Just talked to a friend of mine from Toodyay and he brought up the issue of the trains being cancelled.  Just a point, he knows nothing about trains, just rides on them.  He's neighbour uses the Avon link every day to get to work, now he has to face a bus trip on a road that the locals fear driving on due to the heavy trucks that run up and down it because of local quarries.  

I also asked him if he had ever used it, he said only a few times (semi retired), however he pointed out that it was not that easy to use as you have to book a ticket the day before and often he would decide to go to town that day and it would be too late to buy a ticket.  This may be wrong so if it is correct this please, however, if this is the case, why can't you buy a ticket when you get on board or have some form of card system like the local trains in Perth.  Surly the way for a successful Avon link to work would have been to make it an extension of the metro system in some way, just with diesels and not electric trains.

Alan.

Just talked to a friend of mine from Toodyay and he brought up the issue of the trains being cancelled.  Just a point, he knows nothing about trains, just rides on them.  He's neighbour uses the Avon link every day to get to work, now he has to face a bus trip on a road that the locals fear driving on due to the heavy trucks that run up and down it because of local quarries.  

I also asked him if he had ever used it, he said only a few times (semi retired), however he pointed out that it was not that easy to use as you have to book a ticket the day before and often he would decide to go to town that day and it would be too late to buy a ticket.  This may be wrong so if it is correct this please, however, if this is the case, why can't you buy a ticket when you get on board or have some form of card system like the local trains in Perth.  Surly the way for a successful Avon link to work would have been to make it an extension of the metro system in some way, just with diesels and not electric trains.

Alan.

They do this for the Australind as well. It seems they just like to have just the right amount of cars on the train, and as little excess seats as possible. Apart from that, who knows?

Andrew

They do this for the Australind as well. It seems they just like to have just the right amount of cars on the train, and as little excess seats as possible. Apart from that, who knows?

Andrew

They allow you to buy a ticket on the day i've seen it done. The issue is it (Australind) doesnt stop at a station unless there is a person booked to get on or off. Last time we went on the train we stopped at Harvey, Coolup (I think), Pinjarra, maybe Serpentine then Armadale. Makes for a faster trip. Well, you clear the road sooner. Cant depart a station before the proper time unless all is on board I would think. So if you rocked up at the station on the day you might get on it. But if it doesnt stop, well.

As a note last time I was on it there was an empty car both trips. So seating isnt the issue. I guess they dont run with less then 3 cars. Reduces the chance of total failure too I guess.

They allow you to buy a ticket on the day i've seen it done. The issue is it (Australind) doesnt stop at a station unless there is a person booked to get on or off. Last time we went on the train we stopped at Harvey, Coolup (I think), Pinjarra, maybe Serpentine then Armadale. Makes for a faster trip. Well, you clear the road sooner. Cant depart a station before the proper time unless all is on board I would think. So if you rocked up at the station on the day you might get on it. But if it doesnt stop, well.

As a note last time I was on it there was an empty car both trips. So seating isnt the issue. I guess they dont run with less then 3 cars. Reduces the chance of total failure too I guess.

According to the transwa website you have to make a booking before 5 pm the day before travel.   It seems that they're still living in the days of steam trains with that sort of business acumen!  Hello Transwa, we're in the 21st Century and computerised booking systems can be online 24/7!  No wonder they're cutting services back, running trains with empty seats which could be filled by spur of the moment passengers is just throwing money away.  How would you go these days running a convenience store which shuts at 5pm every night and doesn't reopen till 9am the next day, closing at 12 Saturdays and all day Sunday - wouldn't be long before you go broke.  

David

Yeah but unfortunately if the train were to stop at all stations for potential passengers it would be a pretty pointless exercise most of the time.

I agree it would be nice. But its not a commuter service yet. So till then we will have to plan our lives at least 1 day in advance.

Yeah but unfortunately if the train were to stop at all stations for potential passengers it would be a pretty pointless exercise most of the time.

I agree it would be nice. But its not a commuter service yet. So till then we will have to plan our lives at least 1 day in advance.

Interesting piece on the bottom of page 109 todays West Australian inserted by PTA. Road coach operator Northam pool. Is this requesting services to replace "AVONLINK"

It looks like services have been extended until June 2014:

Earlier this year Transwa announced that the train would be replaced with a twice-daily coach service from the end of 2013. A decision has been made to extend the train service for the remainder of the financial year.
Passengers who have booked journeys on the coach service (which was due to start in the New Year) will be able to use their tickets on the train instead.
The MerredinLink between Perth and Merredin will also be extended for 6 months to the end of the current financial year.
Passengers seeking clarification or information should call Transwa’s bookings line on 1300 662 205
Transwa will explore long term options with a proposal to be presented to Government for consideration next year

http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/Default.aspx?id=1156&tabid=121

Call me insane but I really think the existing Midland line should be extended to Northam, maybe more people would use it if they had a faster more frequent and more comfortable train service, it could be the next transport boom for Perth.

Call me insane but I really think the existing Midland line should be extended to Northam, maybe more people would use it if they had a faster more frequent and more comfortable train service, it could be the next transport boom for Perth.

Just how Is that going to happen, there Is a very good reason why overhead wires terminate at Midland.

Speed, frequency and comfort can be achieved with the current set up.

But the Government wants to cut cost.

Just how Is that going to happen, there Is a very good reason why overhead wires terminate at Midland.

Speed, frequency and comfort can be achieved with the current set up.

But the Government wants to cut cost.

is the wa government in that much of a pickle? i find it sad as australian's we long for infrastructure improvements and better services particularly in the area of rail and rail transport and finally when these projects are delivered on the back of a boom the boom dies and the services are pulled.  

if only governments could work faster in the decision making.  what have we had in australia?  20 years of boom and what have we to show for it?  in adelaide, not much.  we are only now getting our first electrified rail service.

See Government has decided to extend service to mid 2014 and foreshadowed improvements.  Now if this had been a narrow gauge service as proposed and the train extended to the City and used the Australind dock the patronasge for this service would be much higher.  Dumping people at midland and transferring to a suburban is not what the AvonLink original planning proposed.  The use of the original Prospector cars was simply about availability.

The long term AvonLink solution was to be narrow gauge and even examined options for service to run through to Subiaco and Fremantle to terminate there.

I don't see why the Midland line can't be extended, yes I know there's an issue with double stacks but if & when the freight tracks are taken out of Midland which apparently isn't that far away also the Lloyd street grade separation project allows for a future electrification- extension of the Midland line, if done right like Mandurah you could see another patronage boom and it would pick up those who live in Stratton, Swan View, Mundaring, Chidlow & Wundowie and I know Mandurah has a higher population density than Northam, trains every 10-15 minutes, it could work.

I don't see why the Midland line can't be extended, yes I know there's an issue with double stacks but if & when the freight tracks are taken out of Midland which apparently isn't that far away also the Lloyd street grade separation project allows for a future electrification- extension of the Midland line, if done right like Mandurah you could see another patronage boom and it would pick up those who live in Stratton, Swan View, Mundaring, Chidlow & Wundowie and I know Mandurah has a higher population density than Northam, trains every 10-15 minutes, it could work.

That's all very good and possible rebuilding up Chidlow way, but It comes at very high cost and the State Government want's to cut costs !

The liberal governments want to cut costs, I'd really like to see labor take a stab in the dark with it, would be interesting to see what proposals the PTA/TransWA come up, maybe they could do surveys and look at what sort of patronage could be expected from an extension, transferring from a regional train to an urban train isn't popular commuters from that region want a direct service to the CBD, it's probably easier for them to just drive into the city and it doesn't help when the terminus for regional trains is slightly away from the CBD changing at Midland or East Perth isn't efficient or practical, order more B series that can do 160km/h and -also have toilets and more comfortable seating I know I would use that service