Free travel to continue for Armadale Line passengers until reopening

• Free travel to continue for regular Armadale Line passengers currently receiving entitlement
• Passengers receiving free travel could save up to an additional $2,600 across the year
• Extension is in recognition of disruption and inconvenience of the shutdown

The State Government has today announced free travel will continue to be provided beyond 31 May to regular Armadale Line passengers currently receiving the free travel entitlement.

Nearly 18,000 regular Armadale Line passengers received an initial six months free travel applied to their SmartRiders, in lieu of the disruption being caused to their commutes.

Those passengers already receiving the free travel entitlement will now be able to continue travelling free on public transport, including replacement bus services, until the line reopens.

It is important for passengers who currently receive the free travel entitlement to activate the extension by tagging on to a bus or train between Monday, 27 May and Monday, 3 June 2024.

Passengers who are unable to tag on during this period need to contact the Transperth Infoline on 13 62 13 at least one day prior to travelling.

Since the start of the shutdown, patronage on the replacement bus services has performed well at around 70 to 80 per cent, compared to the daily Armadale Line averages.

The road network continues to cope with the elevated traffic volumes, with only minor increases in travel times on key arterial routes.

Works on the Armadale Line transformation continue to surge ahead with large sections of elevated rail now in place and construction on new stations commencing.

The transformation of the Armadale Line will see seven new stations built - including in the suburb of Byford for the first time. A total of 13 level crossings will also be removed, 5.5 kilometres of elevated rail constructed, and six hectares of new public open space created.

Comments attributed to Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:

"We recognise how disruptive this period is for regular Armadale Line passengers, which is why we made the decision to provide free travel to ease that burden.

"Closing the rail line and putting in place replacement bus services for 18 months was not an easy decision, but it was by far the best way of getting this project delivered as efficiently and as safely as possible.

"Without the disruption of passing trains, our work crews have been able to make incredible progress on the project with a huge amount of elevated rail now in place and works on the new stations getting underway.

"The bus replacement services, and road network continue to operate well and I want to thank everyone involved in making this period as smooth as possible."