Perth shows the way

[ozbob]

Not being a resident of Perth I can only comment from what I have read about the introduction of extended suburban rail services.  But from what I have read, it does seem that the West is doing some things right!

For example

http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/Default.aspx?tabid=654

Bus and train integration ? connecting services

Feeder bus routes will be timed to arrive and depart from train stations to connect with nominated train services. This integration will limit the waiting time for passengers interchanging between bus and train services.

Bus services will be timetabled to connect with trains to and from Perth, as this is the primary direction of travel for passengers. Bus routes that operate between two train stations (for example Bull Creek and Murdoch) will have timetabled connections to train services at the northern most station.

Rather than attempt to run buses into the city, they plan to use buses as feeders to the rail.  Brisbane take note!!

Anyone in Perth care to comment?

Regards
ozbob

[DVR]

Sorry Bob, although I'm not from Perth, I do have family there, shall be there in October and don't mind admitting I adore the place!!

My high regard for Perth is doubtless helped by the (unique for Australia) extraordinarily courageous and progressive Transport Minister Allanah MacTiernan and supportive Government, for the ongoing development of the very much needed urban rail extensions in Perth (Mandurah, Clarkson & Thornlie) in the face of often histrionic opposition from Perth business figures and the opposition.

Well should I be dismissed for being partisan and biased, let me say I would have been as supportive of the Liberals had they had the fortitude to not only promise but ENACT a similiar range of progressive rail transport developments. Again, despite my partisan nature, I would be quite prepared to change my vote, if a Perth citizen and if the situation were reversed.

However, with every silver lining there is a dark cloud! Whilst Minister MacTiernan has been fighting the good fight in Metro Perth, her attitude to regional W.A. is less than impressive. Aspects that require attitude correction include:
~ Refusal to push for track renewal on the Manjimup Line and insisting South West timber traffic stay off the regions roads, leaving them safe for residents and tourists.
~ Lack of support for or pressure on the new track owners (Babcock & Brown?) to repair / re-instate as many country timber / mineral / grain lines as feasible, where there may be an existing or FUTURE viable freight flow.
~ Failure to insist and offer to ASSIST new mineral developers in the North West not only use the existing rail network but to develop rail access direct to there new mines. For instance in the Geraldton area - why road train iron ore 40 to 80kms. to the nearest railhead? What an economically regressive way of doing things. Rather than offer assistance to upgrade roads to allow this to occur, the Government should be insisting they use rail from the mine site and assist in branch line construction to allow that to happen. I'm not 100% up with the geography of the area, but isn't there potential for the Mount Magnet / Meekatharra Line to be re-instated?

Cheers,

[Jonno]

https://x.com/sydney_stations/status/1835909903199928610?s=46&t=EDszjTErsxTIqAna7yuP-w

[#Metro]

Perth effectively has a metro with trains every 10 min on the inner section of the Fremantle line.

If Perth wanted a metro, they would just add 2 additional trains per hour to most lines to get 10 minute trains all day to most stations.

And doing that would not cost anywhere near the $1 billion/km or require the sale of the state electricity network to fund it.

So the comment above again conflates service characteristics with infrastructure, which is a hallmark of being in the Infrastructure First camp - mode specific, oriented towards heavy infrastructure solutions.

It's been easy to jump from those desires to the notion that since Australia doesn't have metros now, it needs to build them.  But Bowen's work in Melbourne (and our own work on the Sydney Morning Herald inquiry) are pointing out that our cities already have a network of grade-separated rail lines covering the areas of European density, and that the quickest way to get a "metro" level of mobility is simply to run these lines much more frequently.

Australia: The pitfalls of metro envy.
https://humantransit.org/2010/04/australia-the-pitfalls-of-metroenvy.html

[Gazza]

10 mins is good and at the upper end of TUAG but when you start hitting 3-4 min frequency you really start inducing demand because it becomes a totally seamless experience and The transfer penalty drops to near zero.

[SilverChased]

I just got stung by this frequency issue last night!


I parked on the Redcliffe line because trains were running more frequently than my own line (Shorncliffe) and they run express.
I missed my train by 2 minutes and at about 7.20pm, Redcliffe converts from 12 minute to 30 minute frequency while Shorncliffe remains on 15 minutes.

Imagine my horror that there is two Shorncliffe trains before the next Redcliffe!

Duration of the high frequency is a big problem in Brisbane too. I hear Perth runs high frequency later and on weekends too.

[SurfRail]

The only part of the Transperth rail system where trains run frequently late into the evening is between Claremont and Bayswater where the Airport line overlays the Fremantle and Midland lines.

Shorncliffe has better frequencies in both directions than Mandurah and Yanchep later at night.  The counterpeak timetable for Yanchep has 30 minute headways in that direction when there are still 5 or 10 minute headways in the late peak.

One of the genuine weaknesses in their network, along with lack of realtime data.  Not to suggest we are actually doing better than them of course.