Perth has a modern electric rail network which has been considerably upgraded over recent years and expansion of the network continues today. There are four main passenger train lines which will take you from the city to the northern suburbs, the outer reaches of the southern suburbs, or to the eastern suburbs of the Perth metropolitan area. There is also a passenger line which will take you to the coastal city of Fremantle.
The Joondalup Line services the northern suburbs of Perth, with trains running frequently between Perth City centre and the northern suburbs. The Joondalup line has now been expanded beyond Joondalup as the rail map below shows.
The Armadale Line services the southern suburbs of Perth, and trains run frequently between the Perth City centre and the southern suburbs, ending at Armadale on the southern outskirts of the Perth metropolitan area. While Thornlie was not previously on the Armadale line, there is now a short line which takes passengers from the main rail line across to Thornlie.
The Midland Line services the eastern suburbs of Perth, from the Perth city centre through the eastern suburbs of the Perth metropolitan area and ending in historic Midland.
The Fremantle Line services the western and south-western coastal areas of Perth, including a few of Perth’s popular beaches. The trains run between the Perth city centre and ends at the coastal city of Fremantle.
Many of Perth’s train stations also accommodate connecting buses to other locations, making Perth’s rail system more flexible with interaction between train and bus services. Perth trains are also fully accessible for wheelchairs with wide entrance doors and open spacious carriages to accommodate wheelchairs.
Tickets for Perth trains can be purchased through coin-operated machines at trains stations and should be obtained before boarding. If you travel on Perth trains without a valid ticket you can be fined.
In 2006 a new smart card became available to make your train, bus and ferry travel much easier, where all public travel can be paid for on one card, so you will no longer need special tickets for different zones, and the card will be able to calculate and deduct your exact fare each time your travel.
The Perth city main terminal is located on Wellington Street in the Perth CBD and timetables are available at the terminal. Train timetables and information are also available from Transperth Information centres located at the Wellington Street Bus Station on Wellington St in the Perth CBD, the Esplanade Busport on Mounts Bay Road Perth, and the Plaza Arcade between Hay and Murray St Perth.