For the first time in three years, train patronage on the Perth rail network has risen, with FY18 figures revealed this week.
Western Australia’s Public Transport Authority’s annual patronage figures indicate that while an overall decline of public transport usage continues (though slowing), the amount of people catching trains rose 0.7 per cent in 2017-18, with a total of 60.6 million boardings across the city’s five metropolitan train lines.
Transperth’s annual Passenger Satisfaction Monitor (PSM) figures also indicate that passengers are more content with their services than at any other time in the 29 years it has been conducted.
“Once again public transport is proving a vital part of any growing city – an alternative for families struggling at the fuel bowser, for motorists who don’t want to drive through peak hour traffic and for workers who are tired of paying expensive parking fees,” state transport minister Rita Saffioti said.
“Public transport may have its occasional naysayers but the feedback from actual users of our network is overwhelmingly positive.”
Transperth train passengers reported an equal all-time high satisfaction rating of 94 per cent in the 2018 PSM. Joondalup and Mandurah line passengers were the most satisfied (96 per cent), followed by Fremantle and Midland (94 per cent) and Armadale (92 per cent) line passengers.
Only one per cent of train passengers said they were dissatisfied overall, an all-time low.