STAFF REPORTER
The government has relented and will trial free 4am weekend train services on all lines for revellers travelling home in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Transport Minister Troy Buswell said it was put to him that thousands of Western Australians wanted later train services on the weekend.
“As a result, Transperth will trial a 4am train on Saturday and Sunday mornings from November until April on all train lines, when we’ll evaluate its success and make a decision on future services,” Mr Buswell said.
He said the trial was supported by the WA Nightclubs Association, which has long pursued the extension, as well as the WA Taxi Council.
For some years now, inner-Perth police have advocated the measure as a panacea to late night violence around Northbridge.
“This is all about providing options for those people who wish to travel after 2am, and undoubtedly a lot of these people will be heading home from pubs and nightclubs in Northbridge or other popular nightspots,” Mr Buswell said.
“In particular, I hope the 4am service will be used by people who may otherwise resort to measures like sleeping in Northbridge or the illegal and incredibly dangerous option of drink driving.”
He said the current latest train service at 2.15am would run at 2am after the 4am service was introduced.
“Currently the 2.15am trains are free of charge, and during the trial both the 2am and 4am services will be free,” Mr Buswell said.
Transperth get your act together, i as a parent had to travel to fremantle at 3 in the morning on a sunday to get my boys after the last and only train from there back to rockingham was not available to them via the fremantle line, and u wonder why these kids drive there cars drunk!!!!!!
I have countless friends who used to go out and end up sleeping in parks or waiting all night in hotel lobbies because they missed the last train. This is a good move on behalf of transport authorities and will keep partygoers safe and keep drunk drivers off the road. And if Amanda wants to complain about wasting taxpayers money maybe she should direct those complaints towards the ridiculous cactus thing in the murray street mall, not criticize an initiative that’ll help people get home safely.
This seems like another waste of tax payer money. it wont stop anti social behaviour, just move it elsewhere. I hate to think about the two hours people wait for the train and the amount of drug and alcohol fueled fights that will ocur. I guess it be the transit guards who will deal with the violence, outnumbered as normal, who have to deal with it-with minimal police and court backup.