The Yanchep train line extension is expected to drastically improve commute time for Perth’s far northern residents but new bus routes are set to have the opposite effect for some school students.
Metronet’s $1.08 billion Yanchep line extension project will bring the opening of three new train stations in Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep on July 15, along with new bus routes in the area.
Four schools will be particularly affected by the changes.
Alkimos College will lose services from the 483, 484 and 491 routes and the former 490 route will no longer service the school.
St James Anglican School will also lose the 484, 490 and 491 bus routes, while Northshore Christian Grammar will lose the 490 and 491 routes and Yanchep Secondary College will lose routes 490 and 491.
All four of these schools will have old routes replaced with new bus services, leaving some students significantly impacted.
Affected parents shared their frustration online, with one Facebook comment labelling the new routes “absolutely insane” by adding 40 minutes to her daughter’s school trip.
“It’s a bit ridiculous that for my child to get to Northshore (Christian Grammar School) from Yanchep she now needs to catch two buses and a train,” the parent said.
“Not only that, the second bus leaves the train station just before 8am. The bus she catches now from Two Rocks Road collects her just before 8am.”
Public Transport Authority spokesman David Hynes said there would be 20 extra buses and more than a million additional bus service kilometres each year, providing greater coverage and higher frequency for people living in the far northern suburbs.
He said the department met the four most affected schools in the area during a community consultation period at the start of the year.
“We know that any change to a bus service can impact a passenger’s existing travel pattern,” he said.
“While most students will continue to have a one-bus journey and see no change to their travel time, there will be changes to the way some students travel, including the need to transfer between services.
“The length and method of a student’s journey will depend on where they go to school and where they live.”
Mr Hynes said it was common in many parts of Perth for students to catch two or more services to get to school and that additional bus supervisory staff would be implemented at the new stations during morning and afternoon peaks to assist passengers.
Butler MLA John Quigley said he was liaising directly with Transperth and the Minister for Transport to ensure concern raised by parents were considered.
“All consideration has been made for students at all local public and private schools given the inevitable adjustments to the network that are necessitated by the opening of the Yanchep rail extension with three new stations,” he said.
“I understand that some students face slightly longer journeys or transferring on their way to and from school and as such Transperth has attempted to minimise these impacts and implement hard links to reduce the need for large numbers of students to transfer buses.
“Whilst the inevitable changes to the bus network necessitated by the opening of the Yanchep rail extension will slightly increase travel times for students in some isolated cases, an overwhelming number of residents in our northern suburbs will have easy access to public transport for the first time.
“I will be working closely with Transperth to monitor and refine the network as it adapts to real world conditions.”