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Seaforth railway station

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Coordinates: 32°05′05″S 116°00′40″E / 32.084852°S 116.011001°E / -32.084852; 116.011001
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For the station in Merseyside, England, see Seaforth & Litherland railway station.

Seaforth
Two platforms with small shelters
Seaforth station in April 2022
General information
LocationAlbany Highway & Seaforth Avenue, Gosnells
Western Australia
Australia
Coordinates32°05′05″S 116°00′40″E / 32.084852°S 116.011001°E / -32.084852; 116.011001
Owned byPublic Transport Authority
Operated byPublic Transport Authority
Line(s)South Western Railway
Distance22.6 kilometres (14.0 mi) from Perth
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Construction
AccessiblePartial
Other information
StatusTemporarily closed
Fare zone3
History
Opened4 May 1948
Closed20 November 2023
Passengers
2017136 daily
Services
Preceding station Transperth Transperth Following station
Gosnells
towards Perth
 Armadale line Kelmscott
towards Armadale
Location
Map
Location of Seaforth station

Seaforth railway station is a suburban railway station in Gosnells, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It is on the Armadale line which is part of the Transperth network, and is 22.6 kilometres (14.0 mi) southwest of Perth station and 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi) north of Armadale station. The station opened on 4 May 1948 with low level platforms. High level platforms were added in 1968. The station consists of two side platforms with a pedestrian level crossing. It is not fully accessible due to steep ramps and a lack of tactile paving.

Services are operated by the Public Transport Authority. Peak services reach seven trains per hour in each direction, whilst off-peak services are four trains per hour. The station is one of the least used ones on the Transperth network, with just 136 boardings per day in October 2017. Since November 2023, the station has been temporarily closed for construction of the Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project and the Byford rail extension.

Description

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Seaforth station is along the South Western Railway, which links Perth to Bunbury.[1] The northern 30.4 kilometres (18.9 mi) of this railway, between Perth and Armadale, is used by Armadale line suburban rail services as part of the Transperth network.[2][3] The line and the station is owned by the Public Transport Authority (PTA), an agency of the Government of Western Australia.[4] Seaforth station is located between Gosnells station to the north and Kelmscott station to the south, within the suburb of Gosnells, Western Australia. The station is between Albany Highway to the east and Seaforth Avenue to the west,[5][6] 22.6 kilometres (14.0 mi), or a 25-minute train journey,[a] from Perth station, and 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi), or a 10-minute train journey, from Armadale station.[2][3] This places the station in Transperth fare zone three.[3][6]

Seaforth station consists of two side platforms which are approximately 100 metres (330 ft) long, enough for a four-car train but not a six-car train. The only way to cross the tracks is at a pedestrian level crossing at the southern end of the station. Two car parks with 41 bays in total are on Seaforth Avenue. Seaforth station is not fully accessible due to the ramps to the platforms being too steep and a lack of tactile paving.[5][6]

History

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After a campaign by the South-East Gosnells Progress Association,[7][8] the station opened on 4 May 1948,[9][10] although at the time, all it had were low level platforms[1] and no name.[8] Later that month, the Gosnells Road Board passed a motion that the name "Seaforth" be suggested to the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR)[b][12] after the name of a local estate.[13][14][15] When WAGR sought approval for the name from Canberra, they were reluctant to approve the name as it was used for stations in all other Australian states. The station had since become colloquially known as "Woop Woop".[c] Seaforth was eventually approved though in April 1949.[15]

In 1968, high level platforms were constructed.[1]

Services

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Seaforth station is served by Armadale line services operated by the PTA.[17] Since 20 November 2023, the station has been temporarily closed for construction of the Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project and the Byford rail extension, which require that large sections of the Armadale line's track be rebuilt to be elevated.[18] The line goes between Perth station and Armadale station. Armadale line services reached seven trains per hour during peak, dropping down to four trains per hour between peaks. At night, there were two trains per hour, dropping to one train per hour in the early hours of the morning. Apart from at night and on Sundays/public holidays, most train services followed the "C" stopping pattern, which skips Burswood, Victoria Park, Carlisle, Welshpool and Queens Park stations. There are also two "B" stopping pattern services which ran during the afternoon Armadale-bound. Those services were the same as the "C" pattern except they stop at Queens Park. Starting at night, trains stopped at all stations. On Sundays and public holidays, half of all trains are "C" pattern trains and half are all stops trains.[3]

On Seaforth Avenue is a pair of bus stops for route 907, the rail replacement bus service. On Albany Highway is a pair of bus stops for route 220, which runs along Albany Highway from Perth to Armadale.[19]

In the 2013–14 financial year, Seaforth station had 51,887 boardings, making it the least used station on the Armadale and Thornlie lines.[d][21] On an average weekday in October 2017, the station had 136 boardings, making it the least used Transperth station.[22] The weekend average number of boardings was 170 in October 2018, making it the second least used Transperth station after Success Hill station.[23] In 2018, City of Armadale Mayor Henry Zelones said that several hundred hectares of vacant land nearby had been set for high density development, which would increase patronage.[22]

Notes

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  1. ^ 25-minute train journey on a "C" pattern service, the most common service. 29-minute train journey on an all stops service.[3]
  2. ^ Western Australian Government Railways is a predecessor to the Public Transport Authority.[11]
  3. ^ Woop Woop is an Australian colloquialism for a place that is far away from anything.[16]
  4. ^ Least used aside from Belmont Park station, which closed on 13 October 2013 and only operated during certain events.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Arnold, John (2006). A History of Bringing the Rails to Pinjarra : The Southwest Railway of Western Australia. p. 12. ISBN 0646142283.
  2. ^ a b "Manual – Rail Access" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. 30 August 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Armadale/Thornlie Line Train Timetable" (PDF). Transperth. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Public Transport Authority: Railway System: April 2019" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. April 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Seaforth Station – Access Map" (PDF). Transperth. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  6. ^ a b c "Seaforth Station". Transperth. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Gosnells' Roundabout". South Western Advertiser. 23 January 1948. p. 4. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ a b "Gosnells' Roundabout". South Western Advertiser. 30 April 1948. p. 5. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "Railway Notice". The West Australian. 1 May 1948. p. 24. Retrieved 27 February 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Our history". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  11. ^ "New PTA to provide better planned and integrated services". Media Statements. 30 June 2003. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  12. ^ "W. H. Langford Re-elected Chairman Gosnells Rd Board". South Western Advertiser. 20 May 1948. p. 7. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ City of Gosnells (12 February 2020). "Seaforth Park (fmr)". inHerit. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  14. ^ "A condensed history" (PDF). City of Gosnells. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Siding Christened – Officially". South Western Advertiser. 28 April 1949. p. 6. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "Woop Woop". Macmillan Dictionary. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  17. ^ "Transperth". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  18. ^ "Perth's Armadale/Thornlie rail line closure is underway. Here's what you need to know about getting around". ABC News. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Bus Route 220 Timetable". Transperth. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  20. ^ "Last train to Belmont Park station". Public Transport Authority. 4 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  21. ^ "Question On Notice No. 4248 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 25 June 2015 by Mr M. Mcgowan". Parliament of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  22. ^ a b Perpitch, Nicolas (13 March 2018). "Welcome to Seaforth — the loneliest train station on the Perth rail network". ABC News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  23. ^ Acott, Kent (27 January 2019). "Is public transport off the rails?". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
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