Australind train service returns between Perth and Bunbury after Transwa received the first of four Alstom diesel multiple-units ordered for the 167 km route in Western Australia.

Passenger interior of the new Australind train
The passenger interior of the new Australind train. Photo: Alstom

Australind train service returns in phases

Road coaches had covered the route since 2023. ⁠Services began returning in phases on June 29, initially with one daily round trip on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Travel time is 2½ h each way.

The timetable will expand as the remaining DMUs enter passenger operation by the end of the year.

Locally built Alstom diesel multiple-units

The 1 067 mm gauge trains were ⁠manufactured at Alstom’s Bellevue facility near Perth. They were supplied under an A$54m contract within a broader A$1·3bn order, which also covers the supply and maintenance of C Series EMUs for Perth’s suburban network.

Both the diesel and electric units are from Alstom’s X’trapolis family, part of the company’s Adessia portfolio.

Guillaume Tritter, Managing Director of Alstom Australia & New Zealand, said:

‘The ongoing investment and partnership of the West Australian government has been critical to restoring not just the Perth to Bunbury service, but the continuity of local rail manufacturing, the local supply chain and high skilled jobs in the state’

Alstom described the new DMUs as a ‘major upgrade’ over the previous ADP/ADQ fleet, which entered service in 1987.

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Each train has 158 seats, wider doors, an accessible toilet and space for up to six wheelchair users. Every trainset can also carry up to 14 bicycles, with flexible arrangements allowing them to be loaded at several points along the route.

The interior, described as ‘contemporary’, includes LED lighting, wi-fi, USB-C charging points and a buffet.

New Australind train at a station in Western Australia
The new Australind train at a station in Western Australia. Photo: Alstom

Each DMU will carry artwork created by a local Indigenous artist, reflecting the identity of southwest Western Australia.

⁠The four trains will carry individual names. ‘Marley’ is named after an alpine dingo cared for by the Bunbury Sea Rescue group. ‘Kwilena’ comes from the Noongar word for dolphin, a symbol of Bunbury, while ‘Koombana’ refers to Koombana Bay. The fourth unit, ‘Linda’, takes its name from a nickname for the Australind service.

The phased return is also linked to a planned expansion of the service. The Western Australian government has ⁠committed A$45m in the 2026–27 State Budget to support more frequent Australind operations between Perth and Bunbury. It is working with Arc Infrastructure to finalise the additional frequencies, with the aim of doubling services by early 2027. During this transition, some coach services will continue until the second new train enters service. The existing stopping pattern will remain unchanged along the original Perth–Bunbury route.

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