to go into the median of the Kwinana Freeway , continuing south from there to Mandurah . Several level crossings on the freight railway were planned to be replaced by road-over-rail bridges, at Albany Highway, Spencer Road, Nicholson Road, and Karel Avenue. As part of an extension of Roe Highway from Welshpool Road to Kenwick Link and realignment of Albany Highway in

5586-455: The Kwinana Freeway to the Perth central business district. It was decided to build the Thornlie line as a one station branch of the Armadale line to Spencer Road using the Beckenham tunnel. Building Nicholson Road station was also considered. A new master plan was released in 2002. Spencer Road was planned to be grade separated and Thornlie station was planned to have a bus interchange and parking for about 450 cars. Patronage for Thornlie station

5700-456: The Kwinana freight railway. The Mandurah line's planned route changed in 2001, but not before tunnels were built for the line to exit the Armadale line at Kenwick and enter the Kwinana Freeway . It was decided to build the Thornlie line instead as a one-station branch of the Armadale line. The main construction contract was awarded to Barclay Mowlem in 2004 and the Thornlie line opened on 7 August 2005. Since 2017, there have been plans to extend

5814-444: The Mandurah line, the Thornlie line, and an extension of the Joondalup line to Clarkson station . The second stage contract for the Beckenham tunnel was awarded to John Holland Group in March 2003 at a cost of A$ 14.225   million. The second stage consisted of 380 metres (1,250 ft) of tunnel; the realignment of 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) of the Kwinana freight railway, which was leased by Australian Railroad Group at

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5928-433: The Netherlands carry many commuters, while their equipment, range, and speeds are similar to those of commuter trains in some larger countries. The United Kingdom has a privatised rail system, with different routes and services covered by different private operators. The distinction between commuter and intercity rail is not as clear as it was before privatisation (when InterCity existed as a brand of its own), but usually it

6042-445: The Perth-bound Armadale line track, Albany Highway , Roe Highway , and the freight railway. It would have then travelled parallel and on the southern side of the freight railway, with stations in Thornlie near Spencer Road, Nicholson Road , and in Canning Vale near Ranford Road , and provisions for a future station at Karel Avenue to serve Jandakot Airport . The railway would have then entered another tunnel at Jandakot , known as

6156-497: The Public Transport Authority's Transperth Train Operations division. Thornlie line services have been suspended since 20 November 2023; these are planned to recommence in mid-2025. Thornlie line trains ran every 15 minutes during the day on all days except Sunday, when they ran every 30 minutes. This made the Thornlie line Transperth's least frequent line. At night, frequencies reduced to every half an hour, and every hour late at night. Thornlie line peak frequencies are forecast to remain

6270-621: The Thornlie branch is Beckenham station , which is skipped by Thornlie line trains. The Thornlie line was served primarily by Transperth A-series trains , with Transperth B-series trains occasionally used as well. By 2031, it is planned that all A-series trains will be retired, leaving the Thornlie line to be served primarily by B-series trains. The A-series trains were built between 1991 and 1999 and consist of two cars which are usually joined to form four-car trains. Each car has two doors on each side. The B-series trains were built between 2004 and 2019, consist of three cars each and have two doors on

6384-442: The Thornlie line by 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) to Cockburn Central station on the Mandurah line, known as the Thornlie–Cockburn Link . This project is currently being built as part of Metronet and involves the construction of two new stations. The main construction contract was awarded to a joint venture between CPB Contractors and Downer in December 2019 at a cost of A$ 716   million. Construction started in 2020 and

6498-411: The Tsuen Wan line's Tsim Sha Tsui station . In Taiwan, the Western line in the Taipei - Taoyuan Metropolitan Area, Taichung Metropolitan Area and Tainan - Kaohsiung Metropolitan Area as well as the Neiwan - Liujia line in the Hsinchu Area are considered commuter rail. In South Korea, the Seoul Metropolitan Subway includes a total of 22 lines, and some of its lines are suburban lines. This

6612-548: The Yanchep Rail Extension, of which $ 350   million was for the Thornlie–Cockburn Link. Enabling legislation was introduced to the Parliament of Western Australia in May 2018 and passed in November 2018. The project definition plan, detailing the scope of the project, for the Thornlie–Cockburn Link was approved by state cabinet in July 2018. The project was to involve the construction of two new stations: Nicholson Road and Ranford Road stations, each with two 150-metre (490 ft) long island platforms , full disabled access,

6726-515: The capacity of a road compared to an identical road with at-grade junctions. For instance, it is extremely uncommon to find an at-grade junction on a British motorway ; it is all but impossible on a U.S. Interstate Highway , though a few do exist. If traffic can traverse the junction from any direction without being forced to come to a halt, then the junction is described as fully grade separated or free-flowing . These junctions connect two freeways: These junctions connect two roads, but only one

6840-467: The capital Algiers and its southern and eastern suburbs. They also serve to connect Algiers ' main universities to each other. The Dar es Salaam commuter rail offers intracity services in Dar es Salaam , Tanzania. In Botswana, the ( Botswana Railways ) "BR Express" has a commuter train between Lobatse and Gaborone . In Japan, commuter rail systems have extensive network and frequent service and are heavily used. In many cases, Japanese commuter rail

6954-417: The dense parts of Seoul, some track sections extend far outside of the city, and operate large sections at ground level, such as on the Line 1 , Line 3 and Line 4 . In Busan, the Donghae Line , while part of the Busan Metro system, mostly functions as a commuter rail line. In Indonesia , the KRL Commuterline is the largest commuter rail system in the country, serving the Greater Jakarta . It connects

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7068-459: The desire to limit disruption to the freight railway meant that predominantly horizontal directional drilling was the final option chosen. Drilling was complete by November 2022, after which a bridge across the Canning River for the pipeline was built. The pipeline was shut down between 23 February and 28 February 2023 for the cutover. In February 2022, it was announced that the Armadale and Thornlie lines would undergo an eighteen-month shutdown for

7182-571: The direct flow of traffic on one or more of the roads is not disrupted. Instead of a direct connection, traffic must use on and off ramps ( United States , Australia , New Zealand ) or slip roads ( United Kingdom , Ireland ) to access the other roads at the junction. The road which carries on through the junction can also be referred to as grade separated . Typically, large freeways , highways , motorways , or dual carriageways are chosen to be grade separated, through their entire length or for part of it. Grade separation drastically increases

7296-465: The erection of barriers between the freeway and railway. Thornlie–Cockburn Link construction was underway by the middle of 2020. The September 2021 state budget revealed that the Thornlie–Cockburn Link's opening date would be delayed by a year to late 2024 due to a skills shortage and to ease pressure on Western Australia's construction industry. The May 2022 state budget revealed that the Thornlie–Cockburn Link's cost had increased by $ 164.1   million,

7410-422: The existing Mandurah line platforms for Thornlie line trains to terminate. A new footbridge at Elliot Place was to replace the existing pedestrian level crossing there. Perth Stadium station was to have its Thornlie-bound platforms extended and additional train stowage capacity at Perth Stadium was planned to be built, allowing for direct special event services to Mandurah via Thornlie. At this stage, construction

7524-414: The extension was expected to be open in 2023. The cost has since increased to $ 1.352   billion. Since 20 November 2023, the Thornlie line has been temporarily closed to allow for works on the Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project and the Thornlie–Cockburn Link. The line is planned to reopen in mid-2025, upon which the Thornlie–Cockburn Link is expected to open as well. Initial plans for

7638-401: The faster speed requires grade separation. Therefore, many high speed lines are elevated, especially in Taiwan and Japan , where population density alongside high speed lines is higher than in France, Italy or Germany. In the United States, a flying junction on the Nickel Plate Road through Cleveland , Ohio , United States was completed in 1913. The most frequent use was later found on

7752-487: The federal and state governments, it was announced that federal funding for the cancelled Perth Freight Link would be used on the Thornlie–Cockburn Link, subject to assessment by Infrastructure Australia . The September 2017 state budget gave the Thornlie–Cockburn Link a cost of $ 535.8   million. The business case for the Thornlie–Cockburn Link was submitted to Infrastructure Australia in August 2017. In November 2018, Infrastructure Australia released its assessment of

7866-415: The fines were overturned by the Federal Court in June 2007. Thornlie station and the Thornlie line were officially opened on 7 August 2005 by Premier Geoff Gallop , Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Alannah MacTiernan , and member for Kenwick Sheila McHale . Full service began on 8 August 2005. An extension of the Thornlie line to link up with the Mandurah line had been proposed several times in

7980-417: The first between 1997 and 1998, widening Ranford Road to two lanes in each direction. The second bridge was designed with the Mandurah line in mind, but nonetheless, both Ranford Road bridges are being replaced for the Thornlie–Cockburn Link so that Ranford Road can be widened to three lanes in each direction plus bus lanes and a shared path. Construction on the new bridge started in late 2020. The first stage of

8094-416: The former BR 's Regional Railways , France's TER ( Transport express régional ), Germany's Regionalexpress and Regionalbahn , and South Korea's Tonggeun and Mugunghwa-ho services. In some European countries, the distinction between commuter trains and long-distance/intercity trains is subtle, due to the relatively short distances involved. For example, so-called " intercity " trains in Belgium and

8208-508: The former Pennsylvania Railroad main lines. The lines are included as part of the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor now owned by Amtrak . The most complex of these junctions, near Philadelphia Zoo , handles railway traffic for Amtrak, SEPTA , New Jersey Transit , Norfolk Southern , CSX Transportation , and Conrail . In what is known as "area 1520" , which includes the former Soviet Union and other regions using

8322-470: The freight railway. An invitation to tender was sent out on 25 June 2003 for the main contract to build the Thornlie line. This involved constructing Thornlie station, 2.9 kilometres (1.8 mi) of single track railway, a rail bridge across the Canning River and a road bridge for Spencer Road across the Thornlie line and freight railway. The tender was planned to close on 28 August 2003, but that

8436-493: The installation of turnouts linking the Thornlie line with the Mandurah line, communication and signalling equipment, overhead line equipment , and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) of rail. Relocating the Kewdale White Oil Line involved 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) of horizontal drilling and about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) of open-trench digging. An open trench pipeline was originally considered during planning, but

8550-401: The intersection with the Mandurah line. The Liberal Party won the election, so that plan did not go ahead. In 2015, RAC WA called for the Thornlie line to be extended to Cockburn Central station on the Mandurah line. The Liberal government's 2016 Transport @ 3.5 million plan called for the extension to be built by the time that Perth reaches a population of 2.7   million. Ahead of

8664-458: The late 1990s and early 2000s, the first stage of the Beckenham tunnel was built and Albany Highway was grade separated from the freight railway. The 200-metre-long (660 ft) Glen Iris tunnel was also constructed as part of an extension of the Kwinana Freeway in 2000. Following the election of the Labor Party in 2001 , the Mandurah line was rerouted to follow a more direct route along

8778-537: The line the whole way to Cockburn was found to be the best choice. Infrastructure Australia recommended that the contract for the Thornlie–Cockburn Link be combined with the contract for the Yanchep Rail Extension of the Joondalup line to save costs during procurement. The Infrastructure Australia assessment allowed $ 700   million in federal funding to be spent on the Thornlie–Cockburn Link and

8892-560: The need for large physical structures such as tunnels, ramps, and bridges. Their height can be obtrusive, and this, combined with the large traffic volumes that grade-separated roads attract, tend to make them unpopular to nearby landowners and residents. For these reasons, proposals for new grade-separated roads can receive significant public opposition. Rail-over-rail grade separations take up less space than road grade separations: because shoulders are not needed, there are generally fewer branches and side road connections to accommodate (because

9006-552: The new bridge, which consisted of seven beams, opened to traffic in November 2021, after which the two previous bridges were demolished. The remaining three beams of the new bridge were in place by July 2022. The bridge was meant to be completed in 2023, but it eventually opened in May 2024. Early works for the Thornlie–Cockburn Link within the Kwinana Freeway were undertaken under the pre-existing Kwinana Freeway widening project throughout 2019 and 2020. This involved drainage works and

9120-973: The northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. In Thailand, the Greater Bangkok Commuter rail and the Airport Rail Link serve the Bangkok Metropolitan Region . The SRT Red Lines , a new commuter line in Bangkok, started construction in 2009. It opened in 2021. Another commuter rail system in Southeast Asia is the Yangon Circular Railway in Myanmar . In India, commuter rail systems are present in major cities and form an important part of people's daily lives. Mumbai Suburban Railway ,

9234-1017: The number expected to rise even higher upon full completion of the Acharnes Railway Center . Eskişehir-Ankara and Konya-Ankara high speed train routes serve as high speed commuter trains in Turkey. Commuter/suburban trains are usually optimized for maximum passenger volume, in most cases without sacrificing too much comfort and luggage space, though they seldom have all the amenities of long-distance trains. Cars may be single- or double-level , and aim to provide seating for all. Compared to intercity trains, they have less space, fewer amenities and limited baggage areas. Commuter rail trains are usually composed of multiple units , which are self-propelled, bidirectional, articulated passenger rail cars with driving motors on each (or every other) bogie . Depending on local circumstances and tradition they may be powered either by diesel engines located below

9348-533: The oldest suburban rail system in Asia, carries more than 7.24 million commuters on a daily basis which constitutes more than half of the total daily passenger capacity of the Indian Railways itself. Kolkata Suburban Railway , one of the largest suburban railway networks in the world, consists of more than 450 stations and carries more than 3.5 million commuters per day. The Chennai Suburban Railway along with

9462-654: The other, the Northern line continues out of the city centre to a mainline rail interchange, while the Wirral line has a city-centre loop. Grade separated In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering ), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of

9576-700: The outer reaches of Greater Tokyo through operating into these lines to form a high frequency corridor though central Tokyo. Other commuter rail routes in Japan include: Commuter rail systems have been inaugurated in several cities in China such as Beijing , Shanghai , Zhengzhou , Wuhan , Changsha and the Pearl River Delta . With plans for large systems in northeastern Zhejiang , Jingjinji , and Yangtze River Delta areas. The level of service varies considerably from line to line ranging high to near high speeds. More developed and established lines such as

9690-423: The passenger compartment ( diesel multiple units ) or by electricity picked up from third rails or overhead lines ( electric multiple units ). Multiple units are almost invariably equipped with control cabs at both ends, which is why such units are so frequently used to provide commuter services, due to the associated short turn-around time. Locomotive hauled services are used in some countries or locations. This

9804-544: The previous junction. This situation is most prevalent either where the junction designer has placed the on-slip to the road before the off-slip at a junction (for example, the cloverleaf interchange ), or in urban areas with many close-spaced junctions. The ring road of Coventry , England , is a notorious example, as are parts of the southern M25, the London orbital motorway , the M6/M5 junction north-west of Birmingham , and

9918-493: The project, adding the project to the Infrastructure Priority List as a "Priority Project" and giving it a projected economic benefit of $ 969   million and a benefit–cost ratio of 1.2. Other options considered were only extending the Thornlie line to Nicholson Road and having a station there, or only extending the line to Ranford Road and having stations at Ranford Road and Nicholson Road. Extending

10032-517: The relocated freight railway began in mid-2023. This was completed by October 2023, with freight trains running along the new alignment at that point. This will allow for tracklaying of the Thornlie line to commence. According to the Perth and Peel @ 3.5 Million plan, the Thornlie line will eventually form part of a southern loop line around Perth by a link from the Airport line to the Thornlie line and

10146-552: The rest of the day, with regional rail being used to refer to systems that offer all-day service. Most commuter (or suburban) trains are built to main line rail standards, differing from light rail or rapid transit (metro rail) systems by: Compared to rapid transit (or metro rail), commuter/suburban rail often has lower frequency , following a schedule rather than fixed intervals, and fewer stations spaced further apart. They primarily serve lower density suburban areas (non inner-city), generally only having one or two stops in

10260-557: The safe operation of high-speed lines. The construction of new level crossings is generally not permitted, especially for high speed railway lines and level crossings are increasingly less common due to the increase of both road and rail traffic. Efforts to remove level crossings are done in the UK by Network Rail and in Melbourne as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project . The London Extension of

10374-488: The same right-of-way can drastically reduce system construction costs. However, frequently they are built with dedicated tracks within that right-of-way to prevent delays, especially where service densities have converged in the inner parts of the network. Most such trains run on the local standard gauge track. Some systems may run on a narrower or broader gauge. Examples of narrow gauge systems are found in Japan, Indonesia , Malaysia , Thailand , Taiwan, Switzerland, in

10488-747: The same gauge, the most complicated grade-separation railpoint is found at Liubotyn in Ukraine . Footbridges and subways (called underpasses in North America as well as in the United Kingdom when referring to roads) may be employed to allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross busy or fast streets. They are often used over and under motorways since at grade pedestrian crossings are generally not permitted. Same can be said for railways. Though introduced to Central Park in New York City in

10602-560: The same until at least 2031, with capacity increases to be provided for by longer trains enabled by platform lengthening. Operating hours were from roughly 5:00 am to midnight. Thornlie line trains stopped at every station along the Armadale line between Perth and Cannington stations, except for Perth Stadium station , which is typically only served by Armadale line trains. This contrasts with Armadale line trains, which typically skip most stations along that section, except McIver , Claisebrook, and Oats Street stations. Between Cannington and

10716-421: The side of each car. These trains are all primarily stored at Claisebrook depot . Thornlie station had 578,199 boardings in the 2013–14 financial year. When the Thornlie–Cockburn Link opens, the line is predicted to have 12,225 boardings per day, rising to 17,425 boardings per day in 2031. Suburban rail The term can refer to systems with a wide variety of different features and service frequencies, but

10830-668: The state government and $ 350   million funded by the federal government. The completion date was delayed by two years to 2023. The delay was blamed on negotiations with BP for relocating the Kewdale White Oil Line and with Arc Infrastructure , the new leaseholder of the Kwinana freight railway. The Thornlie–Cockburn Link received state environmental approval from the Environmental Protection Authority in August 2019 and federal environmental approval from

10944-584: The temporary closure, Thornlie line trains stopped at 11 stations in total. Thornlie station currently has a 100-metre (330 ft) long platform, but it will be lengthened as part of the Thornlie–Cockburn Link to 150 metres (490 ft), long enough for six-car trains, the longest trains on the Transperth network. All the new station platforms and the Cockburn Central station platform will be long enough for six-car trains as well. Train lengths will be restricted by 100-metre (330 ft) long platforms on

11058-400: The tightly grouped nest of flying junctions to the north of Clapham Junction railway station —although technically a combination of many junctions—handle more than 4,000 trains per day (about one train every 15 seconds). Virtually all major railway lines no longer cross (forming an 'X' shape ) at flat level (although many diverge - i.e. 'Y' shape). On almost all high-speed railway lines,

11172-524: The time; and the construction of noise walls . The total tunnel length after the two stages was 440 metres (1,440 ft). Workers on the John Holland site went on strike in May 2003 to campaign for better pay and conditions. Construction was also disrupted by a solidarity strike in January 2005 in relation to pay conditions for workers on the Mandurah line. A new traction substation at Beckenham

11286-461: The towns closer to Kowloon. They use rolling stocks with a faster maximum speed and have longer stop spacing compared to other lines which only run in the inner urban area, but in order to maximise capacity and throughput, these rolling stocks have longitudinal seatings, 5 pairs of doors in each carriage with large standing spaces like the urban lines, and run as frequent as well. Most of the sections of these four lines are overground and some sections of

11400-548: The traffic already on the roundabout wishing to use the M6 Westbound on-slip. This is as a result of the slip roads on the west side of the junction connecting to the roundabout on the inside of the eastern arc rather than the outside of the western arc as is normal. The two slip-roads are connected by a single lane on the inside of the roundabout, which traffic wishing to use the Westbound on-slip must join, and traffic from

11514-515: The train from either end. The motive power for locomotive-hauled commuter trains may be either electric or diesel–electric , although some countries, such as Germany and some of the former Soviet-bloc countries, also use diesel–hydraulic locomotives. In the US and some other countries, a three-and-two seat plan is used. Middle seats on these trains are often less popular because passengers feel crowded and uncomfortable. In Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, longitudinal (sideways window-lining) seating

11628-553: The trains can be full with commuters standing. The Athens Suburban Railway in Greece consists of five lines, 4 of which are electrified. The Kiato – Piraeus line and the Aigio – Airport lines reach speeds of up to 180 km/h (112 mph). The Athens – Chalcis line is also expected to attain speeds of up to 200 km/h (124 mph) upon upgrading of the SKA–Oinoi railway sector. These lines also have many daily commuters, with

11742-521: The trains run between two or several cities (e.g. S-Bahn in the Ruhr area of Germany). Distances between stations may vary, but are usually much longer than those of urban rail systems. In city centres the train either has a terminal station or passes through the city centre with notably fewer station stops than those of urban rail systems. Toilets are often available on-board trains and in stations. Their ability to coexist with freight or intercity services in

11856-469: The travel time to distant locations, often using station passing loops instead of dedicated express tracks. It is notable that the larger Japanese commuter rail systems are owned and operated by for-profit private railway companies, without public subsidy. East Japan Railway Company operates a large suburban train network in Tokyo with various lines connecting the suburban areas to the city center. While

11970-574: The type of train, amenities offered, and stopping pattern, usually tell the services apart. Russian commuter trains , on the other hand, frequently cover areas larger than Belgium itself, although these are still short distances by Russian standards. They have a different ticketing system from long-distance trains, and in major cities they often operate from a separate section of the train station. Some consider "inter-city" service to be that which operates as an express service between two main city stations, bypassing intermediate stations. However, this term

12084-470: The way inter-city rail does. Regional rail operates outside major cities. Unlike Inter-city, it stops at most or all stations between cities. It provides a service between smaller communities along the line that are often byproducts of ribbon developments , and also connects with long-distance services at interchange stations located at junctions, terminals, or larger towns along the line. Alternative names are "local train" or "stopping train". Examples include

12198-483: Was announced as the preferred proponent to design and build the Thornlie–Cockburn Link and the Yanchep Rail Extension. The following month, the contract was signed. The value of the whole contract was $ 1.25   billion and the value of the Thornlie–Cockburn Link portion was $ 716   million, an increase on the $ 474   million originally promised by Labor. $ 366   million was to be funded by

12312-496: Was constructed to power the Thornlie line and provide backup power to the Armadale line, which was mainly powered by a substation at East Perth . The contract for that was awarded to Western Power Corporation in September 2003 at a cost of $ 3.3   million. Other work involved relocating BP 's Kewdale White Oil Line, which is a pipeline that carries jet fuel, diesel and petrol from the Kwinana import terminal to Kewdale via

12426-547: Was extended to 16 December 2003. Barclay Mowlem was announced as the preferred tenderer in February 2004 and was awarded the contract by April 2004. The estimated value of the contract was $ 30   million. By then, the planned opening date was February 2005. Construction had begun by July 2004. Construction was disrupted by strikes. The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and union officials were initially fined for breaching an enterprise bargaining agreement , but

12540-412: Was originally constructed in 2005 and 2006 to replace a level crossing as part of the extension of Roe Highway from South Street to the Kwinana Freeway. The bridge's span was not long enough to fit the Thornlie–Cockburn Link though, so it was replaced with a longer and wider bridge between August 2019 and July 2021. The original Ranford Road bridge opened in 1985 and the second bridge was built alongside

12654-510: Was planned to begin in late 2019 and finish in 2021. A request for proposal was released in September 2018 for the design and construct contract for the Thornlie–Cockburn Link and the Yanchep Rail Extension. Two consortia were shortlisted in April 2019: METROconnex, a joint venture between Coleman Rail, Clough Group , and Georgiou Group ; and NEWest Alliance, a joint venture between CPB Contractors and Downer . In November 2019, NEWest Alliance

12768-604: Was projected to be 3,500 boardings per day. Patronage was not forecast to be high enough for Nicholson Road station to be built initially, but it was expected to be built in the future. Train frequencies were planned to be four trains per hour upon opening in December 2004. New MetroRail was formed in 2003 as a division of the Public Transport Authority to manage extensions to railways in Perth , including

12882-490: Was the longest planned shutdown of a railway line in Perth's history and was done to relocate the Mandurah line tracks between Cockburn Central station and the Glen Iris tunnel to make way for the Thornlie line tracks. The Mandurah line from Elizabeth Quay station to Aubin Grove station was shut down again from 26 December 2022 to 3 January 2023, with the exception of New Year's Eve . Work undertaken during that period included

12996-470: Was to be along the southern side of the freight railway, with the final 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) within the median of the Kwinana Freeway between the two Mandurah line tracks. 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) of single track railway between Beckenham junction and Thornlie station was to be duplicated, including constructing a new bridge across the Canning River. The Beckenham tunnel was already designed for

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