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Elizabeth Quay railway station

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Coordinates: 31°57′25″S 115°51′19″E / 31.956918°S 115.855304°E / -31.956918; 115.855304 (Elizabeth Quay Station)
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"Esplanade railway station" redirects here. Not to be confused with The Esplanade railway station, Esplanade MRT station, or Esplanade metro station.
Elizabeth Quay
Station in November 2023
General information
LocationMounts Bay Road & William Street, Perth
Western Australia
Australia
Coordinates31°57′25″S 115°51′19″E / 31.956918°S 115.855304°E / -31.956918; 115.855304 (Elizabeth Quay Station) Edit this at Wikidata
Owned byPublic Transport Authority
Operated byTransperth Train Operations
Line(s)
Distance0.6 kilometres (0 mi) from Perth Underground
Platforms1 island platform with 2 platform edges
Tracks2
Connections
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone1/FTZ
History
Opened15 October 2007
Previous namesEsplanade (2007–2016)
Passengers
October 201711,860 per day
Services
Preceding station Transperth Transperth Following station
through to Mandurah line Yanchep line
All, K, W
 Perth Underground
towards Whitfords, Clarkson or Yanchep
Canning Bridge
towards Cockburn Central or Mandurah
 Mandurah line
All, W
 Perth Underground
Terminus
Location
Map
Location of Elizabeth Quay station

Elizabeth Quay railway station, also known as Esplanade station prior to 2016, is an underground railway station on the southern side of the Perth central business district in Western Australia.

Description

[edit]
Tiled concourse with glass walls and a curved roof. There are escalators and a lift for transport to platform level.
Station concourse pictured in November 2023

Elizabeth Quay station is surrounded by Mounts Bay Road to the north, William Street to the east, and Elizabeth Quay bus station to the west. The adjacent stations are Perth Underground station to the north and Canning Bridge station to the south.[1] The station is owned by the Public Transport Authority.[2]

Elizabeth Quay station has one island platform with two platform faces. The platform is connected to the ground-level concourse by stairs, escalators and a lift.[1][3] Initially four escalators were planned to be installed, but that was reduced to two to cut costs, with there being room to install more later.[4] There is one entrance to the station: on the northern side. The station is fully accessible.[1][3] The station initially opened without toilets due to there being toilets at the Esplanade Busport, but by July 2008, public toilets were built at the station due to public demand.[5][6]

Artwork

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A wide mural sprawled high up and across the station's northern interior wall
Journey as One, by Norma MacDonald, Les MacDonald and Robyn Templeton, on the station's northern interior wall

There are two pieces of public art at Elizabeth Quay station: Journey as One, by Norma MacDonald, Les MacDonald and Robyn Templeton, and Journey, by The Glow Studio (Jude Bunn). Journey as One is a mosaic made of glass, glass mosaics, ceramic, ceramic tiles, natural stone and aluminium, on the station's southern interior wall. It consists of 12 side-by-side segments which are each 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) wide and 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) high, and "presents a continuous narrative depicting the past, present and future association of the Nyoongar people with the [...] station site.[7][8] Journey is a plaque which contains abstract imagery relating to the Mandurah line, including the names of stations on the line. During the opening on 23 December 2007, a circular icon was placed on the plaque which commemorates the opening. A similar plaque is located at Mandurah station on the other end of the line.[9]

History

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Planning

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Upon opening on 20 December 1992, Yanchep line (then Joondalup line) trains stopped at the above-ground Perth station and continued east of there as the Armadale line. The first South West Metropolitan Railway Master Plan, published in 1999, detailed the route of the future Mandurah line. It would branch off the Armadale line at Kenwick, requiring no new stations in the Perth central business district (CBD).[10] Following the election of the Labor Party to power in the 2001 state election, the route of the Mandurah line was changed. A new master plan was released, outlining the new and more direct route, which travels in a tunnel under the Perth CBD before surfacing and running down the median of the Kwinana Freeway from Perth to Kwinana. The new route had two new stations within the Perth CBD: Perth Underground station, which was known during construction as William Street station, and Elizabeth Quay station, which was known prior to 2016 as Esplanade station, after the nearby road named The Esplanade and the Esplanade Reserve.[11] Esplanade station had a predicted number of weekday boardings of 10,000.[12]

Construction

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New MetroRail was formed in March 2003 to manage the construction of the Mandurah line, among other rail projects in Perth.[13][14]

The construction of the Mandurah line, also known as the Southern Suburbs Railway, was divided into eight main packages. Esplanade station was part of Package F, which also included 700 metres (2,300 ft) of bored tunnels, 600 metres (2,000 ft) of cut-and-cover tunnels, the construction of Perth Underground station, the connection of the railway to the rest of the network west of Perth station, and construction of tracks and overhead wiring within the tunnels. This was also known as the City Project.[15] Expressions of interest for the Package F contract were called for in March 2003.[16] Five consortia submitted expressions of interest by May 2003.[17] The contract for the design and construction of Package F was awarded to a joint venture between Leighton Contractors and Kumagai Gumi in February 2004 at a cost of A$324.5 million.[15][18] Leighton Kumagai appointed architecture firm Hassell to design the two stations.[19]

Construction site with two crawler cranes and sheet piles sticking out of the ground. Excavation of the station box has not begun yet. The city is in the background.
Construction in August 2004. Sheet piles are being installed.

The construction site for Esplanade station was established in May 2004.[20] The portion of William Street directly next to Esplanade station was closed during the station's construction.[21] Esplanade station lies on land reclaimed from the Swan River, resulting a challenging environment for digging and tunnelling.[22] Before the station could be constructed, a large water main that passed directly through the future station box, 1-metre (3 ft 3 in) in diameter, had to be diverted. The water main carried much of the CBD's water supply, so the diversion took place over an Easter long weekend, when demand for water was low.[22] By July 2004, sheet piling to form the walls of the station box was underway.[23] This was one of the largest uses of sheet piles in Australia as of the time of construction.[24]

Construction site with an excavator sitting there. The station box has begun to be excavated.
Construction in February 2005. Excavation of the station box has begun.

On 13 March 2005, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) arrived on site.[25] The two bored tunnels between Esplanade station and the Roe Street dive structure were to be dug by the single TBM, which was to be dismantled and transported back to Esplanade station once the first tunnel had been completed.[26] On 14 August, it was craned into the Esplanade station box, and on 25 October, the TBM began tunnelling north towards Perth Underground station and the Roe Street dive structure.[27][28] The first tunnel was completed in June 2006 when the TBM reached the dive structure next to Roe Street.[29][30] Tunnelling was completed on 24 October 2006 when the TBM reached the Roe Street dive structure for the second time.[27][31] By the end of 2006, most structural work had been completed and architectural finishes and electrical and mechanical fit-out had commenced.[32]

In April 2005, Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Alannah MacTiernan announced that the New MetroRail project completion date had been delayed from December 2006 to April 2007.[33][34] In April 2006, she announced that the project's opening date had been delayed to July 2007.[35] In April 2007, MacTiernan revealed another delay, this time with the likely opening date being October 2007.[36]

The first test train ran through the tunnels on 11 August 2007.[37] The City Project achieved practical completion in September 2007, and was handed over from the contractor to the PTA on 10 September.[38] From 7 October to 14 October 2007, the Fremantle and Joondalup lines were shut down to connect the tunnel tracks to the rest of the network.[27] From 15 October, Joondalup line services began running via Perth Underground and Esplanade station, marking the opening of those stations to passenger service.[27][39][40] Mandurah line services south of Esplanade station commenced on 23 December 2007.[27][41]

Rename

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View from a skyscraper of a curved roof that fully covers the station. Next to the station is a busway that enters and exits Elizabeth Quay bus station. East of the station are buildings being constructed at Elizabeth Quay.
Southern end of the Elizabeth Quay station roof pictured in January 2021 from Central Park. Bus lanes for the Elizabeth Quay bus station are visible as well.

Esplanade station was renamed Elizabeth Quay station on 31 January 2016, two days after the opening of the nearby Elizabeth Quay inlet, which replaced the Esplanade Reserve. Esplanade bus station was renamed Elizabeth Quay bus station as well, and Transperth ferries moved from stopping at the Barrack Street Jetty to stopping at the nearby Elizabeth Quay Jetty.[42][43] The cost of the renaming was estimated to be $700,000, which was criticised by the state opposition as a waste of money.[44] Planning Minister John Day said the renaming was done to "make the precinct easily identifiable for locals and visitors", and that "it makes sense to have a consistent precinct, similar to Sydney's Circular Quay and the nearby train station."[42]

Other

[edit]

The escalators at Elizabeth Quay station, which were manufactured by Otis Worldwide, have had severe reliability issues since the station opened. In 2020, the escalators were replaced, seven years before the end of their expected life.[45][46]

Services

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Underground grey tiled platform surrounded by concrete walls on either side. Light is coming down from above. There is a lift and set of stairs leading up to ground level.
Platforms pictured in January 2014

Elizabeth Quay station is served by Transperth Yanchep line and Mandurah line services, which are operated by the PTA via its Transperth Train Operations division.[47][48] The Yanchep and Mandurah lines form one continuous line. The service between Elizabeth Quay and Perth Underground stations is considered part of the Joondalup and Mandurah lines simultaneously. South of Elizabeth Quay station are Mandurah line services and north of Perth Underground station are Yanchep line services.[49]

Yanchep and Mandurah line trains run at a five-minute frequency during peak hour and a fifteen-minute frequency outside peak and on weekends and public holidays. At night, trains are half-hourly or hourly. The earliest trains depart at 5:32 am on weekdays and Saturdays and 7:19 am on Sundays. The latest trains depart at 12:17 am on weeknights and 2:17 am on weekend nights.[50][51]

In the 2013–14 financial year, the station had 3,311,932 boardings.[52] On an average weekday in October 2017, Elizabeth Quay station had 11,860 boardings.[53]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Elizabeth Quay Station". Transperth. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Public Transport Authority: Railway System: April 2019" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Elizabeth Quay Station – Access Map" (PDF). Transperth. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  4. ^ Pryer, Wendy (17 February 2005). "Esplanade problems escalate". The West Australian. p. 9.
  5. ^ "Question On Notice No. 1650 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 23 November 2006 by Dr J.M. Woollard". Parliament of Western Australia. 1 January 2007. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  6. ^ "New public toilet at Esplanade Train Station". Media Statements. 6 July 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Journey as One". Public Transport Authority. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  8. ^ "OnTrack: Issue 17" (PDF). New MetroRail. August 2007. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2007.
  9. ^ "Journey". Public Transport Authority. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  10. ^ South West Metropolitan Railway Master Plan 1999, Figure 1.
  11. ^ Perth Urban Rail Development Project – Supplementary Master Plan 2002, p. v, figure 2.
  12. ^ Perth Urban Rail Development Project – Supplementary Master Plan 2002, p. 48.
  13. ^ "OnTrack: Issue 1" (PDF). New MetroRail. March 2003. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Visionary rail expansion moves from plan to reality". Media Statements. 20 March 2003. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  15. ^ a b Longhurst 2008, p. 309.
  16. ^ "Interest call for inner city rail project". Media Statements. 15 March 2003. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  17. ^ "Construction, tunnelling and rail experts compete for $580million works on Perth-to-Mandurah section of New MetroRail project". Media Statements. 15 May 2003. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  18. ^ "City section of New MetroRail Project signed". Media Statements. 14 February 2004. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  19. ^ "All aboard and right on track: Leighton Kumagai's New MetroRail City Project" (PDF). Australian National Construction Review. No. 7. 2006. p. 106. ISSN 1449-7344. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  20. ^ "City Project Site - The Esplanade". New MetroRail. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007.
  21. ^ "OnTrack: Issue 5" (PDF). New MetroRail. April 2004. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007.
  22. ^ a b Longhurst 2008, p. 30.
  23. ^ "OnTrack: Issue 6" (PDF). New MetroRail. July 2004. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2007.
  24. ^ Longhurst 2008, p. 39.
  25. ^ Longhurst 2008, p. 45.
  26. ^ "OnTrack: Issue 8" (PDF). New MetroRail. April 2005. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2007.
  27. ^ a b c d e Longhurst 2008, p. XVII.
  28. ^ "Tunnel Boring Machine begins digging under Perth city". Media Statements. 25 October 2005. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  29. ^ "OnTrack: Issue 13" (PDF). New MetroRail. July 2006. pp. 1, 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2007.
  30. ^ "Perth to Mandurah rail project hits milestone". ABC News. 4 June 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  31. ^ "Final breakthrough of CBD tunnel achieves engineering feat". Media Statements. 27 October 2006. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  32. ^ "OnTrack: Issue 15" (PDF). New MetroRail. December 2006. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2007.
  33. ^ "Revised timetable for New MetroRail". Media Statements. 27 April 2005. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  34. ^ Williams, Ruth (28 April 2005). "Alannah's train derails". The West Australian. p. 5.
  35. ^ "Budget and timetable review of New MetroRail project". Media Statements. 12 April 2006. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  36. ^ Spagnolo, Joe (27 April 2007). "Mandurah rail delay likely". PerthNow. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  37. ^ "Our history". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  38. ^ "City tunnel project completion announced". Media Statements. 8 September 2007. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  39. ^ "Perth's new underground railway stations ready for action". Media Statements. 14 October 2007. Archived from the original on 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  40. ^ "Perth CBD's first underground train station in operation". ABC News. 15 October 2007. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  41. ^ "All aboard as the new Perth-to-Mandurah Railway begins". Media Statements. 23 December 2007. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  42. ^ a b "Smart names for Elizabeth Quay stations". Public Transport Authority. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  43. ^ McNeill, Heather (21 January 2016). "Elizabeth Quay opening celebrations to last three weeks". WAtoday. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  44. ^ Kagi, Jacob (16 December 2015). "WA Government attacked for costly renaming of Elizabeth Quay bus and train station". ABC News. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  45. ^ Emerson, Daniel (5 June 2015). "Escalators keep going down". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  46. ^ "Escalator Maintenance Program: PUG and EQ escalator update". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  47. ^ "Transperth". Public Transport Authority. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  48. ^ "About Transperth". Transperth. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  49. ^ "Train System Map" (PDF). Transperth. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  50. ^ "Joondalup Line Train Timetable" (PDF). Transperth. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  51. ^ "Mandurah Line Train Timetable" (PDF). Transperth. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  52. ^ "Question On Notice No. 4245 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 25 June 2015 by Mr M. Mcgowan". Parliament of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  53. ^ Perpitch, Nicolas (13 March 2018). "Welcome to Seaforth — the loneliest train station on the Perth rail network". ABC News. Retrieved 27 October 2023.

Book sources

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