Congestion, delays predicted for massive U2 crowds

U2 fans attending this weekend’s 360° Tour extravaganza at Patersons Stadium should expect delays in leaving the area after the concerts.

With about 60,000 patrons expected on both Saturday and Sunday night, there will be significant congestion as the massive crowd exits a venue which normally caters for a maximum of about 43,000.

To help manage pedestrian, vehicular and public transport traffic, a number of road closures will be in place, and Subiaco Station will be closed for boardings from 10.30pm until midnight.  Also, Patersons Stadium’s eastern precinct will be extended to include Kitchener Park, which means there will be no public (including pedestrian) access to the Roberts-Subiaco Road block west of Coghlan Road.

Transperth is pulling out all stops for the concerts and there will be lots of extra train and bus services to get people to and from Patersons Stadium.

The event is joint-ticketed, which means the ticket includes an entitlement to travel on all Transperth services during the concert, and for three hours before and after.  Concert-goers who pick up their tickets at the gate can claim the free entitlement only for travel home from the concert.

Pre-concert, trains operate to a normal Saturday timetable on all lines.  Fremantle Line concert specials will leave Perth Station on a regular basis from 3.37pm.  Patrons should get off at West Leederville Station. 

There will be no special buses from Curtin, Karrinyup and Morley as these are used only for sporting events.

To minimise congestion after the concert, people whose tickets indicate that they should enter through gates 10-17 (the southern side of the stand) should exit through the same gates and make their way to a bank of shuttle buses which will operate continuously from 10.30pm from Mueller Park on Roberts Road just east of Coghlan, into the city.

People whose tickets direct them to enter via gates 1-8, 19 and 24-26 should leave the same way and must use West Leederville Station as Subiaco Station will be closed.  People wanting to go home on the Joondalup Line have the option of walking to Leederville Station.

Normal timetabled services with extra capacity will operate on the Fremantle Line and there will be extra services on all lines from Perth Station.

The last trains from Perth will be: 

• Armadale Line: from platform 5 at 2.15am (Sunday)
• Thornlie Line: platform 4 at 11.52pm 
• Joondalup Line: platform 1 (Perth Underground) at 2.15am (Sunday) 
• Midland Line: platform 9 at 2.15am (Sunday) 
• Mandurah Line: platform 2 (Perth Underground) at 2.15am (Sunday)

On Sunday, the same arrangements will apply but normal timetabled services will be operating on a Sunday schedule and the last trains from Perth will be:

• Armadale Line: from platform 5 at 12.15am (Monday)
• Thornlie Line: platform 4 at 11.52pm 
• Joondalup Line: platform 1 (Perth Underground) at 12.25am (Monday) 
• Midland Line: platform 9 at 12.19am (Monday) 
• Mandurah Line: platform 2 (Perth Underground) at 12.25am (Monday)

As part of its crowd management strategies, Transperth is distributing a flyer at Perth and West Leederville stations on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, advising U2 patrons of the best transport options.  Additionally, it has installed signage and posters and is running newspaper advertisements.

More information is available from the Transperth website (www.transperth.wa.gov.au) or the Transperth InfoLine 13 62 13 (TTY: 9428 1999, TIS: 13 14).