2017 it was again rebranded as Arc Infrastructure. The WAGR's remaining functions, including owning the rail network and operating regional passenger services were transferred to the Western Australian Government Railways Commission. On 1 January 2003, the commission's functions were absorbed by the Public Transport Authority with passenger services operated under the Transwa brand. Timeline The timeline can be considered in terms of events, or eras. May and Gray's History of Passenger Carriages chapters offer an insight into a set of decades or slightly longer stages of railway development. Early Years (1877–1890) Gold and the boom years (1891–1900) Continued expansion and consolidation (1901–1910) War and roaring twenties (1911–1930) Depression and another war (1931–1944) Post war reconstruction, but the rot sets in (1945–1958) An Indian summer (1959–1975) Just a shadow (1976 -) By years 1871 - Private Ballaarat Tramline opens from Lockville to Yoganup, south of Perth 1879 - WAGR railway gauge line opens between Geraldton and Northampton 1881 – Eastern line opens from Fremantle to Perth and Guildford 1893 – South Western line opens from Perth to Bunbury 1894 – Midland Railway Company opens the Midland line from Midland Junction to Walkaway, connecting with the WAGR line to Geraldton 1896 – Eastern Goldfields line reaches Kalgoorlie 1917 – Standard gauge Trans-Australian Railway connects eastern Australia with Western Australia, with a break-of-gauge at Kalgoorlie 1968 – Kalgoorlie to Perth standard gauge line opens. (Lines east of Merredin converted to standard gauge, including Kalgoorlie-Esperance & Kalgoorlie-Leonora. North and south of Merredin remains narrow gauge only. West of Northam becomes dual gauge.) 1970 – Inaugural Indian Pacific service, revamped passenger service from Perth to Sydney via Adelaide. 1986 – Electrification of Perth suburban lines from with a 25 kV AC overhead power supply commences 1993 – Northern Suburbs Transit System commences operation with a new line opened from Joondalup to Perth 2007 – The Mandurah line opens as part of the New MetroRail project, which also included construction of the Thornlie spur and Greenwood station 2010 – the Metro Area Express was announced. The project would have introduced light rail to Perth along some of the former tram routes. The project was abandoned in 2016. 2017 – Metronet formed to manage extensions to the Perth rail system including the Thornlie-Cockburn link. First lines Private railways for carrying timber were built south of Perth from Lockville (just north of Busselton) to Yoganup in 1871, and