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The Mandurah line is a commuter railway and service on the Transperth network in Western Australia that runs from Perth south to the state's second largest city Mandurah. The service is operated by Transperth Train Operations, a division of the Public Transport Authority. The line is  long and has 12 stations. At its northern end, the line (travelling south) begins as a continuation of the Joondalup line at Perth Underground, and (travelling north) ends as a continuation of the Joondalup line at Elizabeth Quay. The first  of the line is underground, passing under the Perth central business district. The line surfaces and enters the median of the Kwinana Freeway just north of the Swan River. It continues south down the freeway's median for , before veering south-west towards Rockingham. The final stretch of the line goes south from Rockingham to Mandurah.

Planning for a railway line to Mandurah began in the early 1990s, during the construction of the Joondalup line. The first route proposed was an extension of the Fremantle line to Mandurah passing directly through the Rockingham town centre. The preferred route was later changed to a spur off the Armadale line at Kenwick via Thornlie for reasons of cost. Following a change in state government in 2001, the route was changed again, this time to a direct route along the Kwinana Freeway south of Perth with Rockingham station relocated to align with the more direct route. Construction began in March 2004. The underground portion of the line, between Perth and Esplanade station, was the first section to open. It began operating on 15 October 2007. The rest of the line opened on 23 December 2007. Since opening, one new station along the line has opened, and another new station has begun construction. The line will be connected to the Armadale line via Cockburn Central and the Thornlie spur line.

Trains take 51 minutes to get from Perth Underground to Mandurah station. The line is the busiest on the Transperth network, with 14.4 million boardings in the 2021–22 financial year. Headways are at least every 15 minutes during the day, rising to every 5 minutes on parts during peak time.

History

Proposals and early planning
Just as detailed planning for the Northern Suburbs Transit System was underway, the South West Area Transit (SWAT) Study was formed in February 1989 to examine the possibilities for extending Perth's rail services to the city's south west. A SWAT report was released in 1990 recommending a rapid transit system to Rockingham and Mandurah. The two options the report considered were an extension of the Fremantle line or a spur off the Armadale line at Kenwick. Both of these options would utilise pre-existing freight railways, although sections of the Fremantle freight railway had the problem of being only single track. With the Armadale, Fremantle and Midland lines about to be electrified in the early 1990s, the report suggested using the leftover diesel railcars to minimise initial costs.

Planning for the line was transferred to the Department of Transport in 1991. The Department then released a report in 1992 for recommending a light rail line from Fremantle to the south west metropolitan area. Later that year, the Lawrence government made an in-principle commitment to building a rail line from Fremantle to Rockingham and Mandurah. It had ruled out a dedicated busway, but had not yet chosen between heavy rail and light rail. The SWAT Steering Committee was formed to assess various things for the line, namely the transit mode, route, cost, and the community's preference regarding the transit mode and route. The SWAT committee recommended the use of heavy rail like the rest of Perth's rail system. Premier Carmen Lawrence made the commitment ahead of the 1993 state election to build this line as far as Rockingham by 1996, and to Mandurah by 2001.

Separately from any other planning, Westrail was asked by the Department of Planning and Urban Development in 1992 or 1993 to investigate doing a direct route from Perth to Mandurah instead of via Fremantle. The direct route was to pass through the emerging regional centre of Thomsons Lake, now known as Cockburn Central, and make the journey to the Perth central business district (CBD) quicker. The median of the Kwinana Freeway south of the Narrows Bridge was seen as being too narrow for a railway, so that route was not considered. Westrail came up with a plan for the line to run underground from the Perth CBD to the Mount Henry Bridge. At $800 million, this was considered too expensive.

After Richard Court won the election for the Liberal Party, the government put aside any immediate plans for the line, saying that it was far too expensive and too soon after the Joondalup line was built. The Court government started a new study to determine if a busway would be an acceptable alternative to light rail or heavy rail, options which had already been costed at $326 million to $570 million. In August 1995, the government announced new plans for the railway to Mandurah. It was going to take a new route, branching off from the Armadale line at Kenwick, running parallel to the Kwinana freight railway to Jandakot, where it would then run south to Rockingham and Mandurah. The railway was to undergo a staged construction, with the first stage from Kenwick to Jandakot opening within 10 years at a cost of $150 million. The cost of the entire line was to be $570 million. The land for this was reserved in the Metropolitan Region Scheme in December 1994, and land acquisition commenced after that. The land for the railway was also reserved in the forthcoming Peel Region Scheme, which was gazetted on 23 October 2002.

Armadale line spur
Cabinet approved the creation of a master plan in April 1997, with its preparation starting later that year. Amongst its objectives were to establish the line's feasibility, develop concepts, confirm the final route, develop patronage estimates, decide on the number and location of stations, determine how the line will operate and integrate with other transport services, determine rolling stock and infrastructure requirements, determine the environmental impact, determine the cost, examine options for funding, and prepare enabling legislation. The master plan, called the South West Metropolitan Railway (SWMP) Master Plan, was endorsed by cabinet in March 1999.

The route laid out by the master plan was as follows. The service would commence at Perth station, running alongside the Armadale line until Kenwick, where it would enter a tunnel and pass under the Armadale line, Albany Highway, Roe Highway and the Kwinana freight railway. It would emerge from the tunnel and run south west, parallel to the freight railway. Along this section, the stations planned were at Thornlie (now Thornlie station), Nicholson Road (now Nicholson Road station), and Ranford Road (then named Canning Vale station; now Ranford Road station). There was also provision for a station at Jandakot Airport near Karel Avenue for the future. After travelling along the freight railway, the line would enter a tunnel and emerge within the median strip of the Kwinana Freeway. Having the line run along the side of the freeway was considered, as the freeway median was initially viewed as being too narrow. This option would have resulted in greater station accessibility but take the line close to current and planned residential areas. The line would have run along the eastern side of the freeway before crossing to the western side north of Berrigan Drive. This option was not chosen, limiting the adverse environmental impact of the freeway and railway to a narrower strip. The stations along the freeway section of the line were to be at Berrigan Drive (named South Lake station) and Beeliar Drive (then named Thomsons Lake station; now Cockburn Central station), with provisions for future stations at Gibbs Road/Russell Road (then named Success station; now Aubin Grove station), Rowley Road (named Mandogalup station), and Anketell Road (named Anketell). At Thomas Road, the railway would exit the freeway via a tunnel and travel south west through Kwinana. In Kwinana, the stations planned were at Thomas Road (now Kwinana station) and at Leda (now Wellard station), with a future station at Challenger Avenue (named South Parmelia station).

Through Rockingham, there were several alignments considered. The Minister for Planning commissioned the Rockingham City Centre Railway Access Study in 1996 to provide some options. The study recommended a route which travelled through the Rockingham city centre, partially in a tunnel. Cabinet endorsed this route in August 1997 after being told the estimated cost was $119 million. This was the route that the City of Rockingham wanted as well, with the Rockingham Council saying it strongly opposed any route that bypassed the Rockingham city centre as it would be detrimental by siphoning workers out of Rockingham and into the Perth CBD. After cabinet endorsement, more detailed costing and evaluation of the endorsed route and alternative routes was done. The new cost of the favoured option was determined to be $269 million. As a result, more options were developed by a workshop, and these were refined to three options for the 1999 master plan. The first option had a cost of $143 million, and involved  of track in a trench or underground and two stations: one within the Rockingham city centre, and one north of Rockingham at Ennis Avenue. The second option had a cost of $107 million, and involved  of track in a trench or underground and two stations: one within the Rockingham city centre, and one north of Rockingham at Ennis Avenue. The third option bypassed the Rockingham city centre, had a cost of $31 million, involved no tunnels or trenches, and had one station at Dixon Road and provisions for a future station on Ennis Avenue south of Elanora Drive (named Cooloongup). This option also had a dedicated bus service to link the station to the city centre. In addition to the higher cost of the tunnel options, there would also have been higher transit time for those travelling though Rockingham without getting off the train there.

Running south from Rockingham along the eastern side of Ennis Avenue, the double tracked section of the line was planned to end at Safety Bay Road, at Waikiki station (now Warnbro station. South from there, the line was to run single tracked to Mandurah station, including crossing Stakehill Road, Paganoni Road, and a road in Lakelands at the line's only level crossings. Future station provisions were to be at Stakehill Road (named Stakehill station), Paganoni Road (named Karnup station), Lakelands, and Gordon Road.

Additionally, the master plan found that works were required along the Perth to Kenwick portion for the operation of the Mandurah line. These proposed works included an additional platform at Perth station, a rebuild of Victoria Park station, closure of Lathlain station, a rebuild of Carlisle station, closure of Welshpool station, a rebuild of Beckenham station, and the removal of most level crossings. The master plan stipulated that the Mandurah line run as a through service with the Joondalup line, a role which the Armadale line was fulfilling at the time. Among the advantages were that it would result in fewer trains needing to turn around at Perth station and the associated infrastructure requirements that arose from that. 104 railcars would have had to be purchased, which would be stored at a depot at Rockingham and at Nowergup on the Joondalup line.

In April 2000, an expanded version of the SWMR Master Plan was released by the government.

The Railway (Northern and Southern Urban Extensions) Act, which enabled the construction of the Mandurah line via Kenwick, passed the Western Australian Parliament in November 1999.

In December 2000, the government announced that the railway between Warnbro and Mandurah would be double tracked. Under the previous single track design, maximum train frequency south of Warnbro was restricted to two trains per hour. The additional cost was $20 million.

Direct route

However, following a change in State Government in 2001, a bill was passed that saw the route altered to start at Perth station, travel through a   tunnel, traverse the Kwinana Freeway, and then continue along its initial route after Jandakot. This second route was much more direct, and allowed through services with the Joondalup line; however it was more costly. The new route had a 20% faster journey time from Mandurah station to Perth, and a 40% faster journey time from Thomsons Lake to Perth. It also had higher projected patronage, with 24,950 passengers per day projected, as opposed to 19,100 for the route via Kenwick. The new route also meant that there is a higher maximum capacity for each line, as there are no tracks with multiple lines limiting maximum capacity. It also provided an opportunity for a new station at the south end of the Perth CBD, closer to the offices on St Georges Terrace. The route included the following stations:

William Street (Perth) station
Esplanade (Elizabeth Quay) station
Canning Bridge station
Leach Highway (Bull Creek) station
South Street (Murdoch) station
Thomsons Lake (Cockburn Central) station
Thomas Road (Kwinana) station
Leda (Wellard) station
Rockingham station
Waikiki (Warnbro) station
Mandurah station

South Lake station was along the new alignment but was relegated to being built in the future. Leda station was budgeted for but was planned on opening later than the other stations. Thornlie, Nicholson Road, and Canning Vale stations were removed from the plan as they were along the Kwinana freight railway alignment.

This decision also led to the relocation of the Rockingham station from the city centre to the outer edge to offset the additional costs of the Perth section. The original route included tunnels to bring the railway into the Rockingham CBD. As a trade-off for relocating Rockingham station to the outer edge, the State Government promised a light rail link to the Rockingham CBD. This was later revised to a Central Area Transit style bus service partly within a dedicated busway. As part of the work, the Narrows and Mount Henry Bridges were rebuilt.

Detailed planning and construction
The design and construction of the project was split up into eight packages. They are as follows:

All of these packages were managed by New MetroRail except for Package E, which was managed by Main Roads Western Australia. New MetroRail was a division of the Western Australian Government Railways Commission (later the Public Transport Authority), set up in March 2003 as a rebrand of the Perth Urban Rail Development Project. This division managed the construction of the Mandurah line, as well as an extension to the Joondalup line and upgrades along the Armadale line.

The first contracts were awarded in April 2002: the contract for designing Package B was awarded to Woodhead International Architects for $2.1 million, and the contract for designing Package C was awarded to Jones Coulter Young Pty Ltd for $2.5 million. Woodhead recruited MPS Architects to do part of the design work for Package B, and Jones Coulter Young recruited Taylor Robinson Architects to do part of the design work for Mandurah and Warnbro stations. The $9.7 million design contract for Package A was awarded to Maunsell SKM Joint Venture in September 2002, and the $3.1 million design contract for Package D was awarded to Woodhead International Architects and MPS Architects in October 2002. Woodhead designed Bull Creek and Canning Bridge stations, and MPS designed Murdoch station.

The Railway (Jandakot to Perth) Act passed parliament on 27 November 2002, and received royal assent on 5 December 2002, enabling the construction of the railway between Perth and Jandakot to begin.

Expressions of interest for the construction of Package F closed on 16 April 2003. The five proponents that applied were City Connect (joint venture between Clough, McConnell Dowell and Obayashi); Bilfinger Berger–Baulderstone Hornibrook; Leighton–Kumagai Gumi Team; Multiplex–John Holland–Tyco Group; and Henry Walker Eltin–Bouygues. City Connect and Leighton–Kumagai Gumi Team were shortlisted on 29 May 2003. The request for proposals began on 16 June 2003, and the detailed submissions from each consortia were due on 18 September 2003.

In July 2003, the Environmental Protection Authority submitted a Public Environmental Review to the Minister for Environment, Judy Edwards. She approved the environmental review on 14 November 2003.

Expressions of interest for the construction of the three station packages, packages B, C and D, opened in September 2003, and closed on 30 October.

In December 2003, Cabinet decided to award the construction contract for Package E to Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd, and the construction contract for Package F to Leighton-Kumagai Gumi Team. The completion date of the entire line to Mandurah was also brought forward to December 2006. Leighton Contractors had been selected as the preferred proponent for Package E, and Leighton-Kumagai Gumi Team had been selected as the preferred proponent for Package F in October 2003.

The contract for the design and construction of Package E was signed on 14 January 2004. This package consisted of all the roadworks along the Kwinana Freeway. This included the construction of a new bridge between the two existing Narrows Bridges, for the southbound tracks. The northbound tracks were built on the existing northbound road bridge, which had to be strengthened to withstand the weight of a train. The Mount Henry Bridge had to have a new bridge for northbound road traffic built next to the existing bridge. The existing bridge was strengthened, for railway tracks to go across it. Existing bridges along the Kwinana Freeway had to have various modifications, including pier strengthening and protection. The freeway had to undergo minor realignment in parts so that the railway could fit. The layout of onramps and offramps at Leach Highway and South Street had to be changed, as that was where Bull Creek and Murdoch stations were to be built respectively.

Package E also included the construction of the railway formation layer along the Kwinana Freeway, construction of drainage along that section, construction of concrete barriers between the freeway and the railway, and construction of noise walls along some stretches. It also included the moving of the bus bridge that goes from Canning Highway to the freeway northbound  west, as the bridge was in the way of the railway. Initially, this bridge was going to be demolished and rebuilt, but it was determined that moving the bridge was viable and more economical.

The contract for the design and construction of Package F was awarded to Leighton–Kumagai Gumi on 14 February 2004. The main part of this package was the tunnelling under the Perth central business district and the construction of Perth Underground and Esplanade stations. The tunnelling consisted of two  long bored tunnels between Perth rail yard (the track west of Perth station) and Esplanade station, and  of cut-and-cover tunnel south of Esplanade station. The two stations were also cut-and-cover. Smaller parts of Package F included changes to the traction power supply sections around Perth station, changes to the layout of the Perth rail yard, alterations and strengthening of the Horseshoe Bridge, construction of a pedestrian tunnel under Wellington Street to link Perth underground to the existing Perth station, and landscaping and changes to the road layout around the southern tunnel portal. Construction on Package F began in March 2004, making this package the first one to begin construction. The tunnel was the first railway tunnel to be built in Perth since 1895 when the Swan View Tunnel was built in the present-day John Forrest National Park. This was the most challenging portion of the Mandurah line project, with it being heavily criticised in the press.

The tunnel boring machine, manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, was lifted into position in the Esplanade station box on 14 August 2005. It was named "the Sandgroper", a colloquial demonym for Western Australia, and had a mass of  and a length of . Following a slight delay due to technical issues during commissioning, the TBM started boring the eastern tunnel on 25 October 2005. On 7 February 2006, the TBM broke through to William Street station,  north of The Esplanade. The first tunnel was complete when the TBM broke though to the northern tunnel portal on 4 June 2006. The machine was transported back to Esplanade station to do the second tunnel. It broke through to William Street station on 31 August 2006, and broke through the northern tunnel portal on 24 October 2006. With the TBM designed specifically for Perth's sandy soils, it had to be scrapped following the project as no buyers could be found.

On 23 May 2004, the contract for the construction of Package A was awarded to RailLink Joint Venture: a joint venture between John Holland, Macmahon Contractors, and Multiplex Constructions, after being named the preferred tenderer in late 2003. As only parts of this package were fully designed by MSKM and New MetroRail during the design contract, the construction contract also included a design component. This package included bulk earthworks for stations between Mandurah and Cockburn Central; civil works, drainage, and track structure between Mandurah and the Narrows Bridge; the traction power network from Mandurah to north of the Narrows Bridge, including overhead wires, feeder stations at Jandakot and Karnup, and track sectioning cabins; roadworks between Mandurah and Glen Iris, including rail, road, and pedestrian bridges; signals and communication for the entire line; Mandurah railcar depot; and connecting the signalling, power and communications systems to the rest of the network at Perth Yard.

In May 2004, construction began on Package E, with works commencing on the Mount Henry Bridge. The new bridge opened to traffic on 22 January 2006.

In November 2004, the contract for Package D was awarded to John Holland. In March 2005, the contract for Package B was awarded to Doric Brierty Joint Venture, a joint venture between Doric Constructions and Brierty Contractors. The Doric Brierty Joint Venture was again awarded a contract in June 2005, for Package C[a], which was for Rockingham and Warnbro stations; the contract for Package C[b], which was for the construction of Mandurah station, was awarded to J.M. & E.D. Moore. The construction of the stations from Canning Bridge to Mandurah started from mid- to late-2005.

In April 2005, Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan announced that the line's scheduled opening date had been delayed to April 2007. The contingency sum was increased by $45.193 as well, due to two station contracts being above estimates from 2002 and new safety standards for earthing and insulation. In April 2006, MacTiernan announced that the line's opening date had been delayed to July 2007, with Package E being behind schedule. The contingency sum was increased by $49.801 million, bringing the project's total cost to $1.613 billion.

Track laying commenced, starting from a track laying depot in Hillman, on 16 March 2006. For the most part, a track laying machine was used, which could lay about  of track per day. Track laying between Mandurah and the Narrows Bridge was completed in December 2006.

In June 2006, the government reached a $21.8 million settlement with the RailLink Joint Venture, as RailLink's construction was delayed through no fault of their own.

In January 2007, Mandurah, Kwinana, Wellard, and Cockburn Central stations were complete. Rockingham and Warnbro stations were completed on 9 March 2007. Canning Bridge, Bull Creek, and Murdoch stations reached practical completion in June 2007.

In April 2007, Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan revealed the line was delayed, with opening likely in October 2007.

The first test train ran on the line, between Perth Yard and Esplanade station, in August 2007. In September 2007, the overhead wiring system was energised between Perth Yard and south of Esplanade station. This section reached practical completion in September 2007, with the site being handed over to the Public Transport Authority on 10 September 2007.

From 7 to 14 October 2007, a planned shutdown of the whole Fremantle line and partial closure of the Joondalup line between Perth and Leederville stations was undertaken to allow workers to connect the Mandurah line to the Joondalup line. On 15 October 2007, Perth Underground and Esplanade stations opened. On this day, the railway also carried its first passengers with the extension of Joondalup line services to Esplanade station.

On 9 November 2007, the first train crossed the Narrows Bridge to Rockingham station, testing the new railway line at around 07:30 with a driver and a group of engineers. After the line testing completed, driver training was undertaken.

The line was officially opened on 23 December 2007, with the first train carrying 1,500 passengers, including 1,000 members of the public selected by ballot.

The line replaced bus services that previously travelled along the freeway to the city, which now terminate at Mandurah line stations. The exception is Canning Highway services, which stop at Canning Bridge station before continuing to the city.

Post-opening
Since opening, there have been proposals for stations to be built at South Perth, Aubin Grove, Karnup and Lakelands. Of those stations, Aubin Grove was opened in 2017, and Lakelands station started construction in 2021.

After the opening of the Mandurah line, the government committed to building a station by 2010 at Richardson Street in South Perth. The station would serve major attractions such as Perth Zoo and crowds heading to the South Perth foreshore to watch the City of Perth Skyworks. After a change in government in September 2008, South Perth station was delayed to opening in 2013. The station was not in the 2009 state budget, and has not been built since.

In August 2012, the government announced plans for the construction of Aubin Grove station, at Russell Road between Cockburn Central station and Kwinana station. The station was planned to cost $80 million. A tender for the construction of the station was released in July 2014. In February 2015, CAMPS, which is a joint venture between Coniglio Ainsworth Architects and M. P. S. Architects, was selected to design the station. In late-2015, Georgiou Group was awarded the construction contract. Construction began in March 2016, and on 23 April 2017, the station was opened. The project had a final cost of $125 million, of which $72 million was for the station.

Ahead of the 2017 state election, both major parties promised to build a $520 million extension of the Thornlie line to link up with the Mandurah line at Cockburn. The line was planned to follow the previously planned alignment of the Mandurah line, along the Kwinana freight railway, and have stations at Ranford Road and Nicholson Road, before entering the Kwinana Freeway and terminating at a new platform at Cockburn Central station. One of the publicised advantages of the line was that it would make getting to Perth Stadium quicker for people south of Cockburn Central, as the stadium, which was under construction at the time, is along the Armadale/Thornlie line. The Labor Party also promised to built a station at Karnup, between Mandurah and Warnbro, as part of their proposed Metronet program of public transport expansion.

The Labor Party won the election. Early works began in late 2019, with full constructing beginning in 2020. The extension is . As part of a major realignment of railway tracks at the Cockburn Central railway station, the Mandurah line was closed between Elizabeth Quay and Aubin Grove from 26 December 2021 to 14 January 2022, in what Metronet said was the longest ever shutdown on Perth's public transport network. In this time, the existing tracks were moved to the edge of the rail corridor to make room for the new Thornlie line tracks that will run between the Mandurah line tracks.

The Labor Party also promised ahead of the 2017 election to build a station at Karnup, between Mandurah and Warnbro. In March 2019, Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised $10 million in federal funding for a station at Lakelands, between Mandurah and Karnup. That was later increased to 80% of the $80 million construction cost, which prompted the state government in November 2019 to delay construction of Karnup station in favour of constructing Lakelands station. Requests from the state government for the federal government to fund Karnup station instead were refused. ADCO Constructions was selected as the preferred proponent in December 2021, with the company being awarded the contract in January 2020. Works for Lakelands station began in August 2021.

Description
The railway has a gauge of ; the same as the rest of the Transperth network. It is designed for a maximum train speed of , however trains do not go above  in regular operation. During hot weather, the tracks can distort. As a result, train speeds are reduced by approximately  when the air temperature is above , and by an additional  when the air temperature is above .

The line uses an overhead 25 kV AC power supply system, which is the same system as the rest of the Transperth network. Third rail 750 V DC power was considered but was not chosen because it would require the rolling stock to be modified to use both power systems, which would reduce performance and cost over $20million. This system would also require that traction supply substations be located within  intervals.

The Transperth network currently uses fixed block signalling and automatic train protection, which stops trains that pass a red signal and slows trains that drive too fast. These systems will be replaced by an automatic train control system, likely a communications-based train control system. The new systems are planned to be in place on the Mandurah line by June 2029, and will allow up to at least 30 trains per hour to use the line.

Fencing is used along the entire line aside from the freeway and tunnel sections. Concrete barriers are along the freeway section of the line, separating road traffic from the railway.

Route

The Mandurah line operates as a through service with the Joondalup line. The service between Perth Underground station and Elizabeth Quay station is designated as both the Mandurah and Joondalup lines. This section is underground in twin bored tunnels, and has a roughly north-south heading. Perth Underground station has an underground pedestrian link to the rest of Perth station. North of Perth Underground station, along the Joondalup line, the track bends westwards, then surfaces parallel to the Fremantle line, allowing trains to switch tracks to the rest of the network. Approximately  north along the Joondalup line is the Nowergup depot, where maintenance on trains occurs, and where most Mandurah and Joondalup line trains are stored.

South from Elizabeth Quay station, the tracks bend westwards in a cut-and-cover tunnel, surfacing in parts for the next , before permanently surfacing.  after that, the railway passes under a bridge for the southbound carriageway of the Mitchell Freeway, whilst gradually turning south, and entering the freeway's median. Just south of there, the railway crosses the Swan River on the Narrows Bridge, where the Mitchell Freeway changes name to the Kwinana Freeway.

From the Narrows Bridge, the railway travels along the median of the Kwinana Freeway, parallel to the shore of the Swan and Canning rivers. The only station along this section is Canning Bridge station, which is at the point where the Canning Highway crosses the freeway and the Canning River. At approximately  south of the Narrows Bridge, the railway and freeway cross the Canning River on the Mount Henry Bridge.

Past the Mount Henry Bridge, the railway continues south in the median of the Kwinana Freeway. Stations along this section, from north to south, are Bull Creek station, where Leach Highway interchanges with the freeway; Murdoch station, where South Street interchanges with the freeway; Cockburn Central station, between the freeway's interchanges with Armadale Road and Beeliar Drive; and Aubin Grove station, where the freeway has an interchange with Russell Road and Gibbs Road. About halfway between Murdoch station and Cockburn Central station is the Glen Iris Tunnel, where the Thornlie line will enter the Kwinana Freeway median.  south of the Mount Henry Bridge, the railway dives down into a cut-and-cover tunnel, and exits the Kwinana Freeway.

After exiting the freeway, the railway goes in a south-westerly direction, passing through the City of Kwinana. Stations along here are Kwinana station and Wellard station. When the railway reaches Rockingham station, Perth, it turns in a southerly direction, and travels parallel to Ennis Avenue for , passing through Warnbro station. For the remainder of the line, it travels south, through rural and suburban areas, towards Mandurah station. For  in Mandurah, the railway travels in the median of Mandjoogoordap Drive, entering and exiting the road through cut-and-cover tunnels. At the line's Mandurah terminus, there is a small railcar depot, used for cleaning and storing trains overnight.

Stations

The Mandurah line has 12 stations. All 10 stations outside the Perth CBD have been designed with a dedicated bus interchange.

Service
The Mandurah line has two stopping patterns in addition to all stops services. The W stopping pattern stops at all stations between Perth and Cockburn Central. The K stopping pattern stops at all stations between Perth and Rockingham. During peak hour, all stops services run at six trains per hour and W pattern services run at six trains per hour, resulting in a combined frequency of twelve trains per hour between Cockburn Central and Perth. During the day outside peak hour and on weekends, all stops services run at four trains per hour, and W pattern services do not run. There is only one K pattern service per day, in the early morning at the start of peak.

Originally when the Mandurah line opened, the W stopping pattern ran all day, with a between-peak frequency of four trains per hour. This resulted in a combined frequency of twelve trains per hour between Cockburn Central and Perth. This stopped on 28 June 2009, leaving just the peak hour services. with the government citing poor utilisation of those services outside peak hour as the reason. There also used to be a C stopping pattern, which stopped at all stations except Canning Bridge. It operated during peak at frequency of six trains per hour. This pattern was replaced by the current all stops service on 31 January 2016.

By 2031, it is planned for the K pattern to run at 6 trains per hour during peak, for a total frequency of 18 trains per hour between Perth and Cockburn Central. This frequency is predicted to increase to 24 trains per hour by 2046.

Rolling stock

The Mandurah line is operated exclusively by Transperth B-series trains, which are three cars long each and are typically coupled together to form six-car sets. These trains have a maximum speed of  and have two doors on each side per car. Previously, there were Transperth A-series trains operating on the line. These trains are two cars long, typically coupled together to form four-car sets, have a maximum speed of , and have two doors on each side per car. A-series trains typically operated along the Perth to Cockburn Central section. As more B-series trains were delivered, A-series trains were moved from the Joondalup and Mandurah lines to the other lines on the network. Starting in late-2023, Transperth C-series trains will be operating on the Mandurah line. These trains will be six cars long, have a maximum speed of , and have three doors on each side per car. The higher number of doors will help reduce dwell times at stations, making 18 trains per hour possible. B-series trains will be gradually transferred onto the other lines to replace A-series trains. By about 2031, all trains on the Mandurah line will be C-series trains.

In May 2002, the government signed a contract with EDI Rail–Bombardier Transportation for the delivery and maintenance of 31 three car B-series trains, and the construction of the Nowergup depot. These trains were all delivered before the opening of the Mandurah line. In December 2006, the government signed another contract for 15 more three car B-series trains. The first of these additional railcars were delivered in 2009, allowing several A-series trains to be moved from the Joondalup and Mandurah lines to other lines on the network, and for frequencies to increase on most lines, including the Mandurah line. In July 2011, the government ordered 15 more three car B-series trains. In August 2012, this order was increased by two, to cater for the opening of Aubin Grove station. In November 2012, this order was increased by five, bringing the total order to 22 three car trains. By the final delivery from that order, all trains operating on the Mandurah and Joondalup lines were B-series trains. In December 2019, the government signed a contract with Alstom for the construction of 41 six car C-series trains. These trains are expected to be delivered starting in 2022.

Most trains on the Mandurah line are stored and cleaned at Nowergup depot. There is also Mandurah depot, which can store and clean a smaller number of trains. Maintenance occurs at Nowergup depot. As a result of increasing train frequency, a new depot may be required in the future along the Mandurah line.

Patronage
Prior to the Mandurah line opening, the Kwinana Freeway bus system carried 16,000 passengers per day. Within the first few weeks of operation, the Mandurah line reached the predicted patronage of 50,000 passengers per day. Some stations had a significantly higher patronage than what was expected leading to car parks being full and peak hour services almost at capacity. In the PTA's 2007-08 annual report, CEO Reece Waldock described the line as "a victim of its own success". The Mandurah line opening had an impact on patronage for the entire Transperth system as well: in the 2007-08 financial year, ending in June 2008, there was 108.8 million Transperth boardings, 7.8% higher than in 2006-07. In the 2008-09 financial year, the first full financial year of Mandurah line operation, there was 128.8 million. In the first six months of 2008, 28% of fare-paying train boardings were on the Mandurah line, making it the busiest line. Waldock attributed the higher than expected patronage to three reasons: the resources boom in Western Australia at time, which caused high interstate migration to Western Australia; increases in the price of fuel; and concerns relating to climate change.

In the 2018-19 financial year, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic, the line had 20.9 million boardings. In the 2021-22 financial year, the line had 14.4 million boardings.

References

Bibliography

External links

Mandurah
Railway lines in Perth, Western Australia
Railway lines opened in 2007
2007 establishments in Australia
3 ft 6 in gauge railways in Australia
Railway lines in highway medians

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Ragbi je igra za 2 ekipi s po 15 igralci, včasih so ekipe po 8 ali 7 igralcev, kar je zelo redko. Običajno se igra na travi, lahko pa tudi na drugih površinah, na primer na pesku, če to ni prenevarno. Namen igre je doseganje zadetkov s polaganjem žoge v polje zadetka in z brcanjem žoge skozi vratnice nasprotnikovega gola nad prečko.

Igrišče

Slika nam kaže, kako je igrišče označeno in njegove dimenzije. Črte naj bodo enake po širini (ne širše kot 10 cm). Črte naj ne bodo vrezane v travo.

Gol

Gol stoji na sredi črte zadetka. Narejen je iz 2 navpičnih stranic, ki sta 5,6 m narazen, povezani sta s prečko 3 m nad tlemi. Za namene presojanja strelov na gol se šteje, da pokončni stranici segata neskončno navzgor, zato je delo sodnikov lažje pri visokih vratnicah.

Žoga

Igra se z ovalno žogo. Imeti mora naštete dimenzije:

 teža (400–440 g)
 dolžina (280–300 mm)
 obseg po dolžini (760–790 mm)
 obseg po širini (580–620 mm)

Igralci

Moštvo sestavljajo:
 Igralci skrama:
 Igralci prve linije (št. 1, 2, 3)
 Igralca druge linije – skakalca (št. 4, 5)
 Igralci tretje linije (št. 6, 7, 8)
 Vmesna igralca: (št. 9, 10)

Igralci linije:
a) Krilna igralca (št. 11, 14)
b) Centri (št. 12, 13)
c) Branilec (št. 15)
Kakor pri drugih športih, je tudi pri ragbiju porazdeljeno delo igralcev. Vsak ima določeno nalogo, ki jo mora vestno opravljati Če igralec naloge ne opravlja popolnoma, se to opazi že s tribun, kajti ragbi je izredno natančna igra, ki jo opredeljujejo tudi natančna pravila.

Dresi

Igralci ene ekipe nosijo majice in hlače enakih barv. Majice so po navadi oštevilčene in vsaka številka, ki jo nosi. Oprema vseh igralcev mora biti urejena. Urejeno moštvo ni nujno tudi dobro, dobro moštvo pa je vedno neoporečno na izgled. Značilno je, da so dresi za ragbi bistveno močnejši od navadnih majic – to vidimo po tem, da so bistveno debelejši in bolje sešiti med seboj. Hlačke segajo do konca stegenskih mišic in so dokaj kratke, in sicer zaradi lažjega tekanja ter hkrati brcanja. Ragbi igralci imajo seveda tudi daljše nogavice in sicer do kolen (v stroki jih imenujemo »štucne«). Pod nogavicami ni nikakršnih ščitnikov, ker tako določajo pravila.

Obutev

Igralec mora redno skrbeti za svoje športne čevlje. Čepi morajo odgovarjati standardu, pritrjeni morajo biti čvrsto. Nikoli ne smejo biti daljši od 1,8 cm. Prav tako je prepovedan samo en čep spredaj.

Dolžina tekme

Tekma traja dva polčasa po 40 minut, ki ju loči premor, ne daljši od 5 minut. Ob polčasu moštvi zamenjata strani. Sodnik ne more odpiskati polčasa ali konca tekme, dokler žoga ne postane »mrtva«. Če je bil dosežen zadetek, ali če je bil dosojen kazenski prosti strel, mora sodnik dovoliti, da se igra nadaljuje, dokler žoga ne postane »mrtva«.

Tamponiranje

Igralec se lahko izogne ali pa prepreči rušenje s tamponiranjem nasprotnika. To pomeni, da ga med tekom s stegnjeno roko odrine od sebe. Nikakor ne sme z roko kakorkoli zamahniti proti nasprotniku. Tamponira lahko samo z odprto pestjo. Tako imenovani tampon mora nakazati preden to resnično naredi zaradi varnostnih razlogov. Kakršenkoli udarec s pomočjo tampona velja za pretepanje in se temu primerno kaznuje.

Vrste udarcev z nogo

Volej
O voleju govorimo, kadar igralec žogo izpusti iz rok in jo brcne, preden pade na tla. Udarec je koristen za strele v out in za pridobivanje terena, vendar z njim ni mogoče doseči gola.

Strel po tleh
Strel pri katerem se žoga odbije po tleh, je koristen pri streljanju med nasprotne igralce, kadar so ti zelo blizu in kot strel v out.

Udarec iz odskoka
O njem govorimo kadar igralec spusti žogo iz rok na tla in jo udari v trenutku, ko se ta od tal odbije. Uporablja se za:
	- Ponoven začetek igre po doseženem zadetku
- Nadaljevanje igre s strelom s črte 22 metrov, po rešitvi ali, ko je žoga šla iz igrišča v polje zadetka
- Strel na gol po doseženem zadetku
- Strel na gol

Mrtva žoga

Žoga je mrtva, kadar se z njo ne more igrati. To se zgodi v naslednjih primerih:
 Kadar gre izven igrišča
 Kadar sodnik zažvižga prekršek
 Kadar je izveden strel za potrditev zadetka

Viri
 Nordheim, Elfie; Nowak Nordheim, Walter: Leksikon športnih panog Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana, 1972,

Moštveni športi


text:
MainAll NewsForeign AffairsNear AIPAC, 400 attend Yesha Council event
Near AIPAC, 400 attend Yesha Council event
Four hundred participants packed into an event in Washington to support Judea and Samaria in the face of delegitimization and boycotts.
Arutz Sheva Staff, 06/03/18 11:07
Oded Revivi in Washington
The YESHA Council
Four hundred participants packed into an event to support Judea and Samaria in the face of delegitimization and boycotts aimed at the area. The event was organized by the YESHA Council in partnership with the Ministry of Strategic Affairs and the Jordan Valley Municipal Council.
Minister Gilad Erdan sent a video message while Oded Revivi, Chief Foreign Envoy of the YESHA Council, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz and Israel's Consul General to New York Ambassador Dani Dayan were among the VIP speakers.
The event focused on solidifying Israel's connection to her ancestral heartland and building bridges for peace by supporting the industrial zones of Judea and Samaria which employ thousands of Israeli and Palestinians that work together in peace.
Speaking in a video message from the Knesset Minister Gilad Erdan said:
"Shalom from Jerusalem, and welcome to this celebration of Judea and Samaria. I'm proud to be partnering with the YESHA Council, and the Jordan Valley Regional Council, to sponsor this event. As the Minister in charge of leading Israel's fight against delegitimization, I've set a clear policy: We will oppose any and all forms of the anti-Semitic hate campaign known as BDS and especially those targeting Judea and Samaria. We're doing this in three ways: One- We're exposing the true face of the BDS campaign and its real goal- the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state. Two- We're spreading the truth about Israel, about our historical and legal rights, and about the co-existence between Jews and Arabs in Judea and Samaria. And three- we're supporting the people of Judea and Samaria, by helping them reach out directly to you, Israel's supporters around the world."
Oded Revivi, the YESHA Council Chief Foreign Envoy:
"I stand in front of you and wish to argue that our communities are not the obstacle to peace but rather an integral part of the solution that will bring peace to the region…Applying Israeli law on the region of Judea and Samaria will clarify the rules and regulations with relation to daily life in the region and by doing so, demonstrate to the world that on a day to day basis we are actively living peacefully and cooperating with our Palestinian neighbors and giving them, as well as the Jewish population, clear and legal tools to protect each one's rights…. The industrial areas in Judea and Samaria are living examples of "islands of peace" where Jews and Arabs stand alongside one another a the conveyer belt and in other jobs, producing different products. The byproducts of their working together are friendly warm relations, understanding, the building of bridges and true caring one for the other."
Education Minister (former CEO of the YESHA Council) Naftali Bennett:
"The Palestinian state is off the table… it's done.. now the big question is how we progress…the world will respect a country that respects itself. We cannot ask for recognition in Judea and Samaria without full Israeli recognition and implementation of Israeli law."
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked:
"The industrial zones in Judea and Samaria and your bringing their agricultural produce to Washington is significant and tells not only the story of the settlement but also the coexistence that takes place daily in these areas."
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz:
"Boycotting the settlements in Judea and Samaria is a boycott of the very essence of the State of Israel. Israel cannot survive without Judea and Samaria - it will not be possible to defend it strategically. God forbid, the boycott will develop for the entire State of Israel. We must work together, the Jewish world and its supporters against these attempts to boycott"
Israel's Consul General to New York (former Chairman and Chief Foreign Envoy of the YESHA Council) Ambassador Dani Dayan:
"The mother of all delegitimization claims against Israel is that we don't belong, that we invaded a land to which have we have no claim …in order to shatter that absurd claim there is no better place to prove our right to the land than Judea and Samaria…There are those that say I don't boycott Israel I just boycott the settlements, to those people I say failure to visit or buy from Judea and Samaria is BDS."
Tags:Yesha, Washington DC, AIPAC 2018

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Abstract: Enthusiasts want fast memory with aggressive memory timings. None of this 3-4-4-8 stuff here!
Enthusiasts want fast memory with aggressive memory timings. None of this 3-4-4-8 stuff! Luckily for you and I, Corsair have just released some new PC3200XL DDR memory which is rated to run with a CAS latency of 2-2-2-5, at 200 MHz. The new Corsair XL line is surely a sign of things to come, but you may have to wait a little while before any other memory manufacturer releases anything like it.
Now, what exactly are we looking at here? Well, each stick of Corsair TwinX 1024-3200XL Pro DDR is 512MB in size (for a total of 1024MB of dual channel DDR), and thanks to the nice new Samsung DRAM, boast CAS latencies of 2-2-2-5 @ 200MHz. Sweet memory indeed. Being that the modules PCstats is testing are the Pro-varient, each DIMM is encased in cast-aluminum heatspreaders with nine rows of LED's (18 in total) along the spine which indicate memory activity!
At the heart of Corsair's TwinX 1024-3200XL Pro DDR are Samsung DRAM, but unfortunately the heatspreaders are bonded to the DRAM memory modules otherwise we'd remove them to take a look at what rests beneath... we always try to show you the actual DRAM markings after all. Corsair officially rate the memory to run at 200MHz, while keeping memory timings of 2-2-2-5, which means this DDR RAM is ideal for AMD AthlonXP, AMD Athlon64 and Intel Pentium 4 systems.
If you're into overclocking, you'll be interested to hear that Corsair's own internal tests show this DDR RAM is capable of running up to 250 MHz, with timings of 2.5-3-3-7 with a modest voltage increase! We'll be testing this ourselves naturally, but it does indicate just how flexible this memory should be for the overclocker.
If you tend to push your Intel Pentium 4 system, you'll be glad to hear that the Corsair TwinX 1024-3200XL Pro DDR is up to the challenge! In fact, with 2.5-3-3-7 timings at 250 MHz, it means that this memory should be faster than equivalent PC4000 DIMM's.
As usual we plugged the memory into our AMD Athlon64 test system first, setting the timings to most aggressive. I slowly raised the motherboard clock speed next,and at 212 MHz there was a bit of instability. This was cleared by increasing the VDIMM voltage to 2.8V. Continuing on, the TwinX 1024-3200XL Pro DDR seemed to hit that magical wall at 225 MHz - no matter what we did we simply could not push it any further.
On the Intel test system, the FSB was raised slowly from 200 MHz at first, but at 215 MHz the TwinX 1024-3200XL Pro DDR memory began to flake out. Raising the VDIMM voltage to 2.8V helped at first, but after 217 MHz it hit another barrier. Remember that Corsair used higher latencies here, so I lessened the timings to 2.5-3-3-7, and was then able to go up much higher. At 260 MHz the TwinX 1024-3200XL Pro DDR memory maxed out though. Increasing the voltage further, say to 3.0V, won't do anything but generate more heat since there is voltage regulator on the IC according to a Corsair representative we spoke with.


text:
Lost love leads to tuba
Abby King Staff Writer
Before Roger Lewis fell head over heels for the tuba, he first fell in love with a woman named Irene.
Today, Lewis is happily married and settled in Sturgis, Michigan, and teaches at Goshen College as an adjunct professor of music specializing in low brass instruments. However, the journey Lewis took to get to where he is now was not easy.
When Lewis graduated high school at the age of 17, he moved from Chester, New Jersey to New York City to attend Mannes College of Music where he met the young woman who changed his life forever.
Irene studied the piano, while Lewis studied the tuba. The two didn't interact much until Lewis mentioned he was playing in the National Orchestral Association and invited Irene to a concert, as well as to dinner afterwards. Irene agreed.
Unfortunately, Lewis also gave a ticket to a friend, a flautist, who also attended Mannes.
"[His] seat ended up being right next to [Irene's]," Lewis said. "They ended up getting married six months later. [Irene and I] went out after dinner that night but it ended up being more about [the flautist] than me."
Months after Irene and the flautist got married, their relationship fell apart. When Lewis heard about the break-up, he called Irene without hesitation.
Lewis said that Irene was "drop dead gorgeous." She had long dark brown hair, and the figure and grace of a ballerina.
"When she entered a room," Lewis said, "all eyes were on her. She was perfect."
Quickly, the two became a couple. Lewis said that he fell head over heels for Irene.
"I was 19 and I think it was the first time I was ever in love," Lewis said. "She was my first love. I had never felt that like before."
Lewis described his bond with Irene as being "very close." The two were young and in love in New York City – he said there was always for the couple to do in the city. He recounts spending hours in museums and walking the streets.
However, after months of a relationship, the two began to drift apart. Lewis lived in New Jersey, working in the auto mechanic industry, building racecars, due to the lack of professional tuba positions in the United States, while Irene lived in the Bronx. Four hours separated the couple and made it difficult to communicate.
Lewis contributes not only the distance to their breakup, but also Irene's personality.
"She continues to grow," Lewis said. "The people around her – her boyfriends – stop growing. She's been married five times, and each time she outgrew the people she married…. She always outgrew people because she has a sensational curiosity to learn new things."
Lewis then went on to mention Irene's past hobbies: Indian sand art, playing the harp, rescuing bunnies and more.
When the couple broke up, Lewis was "completely and utterly destroyed." Lewis describes the time period right after their breakup as dismal – he'd come home from a 10-hour work day and mope around all evening.
"Finally, I sat down and picked up the horn and started practicing, because when I practice the world goes away and it's all about the music and the sound and the act of making the sound happen," Lewis said. "So the only thing to distract me from my misery of losing her was to sit down and practice."
Lewis threw himself into practicing the tuba. He would come home from a 10-hour workday and practice the tuba for 10 hours. He'd then sleep for three hours, wake-up, and then do it all over again. Luckily, Lewis lived at home with his parents and practiced in an insulated basement that allowed little noise to escape.
This obsessive practicing became Lewis' routine for about three months, until one day when he paused and reflected.
"I sat back and looked at my playing – when you do 10 hours a day, you get a lot accomplished. I got to the point where I looked at myself and I said, 'I'm playing lightyears better than when I graduated from music school.' And at that moment, a shift happened where I was no longer practicing to hide from [Irene], I was practicing to see how much better I could get. That became my motivation. I became the player that I am today, and the teacher that I am today, because of that one shift."
Now, Lewis sends Irene a letter every year on her birthday, October 30 – which is coincidentally four hours before Lewis' birthday.
"Every year she gets a card that says 'thank you,' because that was one of the most defining moments of my life," Lewis said. "…It was an interesting period where I was totally miserable for three months and then I totally excited to watch how much more I could grow."
Irene thought the cards were funny, said Lewis.
"She chuckled. She wasn't expecting it. It took me a little to realize that she turned my whole life around so I didn't start sending her letters until awhile after we broke up," he said.
Shortly after Lewis had his realization, he auditioned for the Syracuse Symphony and made it to the finals. Unfortunately, Lewis did not get the spot in the Symphony – however he notes the audition as being one of his best performances.
When Lewis described his audition at Syracuse Symphony, his voice got more intense, he leaned in closer and his eyes lit up.
He first began describing the song he auditioned with – first movement of the CPE Bach A minor unaccompanied flute sonata.
"[The moderator] said 'flute?' And I said yes," Lewis paused. "Flute."
Lewis noted that he was the only tuba player who auditioned with an entire movement of a work that day.
"They were so flabbergasted that they never stopped me," Lewis recalled. "So I just kept playing."
The audition moderator then asked Lewis to play an excerpt from "Ride of the Valkyries." So Lewis traded his F tuba for his C tuba. The moderator told Lewis that he could warm up with the new instrument – just to make sure he could perform his best. Lewis refused.
"I said, 'No, I wouldn't have an opportunity to do that onstage during a performance. I'm just going to play it,'" Lewis said.
The moderator then asked Lewis to perform 'Till Eulenspiegel' – a particularly difficult song due to the end.
"There's a really tough lick towards the end of 'Till Eulenspiegel' that just goes on and on and on – you get to a high A and you need to sustain the high A," Lewis said. "Most people get to the high A and stop and take a breath. well, I have a trick that I do called 'circle of breathing' where you can inhale while you're playing."
Unfortunately, the first five notes came out rough. Lewis said that he remembered someone in the audience commenting on the mistake.
"I looked at him and thought in my head, 'Oh yeah? Watch this!'" Lewis said. "And I just tore up the rest of lick – just nailed the heck out of it. Hit the high A, circle breathed on it and made a massive crescendo, hit the stinger."
Lewis said that he then looked at the audience member who had made a comment and gave them a determined look and nod.
Till Eulenspiegel wrapped up the audition. Lewis picked up his two tubas and walked out of the audition room, only to be met by a hoard of other tuba players huddled by the door, listening in on his audition. As Lewis headed back to his practice room, the mass that had crowded around to listen to Lewis' audition applauded him.
"These are the guys who are trying to beat me for this gig," Lewis said. "And they're applauding what I just did in that room. I just bowed – I didn't know what to do. I had never experienced anything like that before."
Lewis continued on to the finals – but unfortunately did not receive the position at the Syracuse Symphony. However, that was the beginning of a life full of prestigious tuba positions. Lewis went on to win the Tanglewood Music Festival and the Principal Tuba position with the Evansville Philharmonic. Lewis now performs as Principal Tuba for multiple ensembles including: The Whiting Park Festival Orchestra, The North American Company brass quintet, The Quintessence Chamber Brass, The Detroit Symphony, the Elkhart Symphony, and more.
Besides teaching at Goshen College, Lewis teaches at Southwestern Michigan College and Indiana University South Bend.
Lewis contributes much of his success to Irene, the girl who broke his heart, yet started his career. In fact, he credits Irene as his "muse."
"My whole career I owe to Irene," Lewis said. "We don't talk very much anymore, but she holds a special place in my heart. She's my muse – she's the one responsible for me turning out as good as a player I am."
Since Irene, Lewis has found love. He met his wife in southern France – both were performing with Indiana University's orchestra. Throughout their trip, the two bonded and had their first "date" in Paris – during a layover. The couple began officially dating in 1988 and were married in 1992. Now, the couple resides in Sturgis with their two greyhounds and nine cats.
And as for Irene, she's finally settled down. For the past 25 years she's been happily living with her partner. Irene also works for an American intelligence agency were she is an interpreter. Unfortunately, due to privacy reasons, she was unavailable to be interviewed and some details were required to be left out.
Irene and Lewis occasionally correspond via email, or by telephone. But Lewis said he doesn't feel the need to contact Irene any more than that.
"I can contact her whenever I wish, but I try to stay out of it….," Lewis said. "She was a very significant person in my life and I owe her a lot. And I wanted her to know that she was that significant. I would have probably ended up being a mechanic in New Jersey instead of a professional Tuba player."
Futsal scores community goals
By Phillip Witmer-Rich
Getting a Harvard education from GC's doorstep
By Jakyra Green
A counselor's tips for getting through the winter
By Rick Eby


Lindsey L. Jensen–Illinois Teacher of the Year – Click on "Schedule" to inquire about speaking engagement availability. Message me for upcoming events by clicking on "Contact". Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @ILTOY2018, as well as on Facebook.
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Double sided for twice the freedom! #PROGUNASFUCK on one side, "Live Free or Die" on the other.
Our Key tags are embroidered, with merrowed borders. Keyring is nickel plated for long lasting durability. Classic safety orange/camo color combo. Limited number produced, once these are gone- they will not be back. We will be making them in a different color combo.
Stay #PROGUNASFUCK! Live Free or Die!


text:
Part of Barber Game Time Books
By Tiki Barber and Ronde Barber
With Paul Mantell
The Barber brothers know their way around a football field—but can they succeed on the basketball court? Find out in this slam dunk from NFL superstars and bestselling authors Tiki and Ronde Barber.
As Tiki and Ronde count the days until the start of football season, the basketball coach approaches them looking for new recruits, and Tiki and Ronde accept.
While Hidden Valley Junior High has always been a powerhouse in football, the school has never done as well in basketball. Ronde is a good passer, but he needs Tiki to get free to sink his shots. Tiki doesn't feel the inner confidence he felt on the football field: it's one thing to play in the driveway, but it's another to sink one on the court, when so much is on the line. The brothers need a winning attitude—and they need to bring everyone together to win. That is their only way to victory. Can they do it?
Jump Shot 1 A NEW DOOR OPENS
"Thanks, man." Ronde Barber exchanged an elaborate handshake with one of his many fans at Hidden Valley Junior High School.
"Yeah, dude, thanks a lot," said Ronde's identical twin, Tiki, slapping the boy on the back.
"No, thank you guys. For everything."
Ronde didn't even know the kid's name. He didn't know him, and he was pretty sure Tiki didn't either.
It happened a lot like that. These days, in the second term of their last year at Hidden Valley Junior High, the Barber twins were "Big Men on Campus"—stars of the school's history-making football team. The Eagles had been State Champions two years running and, this past season, owners of a perfect record.
Everyone knew their names all right, even at a big school like Hidden Valley. But there were plenty of kids whose names Tiki and Ronde didn't know, or had forgotten.
It wasn't that they were stuck up about their superhero status. Not at all. But it was hard to remember everyone's name who knew yours, when yours had been plastered all over the school paper, the local TV news, the Roanoke Reporter, and even newspapers as far away as Richmond.
Remembering names wasn't a big problem by any means. It was great being popular. The only real problem was, their football career at Hidden Valley was over. Ever since the final celebrations had ended, Ronde's and Tiki's lives had become more and more . . . well, boring. Oh, school was okay, and it was fun catching up on their favorite TV shows—but it was winter, and it was cold, and there was nothing really important going on in their lives anymore!
No practices to get their blood pumping. No video strategy sessions with the team to get their minds racing. No big games to look forward to every week.
It was only the end of January, but to Ronde, it felt like winter had been dragging on for months! And here they were, on a Thursday afternoon that had already turned dark by four o'clock, waiting to get into the gym so they could sit in the bleachers, crammed in with all their friends and those other kids whose names they didn't even know or couldn't remember . . . just to watch a basketball game!
Watching was not the same as playing, Ronde thought sadly. And basketball, while it was fun, was only the Barbers' second-favorite sport. Besides, while Hidden Valley Junior High had always been a powerhouse in football, it had never done well in basketball. The team hadn't won a league championship in forty years, and for five straight seasons, they'd fallen short of making the play-offs.
This year's team was better than most, but their record was only about .500 at this point, midway through the season. And the only reason it wasn't worse was the team's all-star point guard, Sean Morton.
Sean was only in eighth grade, but he was already a league all-star, and was being talked about for the All-Virginia team. Sean—or "Sugar," as everyone called him for his sweet jump shot—was averaging twenty points a game, and his brilliant ball-handling was reason enough to come see an Eagles game.
So the bleachers were packed. And most of them were here not so much to root for the team, as to see "Sugar" put up some serious numbers.
"I can't believe this is the first game we've been to this year," Tiki said as they climbed up into the bleachers and found two seats together, way back near the top row.
"I know," Ronde said, sitting down. "It's weird being in the stands, watching the game."
"Tell me about it." Tiki reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a bag of peanuts. "Want some?"
Ronde cupped his palm and caught the peanuts just as the game began. Sugar, wearing number 1 on the back of his uniform, with EAGLES on the front in capital letters, caught the tip-off and dribbled upcourt. His ball-handling was impressive—fancy moves, a through-the-knees fake, then a no-look pass to the shooting guard, Brian Reynolds. Reynolds, with a clear look at the basket, put up a shot—and missed.
Sugar groaned out loud, shook his head, and made a face before retreating back upcourt.
Reynolds was slow getting back, and the player he was supposed to be guarding sank an easy running layup to start the scoring.
"Come on!" Sugar shouted, gesturing for Reynolds to kick it into gear.
Ronde looked at Tiki, who returned his gaze. Like many sets of identical twins, they often found that they were thinking the same thing at the same time. Right now was one of those times. Ronde knew Tiki was also thinking about Cody Hansen, their quarterback on the Eagles when they were in eighth grade.
Cody used to yell at his teammates like that. And it never worked, either.
Sure enough, these basketball Eagles soon found themselves trailing badly. And the more they fell behind, the more Sugar Morton held on to his dribble, taking most of the shots himself, and not including his teammates much. The rest of the Eagles seemed to be moving a step slower than Sugar. Slower than their opponents, the Colts of Martinsville Junior High, as well.
By halftime, Sugar had scored twenty-two points, but the rest of the Eagles had managed a paltry five. That made the score 36–27, Patriots. Thirty-six was a lot of points for one half, showing that the Eagles were barely bothering to play defense.
"Sure glad we're not in that locker room," Tiki said as they waited for the second half to start.
"Yeah. We were lucky. At least we were always in the hunt for a play-off spot," Ronde said.
"These guys'll never make it, the way they're going. They'll be lucky to finish over .500."
"Yeah, and they should be much better, with a guy like Sugar chuckin' it up there like that."
"Oh, well," Tiki said, shrugging. "Not much we can do about it from up here."
The second half began with Sugar on the bench, steaming about something. Probably the way his teammates are playing, thought Ronde.
When Sugar finally got back in the game, the Eagles were trailing by fifteen points. He proceeded to put on a one-man show, sinking shot after shot, even though the Colts were constantly double-teaming him.
"He's got an open man!" Tiki shouted more than once. But Sugar never seemed to want to let go of the ball unless he was launching it toward the basket.
In the end, he made the score fairly close—67–63—but the Eagles still wound up on the short end of the stick.
Tiki and Ronde left the gym along with the rest of the crowd. They crossed the parking lot and kept walking, headed for the public bus stop a block farther down James Street. It wasn't the time of year to be riding bikes—too cold for that—and there were no school buses this late in the day.
Riding home, the brothers didn't say much at first. Each was absorbed in his own private thoughts. Finally, Tiki muttered, "Man, this really rots, you know?"
Ronde knew what he meant. "Not being part of the team anymore? Yeah. I know."
"Life's just not the same. It's like something's missing."
"Well, we've still got classes," Ronde said. "And you're gonna be writing your advice column for the school newspaper."
"Ugh, don't remind me," Tiki said, making a face. "I wish I'd never promised Laura I'd do that after the season ended." Laura Sommer was the editor and publisher of the Hidden Valley Gazette, which she had turned from a one-page handout to a real, twice-monthly newspaper that the whole school looked forward to reading.
"Point is, you promised her you'd do it," Ronde said. "And while you're at it, who knows, you might wind up helping somebody out there."
"Yeah, right," Tiki said, dismissing the thought.
But Ronde could tell he'd made his point. "Besides, there's also the job at Mr. Landzberg's warehouse," he said. "He offered us twenty hours a week, and said we could split the job between us if we wanted. That could end up being a lot of money."
Justin Landzberg had been a teammate of theirs on the Eagles, and his dad owned a local department store with its own warehouse. "They always need stockboys," Justin told them when they informed him that they were fourteen now, and able to get working papers.
Tiki and Ronde's mom worked two jobs. Times were tough in Roanoke, and it was hard for a single mom to make enough money to bring the boys up and pay all the bills. The twins had always wanted to help by contributing to the family budget, but until now, they'd been too young.
"I guess you're right," Tiki said, still thinking about their days of glory on the football field. "I mean, all things come to an end, right? Even the best things."
"It was the best, wasn't it?" Ronde remembered with a smile. "They can never take those championships away from us."
"Or that perfect season."
"Or all those great plays . . ."
"All the comebacks . . ."
They both sighed, and fell silent again.
"I'm never gonna forget it," Tiki finally said. "Even if we make it to the NFL."
Ronde gave him a playful shove. "What do you mean, 'if'?"
"Still," Tiki said as their stop approached. "I wish we had something fun to do between now and next fall."
"You never know," Ronde said as they got off the bus. "Something might turn up tomorrow morning."
Little did he know how right he was.
"Yo! Ronde!"
Ronde turned from his locker to see Mr. Jackson coming toward him. Mr. Jackson was his science teacher, and immediately Ronde thought he must have messed up on the latest quiz or homework assignment. But the smile on Mr. Jackson's face told a different story.
"What'd I do?" Ronde blurted out.
"Nothing! What are you worried about?" Mr. Jackson said with a chuckle. "Last I looked, you were running an A minus."
Ronde beamed. He was good at science, and proud of it too.
Mr. Jackson's smile faded. "Look, Ronde, you got a minute? I need to talk to you about something. Or you could come to my office fourth period. You have lunch fourth period, right?"
"We can talk now," Ronde said. "I've got study hall."
"Good, good," said Mr. Jackson. "Let's sit on that bench over there in the lobby. It'll quiet down soon as passing's over."
Two minutes later, the halls had emptied, and they could hear themselves think. "Here's the thing," Mr. Jackson began. "It's about the team, basically. I've got a problem I'm hoping you or your brother can help me with."
In his panic about his science grades, Ronde had forgotten that in addition to being his science teacher, Mr. Jackson was also Hidden Valley's basketball coach.
"The team is in trouble," Mr. Jackson said. "And now I come to find out that Brian Reynolds is transferring out; going to military school, starting Monday."
"Whoa. That's too bad," Ronde said. Brian was the team's starting shooting guard. He scored more points than anyone on the squad except Sugar. "But—"
"But how can you help? That's what I was about to ask you!" Mr. Jackson's smile returned. "I can move Rory Mathis up to starter. But now I've got an opening on my bench, with no obvious candidates to fill it. So I'm asking myself, 'Who at this school might be good at basketball, but didn't try out for the team, for whatever reason. . . .' "
In the silence, Ronde realized what Mr. Jackson was offering. "You mean us?"
Mr. Jackson put both hands out, palms up. "I didn't call you aside just to chat."
Ronde swallowed hard. His heart was suddenly racing with excitement, but he tried not to show just how eager he was.
"You know, I'm sure we'd be interested, Mr. J. We're always playing one-on-one in the driveway, you know, and we can handle the ball pretty well. Although neither of us is a great shooter," he warned, not wanting the coach to get too hopeful. After all, Mr. Jackson was asking them to fill in for a shooting guard, wasn't he?
"Well, I understand why you both never came out for tryouts," Jackson said. "I know Coach Wheeler didn't want either of you getting hurt doing any other sports."
Ronde nodded. It was true. Football had always been the most important thing to him and Tiki. It was true that they often played hoops in their driveway, although not "always," as he'd told Mr. Jackson. They'd played some pick-up baseball too, in summer, and run races against each other for fun, just like any two athletic brothers on planet Earth.
But joining the basketball team was another step up, for sure. Why shouldn't they try their hand at other sports, now that they didn't have to worry about football until high school? In fact, Ronde made a mental note, right then and there, to try out for the baseball team in early March.
"Don't misunderstand me," Mr. Jackson said, holding up a hand. "I've only got one spot on the roster. I'll leave it up to you and Tiki which of you wants to give it a try."
Ronde froze, with his jaw wide open. He'd been about to say something else, but now, for the life of him, he couldn't remember what it was.
Only one of them was going to be on the basketball team?
WHICH ONE??
Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber is a record-holding retired running back for the New York Giants. He married and is the father of four children.
Ronde Barber
Ronde Barber is a record-holding cornerback who retired after fifteen seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is one of only two cornerbacks selected to the Pro Bowl five times. He is married with two daughters.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (November 5, 2013)
Children's Fiction > Family > Siblings
Children's Fiction > Social Situations > Values
Children's Fiction > Sports & Recreation > Basketball
Book Cover Image (jpg): Jump Shot
Author Photo (jpg): Tiki Barber
Author Photo (jpg): Ronde Barber
More books in this series: Barber Game Time Books


"The hardest chess position to win is stalemate"
Thank you for visiting the MyChessSite. Are you looking for free chess downloads, or free online chess? Then this is the place to be! But we also offer a lot more for chess players all over the world.
We all aim to get better at playing chess and to achieve the one game that we will be remembered by. In doing so, we develop our own style and technique. My style is to be a positive, aggressive player. I play to win and believe that attack is the best form of defence. I will use this site to describe some of my preferred moves and strategies.
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There are many reasons why online chess is better than playing face to face. The best way is to find out yourself by giving it a try. In this site I will also recommend the best places to play online chess, including those where I personally play. Maybe we will go face to face for a game at some time?
"When you see a good move, look for a better one"
"Chess is a sport. The main object in the game of chess remains the achievement of victory."


Ten and Tei-An, two Dallas restaurants owned by chef Teiichi Sakurai, are taking a brief summer vacation. Both will close June 28 through July 6 so employees can get a little R and R.
Chef "Teach" does this every summer, says Ee Lim, general manager at Ten.
Ten is chef Sakurai's new ramen shop in West Dallas, open since April. The place is teeny -- so small, in fact, patrons line up for bowls of ramen and slurp right at the counter. Dallas Morning News restaurant critic Leslie Brenner said it's a "quick trip to paradise" for those who love ramen.
Tei-An is the chef's upscale Asian restaurant. Tei-An earned four stars from Brenner in 2014; it's one of the 10 best restaurants in town, she says.
So, fans of chef Sakurai's restaurants are going to have to go without for about 10 days.
Both restaurants reopen at 6 p.m. July 7. At that time, chefs at Ten will begin dreaming up new weekly specials, Lim says.