policy statement

Policy statement
Making real improvements to services
Fixing Train Congestion
AUGUST 2012
Making real improvements to services
Fixing Train Congestion
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Perth has a world-class rail network but it is
a victim of its own success and Government
mismanagement.
Mark McGowan
and WA Labor.
Everyone should
share our State’s
success.
As the jam-packed peak-hour trains show,
poor planning for the future by the BarnettGrylls Government has resulted in an
overcrowded rail network and made life more
difficult for Western Australians trying to go
about their daily lives.
A WA Labor Government will:
• Immediately order 10 new three-car trains
to provide an extra 30 rail cars.
• Plan for the future to ensure rail car delivery
is able to keep up with demand.
BACKGROUND
Perth has a world-class rail network but it is a victim of its own success.
As the jam-packed peak-hour trains show, poor planning for the future by the Barnett Government has resulted in an
overcrowded rail network and made life more difficult for Western Australians trying to go about their daily lives.
This overcrowding is the direct result of bad decisions in 2008, 2009 and 2010 by the Barnett Government to reject the
advice of the Public Transport Authority (PTA) that new trains needed to be ordered.
This is despite the clear evidence that the rail system
battle their way to and from work on overcrowded trains.
is struggling to cope with passenger demand. Over the
Even worse, PTA modelling shows that the new trains
past eight years, the number of people boarding Perth
ordered in 2011 will still not meet future demand and the
trains has doubled, from 31.1 million to 63 million1.
problems of overcrowding will continue to increase.
In March 2011, the impact of the bad decision to ignore
But these problems could have been avoided if the
the growing pressures on the rail network became
Barnett Government had listened to professional advice
evident, with many peak-hour trains being significantly
and managed the public transport system accordingly.
overcrowded.
WA Labor has long understood the importance of
The Barnett Government eventually responded by
planning for the future needs of Perth families.
ordering 15 new trains. Railcars have a minimum twoyear lead time for delivery, meaning we will not receive
the first of these trains until late 2013, with the last train
arriving in early 2016.
For example, in September 2006, the Carpenter
Government placed an order for 45 extra railcars to meet
future passenger growth. These railcars were delivered
between 2009 and 2011.
If the Barnett Government had followed the advice of the
PTA, these trains would have started to appear on Perth
tracks two years ago. Instead, Perth commuters have to
Then, in 2008 the Perth rail network experienced an
extraordinary growth in passengers, with passenger
boarding numbers jumping by more than 12 million
between 2007/08 and 2008/092.
In the lead-up to the 2008 election, the PTA advised the
Carpenter Government that 30 extra railcars needed to
be ordered to meet future demand. WA Labor made an
election commitment to order these trains.
The new Barnett Government received the same PTA
advice yet chose to reject it. As a result, our train service
is struggling to meet demand.
PTA modelling — obtained last year by WA Labor
through Freedom of Information — shows that when
the last train is delivered in the first half of 2016, the rail
network will still need five more trains or 15 railcars3.
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But this modelling is based upon an estimated growth of
4.5 per cent on the Mandurah line and 3 per cent on the
“heritage” (Armadale, Fremantle and Midland) lines.
WA LABOR’S PLANS
WA Labor recognises that new trains for the Perth rail
network need to be ordered urgently.
The modelling predicts that the Perth network will need
an extra three trains each year to keep up with these
If elected next March, WA Labor will immediately begin
negotiating to order an extra 10 “B-series” three-car
growth rates.
trains to provide 30 more railcars for the Perth rail
The reality is much higher. The increase in passenger
network.
numbers in 2011/12 on the Perth rail network was
The PTA will also be instructed to develop long-term
double the growth estimated in the modelling.
modelling on future passenger growth and estimate
At the end of May this year, passenger boardings on
Perth’s future requirements.
the Clarkson to Mandurah line had grown by more than
9 per cent, while boardings across the whole Perth
Given that the Perth rail network is now reaching
sufficient size, this could involve entering into a long-
network had grown by more than 7 per cent.
term contract to ensure new railcars are delivered on an
Information provided by the PTA to a Parliamentary
annual basis to meet population growth.
Committee last year showed that in the busiest half-hour
of the peak period in March 2016, the PTA expects Perth
trains to be experiencing even greater overcrowding than
they are today4.
WA Labor’s plan to build a new Atwell Station with an
initial 900 parking bays will require two extra trains.
These strong growth figures show that the PTA modelling
underestimates future demand and that at least 10 extra
trains need to be ordered.
The introduction of new “B-series” three-car trains has
allowed the progressive release of “A-series” two-car
trains from the Mandurah-Clarkson line, so the MidlandFremantle and Armadale-Perth lines have increased
capacity.
The next order of three-car trains will see the last of the
two-car trains transferred to the “heritage” lines. To meet
future growth on these lines, new railcars suitable for use
on these lines will need to be ordered.
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These new arrangements will ensure a number of future
issues facing the Perth rail network are addressed,
The current cost of a “B-series” three-car set is $10.97
including:
•
million, so 10 extra “B-series” three-car sets will cost
New railcars suitable for the Midland,
Fremantle, Thornlie and Armadale lines
$109.7 million.
The current B-series three-car trains meet the
trains to be delivered by first half of 2016.
This costing is based on the cost of the current order for
performance characteristics required for the
Clarkson to Mandurah line. Future orders will need
to include new trains that are designed to meet
the performance characteristics of the Midland to
Fremantle line and the Armadale/Thornlie to Perth
line.
•
C osting
 
W A L abor ’ s R ecord
WA Labor has a strong record in investing in rail and
public transport, with the community welcoming our
recent announcement that we will build a $45 million
Permanent six-car or four-car trains
train station at Atwell if elected.
Currently six-car sets are made by combining two
three-car sets together. This means two driver
cabins are redundant and take up space that could
be used for passengers. As part of our long-term
This plan for Perth’s transport future builds on the strong
record of previous WA Labor Governments, which have:
•
Liberal Government in 1979);
planning, we will examine the option of ordering
trains that will operate as permanent six-car or four-
•
Electrified the Perth rail network;
•
Built the Perth to Currambine Railway;
•
Built the extension from Currambine to Clarkson;
•
Built the Perth to Mandurah Railway;
having more entrances to allow faster loading and
•
Built the rail line to Thornlie;
unloading. This will allow for more frequent trains,
•
Responsible for ordering 224 of the 234 railcars
car trains. Consideration needs to be given to the
maintenance arrangements for these trains.  
•
Re-opened the Fremantle railway line (closed by the
Extra doors to improve loading and unloading
WA Labor will also seek advice on future trains
running closer together, during peak times.
currently operating on the rail network,
•
Constructed new rail stations on existing lines at
Armadale, Bassendean, Gosnells, Greenwood,
Extra trains needed to meet PTA
5 trains or
modelling estimates
15 railcars
Extra trains needed to meet passenger
3 trains or
bus passenger boardings in WA history following
growth
9 railcars
opening of the Mandurah line feeder services;
Extra trains needed for Atwell Station
Total extra trains required
Kelmscott and Victoria Park;
•
Responsible for the largest annual increase in
2 trains or
•
Introduced the new 50 cent student fare;
6 railcars
•
Introduced SmartRider, the first successful
10 trains or
integrated smartcard ticketing system in Australia;
30 railcars
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•
Expanded the Perth CAT service with 21 new gas buses, made the Joondalup CAT permanent and introduced the
Rockingham City Centre Transit system; and
•
Upgraded regional town bus services in Albany, Broome, Busselton, Collie, Esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Port
Hedland and Roebourne Shire, introducing a total of 135,000 extra bus kilometres per annum and an extra 24 low
floor buses.
In contrast, the Liberal and National parties have a poor record and long list of broken election promises regarding rail
infrastructure including:
•
Closing the Fremantle Railway line in 1979.
•
Closing the Midland Railway workshops just four months after an election promise to upgrade them;
•
Breaking promises to build Greenwood station and extend the railway to Clarkson;
•
Failing to build the Mandurah Railway.
•
Since the 2008 election they have:
•
Cancelled new stations at Midland and South Perth (included in the Budget before the election)
•
Broken a promise to build a railway to Ellenbrook;
•
Deferred the construction of an extension to Butler;
•
Broken a promise on an extension to Canningvale; and
•
Closed 700km of Wheatbelt rail lines despite promising to keep them.
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CONCLUSION
The modern WA rail network has been an outstanding success. Since 2002,
annual passengers boardings have almost doubled to over 60 million. The
Mandurah line has boasted extraordinary passenger growth with more than 20
million boardings last financial year.
WA is seen as a world leader in the development of a modern railway network
interconnected to feeder buses.
But the system is now facing unprecedented overcrowding due to the failure of
the Barnett Government to order the necessary rail cars when advised by the
PTA.
WA Labor wants to fix these problems by promising to immediately order 10
new trains for the Perth rail network if elected next year.
WA Labor will also ensure that the public transport system keeps up with the
rapid growth of Perth by planning for the future. We will examine future designs
for trains to meet the different needs of all Perth rail lines.
This policy is part of WA Labor’s commitment to effective, targeted planning to
manage our State’s booming economic and population growth. Other policies
in this area include our plan to build a new $45 million train station at Atwell,
establish the Infrastructure WA advisory board and create a State Infrastructure
Strategy which will establish priorities for infrastructure planning, including
transport.
WA Labor will continue to release further plans in the lead-up to the election to
ensure Perth continues to have a world-class public transport system.
This Policy Statement will be refined to form part of the package of policies that
WA Labor will take to the 2013 election. It will form part of a fully funded and
costed financial plan that will be presented in the lead-up to the 2013 election.
1.
Public Transport Authority, Transperth train patronage
statistics 2003/4 to 2011/12.
2.
Public Transport Authority, Transperth train patronage
statistics 2003/4 to 2011/12.
3.
Public Transport Authority, Railcar Delivery Option Schedule,
2011.
4.
Public Transport Authority, Tabled Paper Number 2 to
Estimates and Financial Operations Committee, 17 October
2011.
Printed and Authorised by Simon Mead, 61 Thomas Rd, Subiaco WA
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