The B-series trains are a class of

electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...

built by

Downer Rail Downer Rail is a business unit within the Downer Group. As well as manufacturing and maintaining railway rolling stock it holds maintenance contracts to maintain rail infrastructure. The head office is located in North Ryde. History The ED ...

Maryborough, Queensland Maryborough ( ) is a city and a Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Maryborough had a population of 15,287 people. Geography Maryborough is located on the Mar ...

for

Transperth Transperth is the public transport system for Perth and surrounding areas in Western Australia. It is managed by the Public Transport Authority (PTA), a state government organisation, and consists of train, bus and ferry services. Bus operat ...

between 2004 and 2019.

Design

Each set consists of three semi-permanently coupled cars designed to be used in either a three-car or six-car formation. The trains were designed to use AC motors rather than DC traction motors like the previous A-series, and to have a maximum service speed of . In each set, IGBT inverters power eight AC traction motors distributed along the three cars, providing a 66% motorised unit. These trains are similar in design to Queensland Rail's IMU160/ SMU260 EMU,

V/Line VLocity The V/Line VLocity, sometimes called the VLocity 160, is a diesel multiple unit train built by Bombardier Transportation and, later, by Alstom in Dandenong rolling stock factory, Dandenong for V/Line, the regional rail operator in the Austral ...

DMU, and

Adelaide Metro 4000 class The Adelaide Metro 4000 class, also referred to as A-City trains, are electric multiple unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation (later Alstom) in Dandenong, Victoria for the electrified Adelaide rail network. They are the only class of o ...

EMU trains. The B series trains were originally built concurrently with the V/Line VLocity.

History

Perth's first electrified trains, the two-car A-series, entered service in September 1991. In May 2002, a $437 million contract for the construction of the initial 31 three car B-series trains and the Nowergup depot was awarded to EDI Rail–

Bombardier Transportation Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, with headquarters in Toronto and Berlin. It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. ...

Joint Venture. These railcars were purchased to provide enough capacity for the Joondalup line extension to Clarkson, the Thornlie line spur from the Armadale line, and the Mandurah line. Of the total contract value, $24 million was for the railcar construction, $34 million was for the Nowergup depot construction, and $114 million was for the maintenance of the railcars for ten years. The trains were specifically optimised for the higher possible speeds and greater station spacing on the newer Joondalup and Mandurah lines. Contemporaneous planning documents indicated that all-stops services on the older Fremantle, Armadale, and Midland lines would likely lead to overheating problems with the propulsion and braking systems. Platforms at the original stations on the

Yanchep line 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 pa ...

had to be lengthened to accommodate the six-car trains, as did Platform 1 at Showgrounds and both platforms at

West Leederville West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

. The

Mandurah line The Mandurah line, also known as the Southern Suburbs Railway, is a suburban railway line and service in Western Australia, linking Perth's central business district (CBD) with Mandurah to the south. Operated by the Public Transport Authority ( ...

stations, along with

Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...

, Clarkson, Currambine and

Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood. Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to: People * Greenwood (surname) Settlements Australia * Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region * Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth ...

on the

, and the rebuilt Kelmscott station on the

Armadale line The Armadale line is a partially-closed suburban railway service in Perth, Western Australia, operated by the Public Transport Authority as part of the Transperth system. The Armadale line is long, and starts at Perth station, heading south ...

, were built with longer platforms. In December 2006, the government signed another contract, worth $160 million, with EDI Rail–Bombardier Transportation Joint Venture for 15 more three car B-series trains to be used on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines. In 2009, the first of these additional railcars were delivered, allowing several A-series trains to be moved from the Joondalup and Mandurah lines to the other lines on the network, and for frequencies to increase on the Mandurah, Joondalup, Fremantle and Midland lines. The first entered service on 28 June 2009. In May 2011, the government announced 15 more three car B-series trains worth $164 million would be ordered to cater for the extension of the Joondalup line to

, and a general increase in capacity on the network. These trains were ordered in July 2011. In August 2012, this order was increased by two, to cater for the planned Aubin Grove station, and in November 2012, this order was increased by five, to make the total order be for 22 three car trains. The final cost was $243 million. With the final delivery from that order, all trains operating on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines were B-series trains. Funding for an additional 10 sets was announced in the May 2016 state budget with delivery planned for 2018-20. These sets would provide additional capacity on the existing network, as well as the Forrestfield–Airport Link. The B series fleet would total 78 3-car sets. As of April 2019 all 78 3-car sets have been delivered with all 78 3-car sets in service.

In service

As of 2024, B-series railcars operating as six-car sets are not the only trains used on the

Yanchep Yanchep is a coastal town north of Perth, Western Australia, north of the Perth CBD. It is a part of the City of Wanneroo local government area. Originally a small crayfishing settlement, it was developed by entrepreneur Alan Bond in the 19 ...

and

Mandurah Mandurah ( ) is a coastal city in the Australian state of Western Australia, situated approximately south of the state capital, Perth. It is the state's second most populous city, with a population of 90,306. Mandurah's central business dis ...

lines. The A series and new C series trains run regularly on the lines as well. B-series railcars operating in three-car sets are the only trains used on the

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

and Ellenbrook lines. The B-series trains are cleared to operate on the Midland, Armadale/Thornlie and

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...

lines and are regularly used on these lines alongside the older A-series: fears of adverse impacts on the trains due to the short station spacing were found to have been unwarranted, except in extreme operating conditions such as with both high temperatures and low line voltage. However, as some stations on these lines have insufficient platform length to handle six-car sets, they are usually operated as 3-car sets. The newer Airport line services use three-car B-series sets for the same reason.

Additional accessories

Since early-2016, B-series sets 115 and onwards have been fitted with USB charging ports as part of a 6-month trial.

References

Bibliography