Why Fast Trains Work: An Assessment of a Fast Regional Rail System in Perth, Australia

Abstract

<p style="text-align:justify;" class="MsoNormal"> <span lang="EN-US">Perth’s new <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:chmetcnv w:st="on" tcsc="0" numbertype="1" negative="False" hasspace="True" sourcevalue="72" unitname="km">72 km</st1:chmetcnv> long Southern Rail System opened in 2007. With a maximum speed of <st1:chmetcnv w:st="on" tcsc="0" numbertype="1" negative="False" hasspace="True" sourcevalue="137" unitname="km">137 km</st1:chmetcnv>/hr and an average speed of almost <st1:chmetcnv w:st="on" tcsc="0" numbertype="1" negative="False" hasspace="True" sourcevalue="90" unitname="km">90 km</st1:chmetcnv>/hr this system acts more like a new high speed rail than a suburban rail system, which in Austra</span><span lang="EN-US">lia typically averages around <st1:chmetcnv w:st="on" tcsc="0" numbertype="1" negative="False" hasspace="True" sourcevalue="40" unitname="km">40 km</st1:chmetcnv>/hr for an all-stops services. The Southern Rail Line was very controversial when being planned as the urban areas served are not at all typical of those normally provided with rail but instead were highly car dependent and scattered low density land uses. Nevertheless it has been remarkably successful, carrying over 70,000 people per day (five times the patronage on the express buses it replaced) and has reached the patronage levels predicted for <st1:chmetcnv w:st="on" tcsc="0" numbertype="1" negative="False" hasspace="True" sourcevalue="2021" unitname="a">2021 a</st1:chmetcnv> decade ahead of time. The reasons for this success are analyzed and include well-designed inter</span><span lang="EN-US">changes, careful integration of bus services, the use of integrated ticketing and fares without transfer penalties and, cru</span><span lang="EN-US">cially the high speed of the system when compared to competing car based trips. The Southern Rail Line in effect ex</span><span lang="EN-US">plodes the current paradigm of transfer penalties, exposing this as a myth. The lessons for transport planning in low density cities are significant, and are explored further in the paper.</span><span lang="EN-US"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span> </p

Can value capture work in a car dependent city? Willingness to pay for transit access in Perth, Western Australia

“…This is particularly evident in the provision of the northern and southern rail lines, which were built deeply into Perth's post 1960's car dependent suburbs. The high speed of the new rail lines has led to some spectacular increases in patronage, especially in the past 5 years (McIntosh et al, 2013).…”

Density, the Sustainability Multiplier: Some Myths and Truths with Application to Perth, Australia

“…The Northern and Southern rail lines in Perth are now attracting denser development to their station precincts, as more people want to live or work near this fast, quality transport option [98]. To stop this density increase or to slow it down simply means more people will use a car instead of the train.…”

Framework for land value capture from investments in transit in car-dependent cities

“…In addition to the operational differences between modes, fixed guideway transit is attractive to developers due to its permanence; it offers surety for long-term land development investment and hence is an attraction to live or work near Cervero 2004;Bartholomew and Ewing 2011). Integrated bus and transit projects can also widen the accessibility benefits in a corridor and create a larger transit accessibility zone than transit's traditional pedestrian catchment (Cervero 2004;Small and Verhoef 2007, p. 450-43;McIntosh et al 2013). …”

“…This is particularly evident in the provision of the Joondalup and Mandurah rail lines, which commenced operating in 1996 and 2007 respectively and were built deeply into Perth's car-dependent suburbs down freeway medians. These lines have been very successful, against the predictions of many transport planners, since they were going into unexplored territory in terms of the usual land use associated with transit (McIntosh et al 2013). This case study will investigate the value capture opportunities that could have been captured to fund the introduction of the Mandurah Line in 2007.…”