From November 20 the Armadale train line will be shut down for at least 18 months with 13,000 regular commuters bussed either to stations with working trains, or directly into the city.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has vowed there will be very limited impact on commutes with seven new temporary bus routes and five enhanced existing bus routes.
A fleet of buses will be rolled out to make up for the Armadale line shutdown. But will commuters use them?Credit: PTA
The 100-strong “super bus” network will be deployed alongside 1.2 kilometres of bus priority lanes along Welshpool and Shepperton roads and technology to help to minimise disruptions. Buses will also receive priority at traffic lights.
Three temporary bus interchanges in Armadale, Cannington and Victoria Park are also being built.
Timetables for new routes won’t be released until September so WAtoday crunched the numbers to estimate impacts and options for weekday commuters who normally catch the 8am train.
Cannington to Perth
There will be three replacement bus services. But all take far longer than the current train journey of 17 minutes. Option one: bus 51, which stops all stations to Perth Bus Port. The current route takes just under an hour, weaving through Bentley and Victoria Park with one transfer. The new route will be much quicker with a more direct route along Orrong Road and the Graham Farmer Freeway – we estimate just over 30 minutes. Taking the car is a little quicker at 28 minutes though this journey could take longer when the shutdown starts as more commuters decide to drive and more buses hit the roads.
Option two: the 908 bus to Victoria Park Station. The current similar bus route takes 35 minutes. This route winds through St James and East Victoria Park and should be quicker with limited stops and bus priority measures. Then add another 9 minutes on the train to the city – around 45 minutes total.
Option three: more convoluted. Bus 36 will take passengers from Cannington Station to Airport Central via Kewdale Road and Horrie Miller Drive, an all stops service, we estimate 30 minutes. It would take around 16 minutes to drive your car to Airport Central. Then either way, add 18 minutes for the train journey.
Armadale to Perth
Saffioti has confirmed commuters travelling from Armadale to the CBD will have around 40 minutes added to their daily journeys to and from work when the train line shuts. So train commuters are used to a 40-minute journey each way will be spending two hours a day on public transport.
The current bus into the city takes 83 minutes, but the new 907 limited stops service is expected to be quicker. There are two limited-stop bus services, one to the bus port and the other to the train station.
Another bus route that takes in all stops would take commuters from Armadale Station to Cockburn Station in around 30 minutes. If you caught a train into the city that would add 23 minutes to your journey. Driving your car to Cockburn Station would take around 20 minutes. Hopping in your car to drive into the CBD would take 55 minutes; though again, this could take longer with more congestion on the roads come the November shutdown.
Thornlie to Perth
Option one: Catch the 930 to Elizabeth Quay, 52 minutes.
Option two: The 206 to Murdoch Train Station, 35 minutes. Catching the Mandurah line into the city, add 20 minutes.
Both options are significantly longer than the current time of 24 minutes on the train.
Option three: drive into the city from Thornlie, around 30 minutes in normal traffic levels.
The biggest unknown for planners is the roads themselves which are inherently unpredictable in the face of poor weather, vehicle crashes, breakdowns and roadworks. Added congestion on the roads when the line shuts down will add to travel times.
In a WAtoday readers’ poll, we asked those who travel on the Armadale line how they will commute during the shutdown. Around a third (31 per cent) said they would drive to work, endure peak hour and pray for a parking space.
More than a third (35 per cent) said they would use the bus network even if it meant they might need to leave earlier, while 34 per cent said they would use a combination: drive some days, bus other days, or work from home more.
Public Transport Authority spokesman David Hynes said the Armadale/Thornlie Line was Transperth’s third-busiest train line and even with a comprehensive bus network in place, travel times would be longer.
“On an average weekday, the Armadale line has total boardings of about 26,000, which includes travel in both directions,” he said.
“Passenger research was undertaken to find out about expected travel behaviours during the shutdown which has helped inform the implementation of replacement bus services, road modifications and the installation of smart technology to improve traffic movement.”
Hynes said measures along Albany Highway, Welshpool and Shepperton roads were under way and due for completion in November.
The state government is assessing options for fare relief to regular Armadale line passengers impacted by the shutdown.
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