Public transport system serving Perth, Western Australia
This article is about the public transport system in Perth. For the organisation known as Transperth from 1986 to 1995, see Metropolitan Transport Trust.
system or using cash. With 123,307,689 boardings in the year to June 2023, Transperth has the fourth highest patronage in Australia, although the train system has Australia's third highest train patronage.
In 1903, the first private bus operator began, operating routes from Victoria Park to the Perth central business district (CBD). Trams in Fremantle begin operating in 1905 and were abolished in 1952. The first diesel railcars, the WAGR ADG class, enter service on 28 November 1954, replacing steam locomotives. This allowed for shorter stop spacings, leading to the opening of seven new railway stations on that date.[1]
On 15 January 1958, the Metropolitan Transport Trust (MTT) was formed, and begun to acquire the various private bus operators in Perth. The MTT also operated Perth's ferry services. Perth's last tram ran in 1958 as well. By 5 October 1968, suburban rail services were fully operated by diesel railcars. In the late-1960s, the Midland line was converted from narrow gauge to dual gauge, allowing standard gauge trains to travel from the eastern states to East Perth railway station. The gauge conversion necessitated the rebuild of several stations and bridges along the Midland line. In 1969, the last trolleybuses in Perth ran. The management of Perth's public transport was integrated into a single body in 1974 when the MTT took over the management of Perth's suburban rail services from WAGR. The MTT contracted out the operations of the suburban rail services back to WAGR.[1] Throughout the 1970s, bus stations opened across the Perth metropolitan region, starting with Morley bus station in August 1972 and Wellington Street bus station in March 1973.[2]
The
trading name, marking the first time that the name Transperth has been used for Perth's public transport system. Construction for the Joondalup line commenced on 14 November 1989. The electrification of the rail network was completed by September 1991 and the Transperth A-series trains entered service, replacing the diesel railcars. The Joondalup line partially opened on 21 December 1992 and fully opened in March 1993.[1][2][3] Later that year, the Joondalup line was extended to Currambine railway station.[4][5]
The operation of Transperth services underwent a reorganisation in the mid-1990s, with bus and ferry operations contracted out to private operators. Responsibility for managing the system was transferred to the Department of Transport. The Transperth brand was also transferred to the Department of Transport, with the brand to be used by all the companies which were to operate services under contract. The MTT adopted the trading name MetroBus on 14 February 1995. The operation of the ferries was transferred to
Captain Cook Cruises in February 1995. It was initially planned that MetroBus would compete with the private sector for contracts, and it was successful in bidding for the Joondalup North, Armadale South and Perth CATs contracts in 1995 and 1996 whilst several other contracts were awarded to the private sector. The government later announced that it would withdraw MetroBus from operating and it would tender out the remaining contract areas. MetroBus ceased operating bus services on 4 July 1998.[2][3]
In December 1999, enabling legislation for the
Nowergup railcar depot opens. Thornlie station opened on 7 August 2005, and on 23 December 2007, the Mandurah line opened.[1][3]
On 21 September 2014, an extension of the Joondalup line to
Forrestfield–Airport Link, later to become known as the Airport line. In 2018 and 2019, the government passed legislation to construct an extension of the Joondalup line to Yanchep, the Morley–Ellenbrook line as a spur off the Midland line, and an extension of the Thornlie line to Cockburn Central station along the Mandurah line, completing the original plans for the Mandurah line to spur off the Armadale line. These projects are all part of the Metronet project to improve Perth's public transport system, which involves several station rebuilds and improvements as well. The Airport line opened on 9 October 2022. In January 2023, testing for the Transperth C-series train commenced.[1] These trains entered service on 8 April 2024.[6][7]
The Transperth train system consists of seven lines: the Airport, Armadale, Fremantle, Joondalup, Mandurah, Midland, and Thornlie lines. These lines all meet at
The Transperth bus system consists of 37 bus-train interchanges and 14 bus-only stations.[9] The bus system is contracted out to private operators: Swan Transit, Path Transit and Transdev.[11] The bus system is the fourth-busiest in Australia, behind Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.[10]
The fare structure and ticketing system is the same for the bus, train and ferry network. The system is split into nine concentric zones, radiating out from the centre of Perth.[12]: 26 [9] Zone one extends 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the centre of Perth, zones two and three consist of bands 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) wide, and the remaining zones consist of bands 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) wide. Travelling within one zone costs a one-zone fare. Travelling within multiple zones costs a two-zone fare. Multiple trips, including transfers between modes and services, are possible under the same fare as long as this is done within two hours for journeys four zones or less or three hours for journeys of five zones or more.[12]: 26 [13] Prior to January 2022, higher fares were applied to travellers using more than two zones, up to a nine zone fare for travelling though all nine zones. The two-zone fare cap was instituted by the McGowan government as an election promise prior to the 2021 state election.[14][15] Since June 2023, travel on the first Sunday of each month has been free.[16][17]
There are other ticket types. The "two-section" fare is less than a one-zone fare and is for one-way trips below 3.2 kilometres (2 mi). Primary and secondary school students with a Student SmartRider can travel for free on weekdays during the school year, and with a concession fare other days.[18] The DayRider ticket allows unlimited travel for one day. The FamilyRider ticket allows unlimited travel for up to seven people for one day under certain conditions and at certain times.[19]
79% of all fares were paid for using a
ticket machines at train stations and ferry jetties.[12]: 26 SmartRiders can only be purchased at certain retail stores and Transperth InfoCentres, and are not generally purchasable at stations or on buses. Methods for adding money to the SmartRider card include using "add-value machines" at certain stations, BPAY, on buses and ferries, at certain retail stores and Transperth InfoCentres, and by setting up "Autoload", where direct debits are made automatically from a bank account to a SmartRider. Fares for using a SmartRider cost 10% less than paper tickets, and 20% less if "Autoload" is used.[12]
: 27 To use a SmartRider card, users must "tag on" at the start of a journey and "tag off" at the end of their journey, and the lowest possible fare is automatically applied. The daily spend on a SmartRider is capped at the DayRider cash fare.
People travelling to and from events at Perth Stadium do not have to use a SmartRider or pay for a ticket as Transperth fares are included in the cost of every Perth Stadium ticket.[20]
From the 1990s to 2007, MultiRiders were used as multi-trip tickets. They used magnetic-stripe technology.[21]
Free Transit Zone
Perth has a Free Transit Zone (FTZ) with zero-fare travel on buses and trains in its central business district.
On the rail network, however, free travel within the zone is only available to passengers who have a SmartRider card, and tag on and off. This was not always the case, but is now required due to changes in station structures brought about by the implementation of the SmartRider ticketing system.[22] For train passengers, the zone is bounded by City West, Elizabeth Quay, and Claisebrook stations.[23]
The FTZ is funded by an annual levy (Perth Parking Levy) on non-residential parking bays in Perth, East Perth, West Perth and Northbridge.[24] The levy was introduced under the Perth Parking Management Act 1999, and allows levy funds to be used for transport-related investments aimed at reducing private car travel into and out of Perth CBD, including the FTZ and CAT bus services.[25]
Since its introduction, the levy has been criticised by the City of Perth council, business groups and the media.[26][27][28]
Paid car parking at railway stations was introduced on 1 July 2014. The cost is $2 per weekday, free on weekends. SmartRiders or cash can be used to pay for parking.[30][31]
Patronage
Perth public transport patronage
FY
Patronage
±% p.a.
1900
10,200,000
—
1910
19,300,000
+6.58%
1920
35,900,000
+6.40%
1930
50,400,000
+3.45%
1940
58,800,000
+1.55%
1945
89,800,000
+8.84%
1950
85,100,000
−1.07%
1960
69,700,000
−1.98%
1970
67,600,000
−0.31%
1980
63,800,000
−0.58%
1981
63,700,000
−0.16%
1982
60,400,000
−5.18%
1983
61,300,000
+1.49%
1984
55,800,000
−8.97%
1985
54,100,000
−3.05%
1986
58,300,000
+7.76%
1987
59,600,000
+2.23%
1988
58,900,000
−1.17%
1989
61,400,000
+4.24%
1990
63,900,000
+4.07%
1991
61,500,000
−3.76%
1992
61,500,000
+0.00%
1993
63,200,000
+2.76%
1994
69,400,000
+9.81%
1995
71,900,000
+3.60%
1996
72,000,000
+0.14%
1997
76,500,000
+6.25%
FY
Patronage
±% p.a.
1998
76,500,000
+0.00%
1999
75,700,000
−1.05%
2000
78,600,000
+3.83%
2001
83,800,000
+6.62%
2002
86,000,000
+2.63%
2003
88,200,000
+2.56%
2004
90,578,121
+2.70%
2005
94,985,709
+4.87%
2006
98,526,382
+3.73%
2007
100,925,805
+2.44%
2008
108,793,703
+7.80%
2009
128,783,714
+18.37%
2010
131,629,344
+2.21%
2011
135,975,469
+3.30%
2012
144,130,087
+6.00%
2013
149,697,303
+3.86%
2014
147,640,687
−1.37%
2015
148,761,802
+0.76%
2016
145,632,675
−2.10%
2017
140,856,706
−3.28%
2018
139,847,149
−0.72%
2019
141,454,423
+1.15%
2020
116,552,397
−17.60%
2021
102,256,806
−12.27%
2022
102,202,990
−0.05%
2023
123,307,689
+20.65%
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on
Bureau of Infrastructure & Transport Research Economics[32] PTA[33]
^ abcde"Annual Report 2021–2022"(PDF). Public Transport Authority. 2022. Archived(PDF) from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.