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The WA government has blamed “human error” for passenger numbers on the new $1.8 billion airport rail link falling short of expectations, saying ministers’ forecasts were misspoken.
Around 12,000 passengers per day are using the link, which opened in October last year and connects the airport to Forrestfield via Redcliffe and High Wycombe. This is well short of Transport Minister Rita Saffioti and Premier Mark McGowan’s forecasts of 20,000 per day in press conferences and media releases, increasing to 29,000 by 2032.
In a statement seen by the ABC, the WA Department of Transport said that the “20,000 per day” figure had in fact been intended for the whole Transperth network, rather than solely for the airport link. The Department said the line was instead expected to increase train journeys across all of Perth by 20,000 per day.
“An error was made in a small number of statements and articles which incorrectly stated the modelling on patronage was for the airport line alone. This was human error, and we apologise for any confusion caused,” the statement read.
WA’s Public Transport Authority (PTA) figures show an increase of 33,049 average daily boardings across the Transperth network in the week to February 10, though a spokesperson has cautioned against attributing this to the link alone, as it could take 12 to 18 months to see the full impact of the new line’s opening.
“Changes in patronage numbers can be influenced by a number of factors, and attributing increases to any one factor would require significant and detailed analysis,” he said.
The airport link has come under criticism for a lack of early services for FIFO workers, with the first train leaving Perth Station at 5:12am, though Minister Saffioti said last year it would serve “80 to 85 per cent” of flights. Additionally, a sustainability expert has said the link is difficult to access, with a lack of signage from the domestic terminal to Redcliffe Station.
Another issue is that Airport Central – which is located near Terminals 1 and 2 – is some distance from Qantas’s international services at Terminals 3 and 4. Perth Airport has been looking to consolidate international flights in Terminal 1 for some time, and Qantas has come under fire from the WA government for “dawdling” on its planned move.
