Late night train services cancelled
Transperth is cancelling its late-night weekend trains because of low patronage.
This means the last train on each line will leave Perth at about midnight over the weekends, the same as they do during the week.
The late trains are a free service departing the city on all lines at 1am or 1.15am, and 2.15am on Friday and Saturday nights (effectively, early Saturday and Sunday mornings).
Transperth spokesman David Hynes said the low patronage figures meant their continuation couldn’t be justified, and they would end after the Easter long weekend.
“The numbers vary considerably, seasonally and from line to line,” Mr Hynes said.
“However we’re talking about an average of around 80 passengers per train, and some are only carrying 20 to 30 passengers.
“Public transport in WA is already heavily subsidised by the State Government to the effect of about 70 per cent.
“Though journeys on these late trains are free, each passenger costs the taxpayer more than $17, significantly higher than the average train passenger subsidy.
Mr Hynes said the costs associated with the late-night trains were widespread.
“This isn’t just about paying a railcar driver and having the train out on the system,” he said.
“It has a flow-on effect to our overhead maintenance teams, customer service staff, transit officers – of which we require a higher-than-normal presence late on Friday and Saturday nights – and other security personnel, cleaners and other support staff.
“In addition, because these services run in the middle of the night, it significantly reduces the window within which our maintenance teams do much of their work so as not to cause a disruption to passengers.”
The trains will be cancelled from early April, meaning the last 1.15am and 2.15am services will run on the weekend Saturday April 4 (and into the morning of Sunday April 5).
Cutting the services will save about $6m over the next four years.
For more specific information about train times visit the Transperth website at www.transperth.wa.gov.au