CBD workers living in Gosnells and Cannington who rely on public transport to get to the office will have nearly an hour added to their daily commutes when the Armadale Line shuts down for at least 18 months from November.
Analysis of replacement bus routes released by the Cook Government last week reveals the big spikes in travel times for commuters who currently rely on what is one of Perth’s busiest train lines.
When confirming the November 20 start date for the shutdown, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said around 40 minutes would be added to the daily commute of Armadale residents.
That figure is based on a new bus route shuttling commuters from Armadale Station to Cockburn Central, where they must then board a train to the CBD in a journey that will add roughly 20 minutes to morning and evening travel times.
But the news is even worse for residents of Perth’s south-eastern corridor who live closer to the CBD.
The morning commute from Gosnells to Perth — via replacement bus service 221 — is set to blow out by 37 minutes to just over an hour.
Using the same bus it will take 45 minutes to get home — up 17 minutes from the current train trip that takes 28 minutes.
Combined, Gosnells commuters face an extra 54 minutes of travel every day, ripping 4.5 hours out of their time every week.
For those living in Cannington — which is even closer to the CBD — the replacement bus will add 47 minutes to their daily commute.
What is currently a 14-minute train ride in the morning becomes a 38-minute bus trip. On the way home, an 18-minute train ride becomes 23 minutes on the bus.
For anyone living in Armadale who prefers to take a single bus directly to and from work — rather than shuttling to and from Cockburn Central Train Station — the extra travel time is an eye-watering 39 minutes in the morning and 35 minutes in the evening.
In an attempt to head off anger over the disruption, the Cook Government has announced six months of free public transport for anyone with a SmartRider who has a history of regularly using the Armadale Line this year.
The train line is being shut between Victoria Park and Armadale to enable the removal of 13 level crossings and extend the existing track to Byford in an extensive program of works valued at around $2 billion.
The 18-month timeline is viewed as highly ambitious by shadow transport minister Shane Love, who said he had “serious doubts” construction would be completed on time.
“The Cook Government’s planned shutdown of the Armadale line will cause significant hardship for the residents of Perth’s south-eastern corridor,” Mr Love said.
“Commute times will skyrocket, impacting the daily lives of many.
“With many train commuters resorting to using their own cars due to the shutdown, we should brace ourselves for even more traffic chaos in the southeast corridor.
“(Transport Minister) Rita Saffioti must now develop a comprehensive plan to mitigate this impact.”
Ms Saffioti said the Cook Government had been upfront about the impact of the shutdown and had attempted to mitigate increases to travel times as far as possible.
“To reflect the level of disruption we have offered six months free travel that will put up to $1300 back in the pockets of some regular passengers,” she said.
“Shutting the line for 18 months was a difficult decision to make, but it was a far better option than going down the route of rolling shuts over several years that would have caused chaos and confusion for passengers.”
Gosnells to CBD, arriving 9am on a Monday morning
Train: 24 minutes
Replacement bus 221: 61 minutes
Difference: 37 minutes
CBD to Gosnells, departing after 5pm on a Monday
Train: 28 minutes
Replacement bus 221: 45 minutes
Difference: 17 minutes
TOTAL EXTRA: 54 minutes
Cannington to CBD, arriving prior to 9am on a Monday morning
Train: 14 minutes
Replacement bus 51: 38 minutes
Difference: 24 minutes
CBD to Cannington, departing after 5pm on a Monday
Train: 18 minutes
Replacement bus 51: 41 minutes
Difference: 23 minutes
TOTAL EXTRA: 47 minutes