Public Transport Centre

Public transport terminal in Perth, Western Australia

31°56′36″S 115°52′37″E / 31.94333°S 115.87694°E / -31.94333; 115.87694Current tenantsPublic Transport AuthorityOpened12 November 1976Design and constructionArchitecture firmForbes & FitzhardingeWebsitewww.pta.wa.gov.au

The Public Transport Centre (formerly known as the Westrail Centre) is a terminal and administration building for public transport in Perth, Western Australia. It is the centerpiece of East Perth Terminal (formerly known as Perth Terminal), a standard gauge railway station and coach terminal adjacent to East Perth station on the Transperth narrow gauge suburban rail network.

Some transport operations will expand into the future Public Transport Operations Control Centre, currently under construction adjacent to the existing Public Transport Centre.[1]

Overview

MerredinLink service at East Perth Terminal in January 2015

The site occupied by East Perth station, East Perth Terminal, and the Public Transport Centre was formerly the East Perth Locomotive Depot.[2]

East Perth Railway Terminal

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East Perth station
Legend
Track layout and
surrounding railyard
M
T
1
2
East Perth Terminal platform denoted as T
Motorail dock denoted as M
East Perth station platforms numbered
Source[3]

As part of the gauge conversion of the Eastern Goldfields Railway, a new standard gauge terminus was opened in 1969.[4] The station has one side platform and a dock platform at its northern end.

Today the station is served by Journey Beyond's Indian Pacific, and Transwa's Prospector and MerredinLink services.[5][6][7] Until it ceased in June 1991, the terminal was also served by the Trans-Australian.

Administration building

The construction of building above and adjacent to the Railway Terminal platform was commissioned by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR).[8] By the time it was completed, WAGR had become Westrail.[9]

It was opened by State Premier Charles Court on 12 November 1976 as the Westrail Centre.[10] The public area includes a newsagent, café, help desks, vending machines, seats, televisions, information screens, an ATM and public toilets. In 2000, the upper floors were refurbished.

The building was formerly the headquarters for Westrail, and after the sale of Westrail's freight services was occupied by the Australian Railroad Group (ARG) from 2000 until 2002. In 2002, ARG relocated to Welshpool, and the building is now occupied by the Public Transport Authority and Department of Transport having been renamed the Public Transport Centre.[11]

Transwa coach services to various state destinations also currently depart and arrive at the northern end of the terminal building.[12]

Public Transport Operations Control Centre

In 2021, it was announced that some operations will expand into the Public Transport Operations Control Centre, a new $25 million building to be constructed 150m north from the existing Public Transport Centre building.[1][13] The building will house Metronet's High Capacity Signalling project.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b Public Transport Authority to move into new East Perth building
  2. ^ East Perth Station Archived 12 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine History of Western Australian Railways & Stations
  3. ^ "Manual – Rail Access" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. 19 August 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  4. ^ History of Stations on the Midland Line Right Track
  5. ^ East Perth Terminal Journey Beyond
  6. ^ Prospector - East Perth to Kalgoorlie Transwa
  7. ^ AvonLink and MerredinLink Transwa]
  8. ^ Forbes and Fitzhardinge & Western Australian Government Railways Commission (1972). In Western Australian Government Railways East Perth Administration Terminal Building : report on schematic design. WAGR, [Perth, W.A.]
  9. ^ Westrail Head Office, East Perth conference and executive offices : resultant sound levels : Forbes & Fitzhardinge and W.E. Bassett & Partners Pty. Ltd. / Ron Carr & Company Pty. Ltd.[East Perth, W.A.] : Westrail, 1977. "Report no. V2104-3, February 1977"
  10. ^ History at a Glance Public Transport Authority
  11. ^ Contact Us Public Transport Authority
  12. ^ Timetable files Transwa
  13. ^ Public Transport Operations Control Centre
  14. ^ High capacity signalling to maximise Perth rail traffic efficiency

External links

  • Gallery of Perth Terminal Station in 1969 before construction of the Public Transport Centre
Preceding station Transwa Transwa Following station
Terminus Prospector Midland
towards Kalgoorlie
MerredinLink Midland
towards Merredin
Preceding station Journey Beyond Following station
Terminus Indian Pacific Kalgoorlie
towards Sydney
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Public Transport Authority of Western Australia railway stations
Transperth services and stations
Transwa services and stations
MerredinLink
Prospector
  • Stations and services in italics are planned or under construction
  • Stations in (brackets) are uncommon stops for the listed service
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Journey Beyond railway stations
Indian Pacific
Stations and services in italics are planned or under construction.