AvonLink train service to be saved

• ​AvonLink train to continue servicing Avon Valley communities
• Poor patronage means the expanded AvonLink trial will end on June 30
• McGowan Government to fund an extra $800,000 to maintain once-daily return services from Northam and three return services per week to Merredin

The AvonLink train service will continue despite the previous Liberal National Government ceasing funding for the service beyond June 30, 2017.

AvonLink will revert to one return service per weekday following an unsuccessful trial of a significantly expanded timetable.

Poor patronage, and a shortage of funding beyond June 2017, has prompted the McGowan Government to end the trial of expanded services five months early.

The trial started in December 2014 and virtually trebled the number of Midland-Toodyay-Northam trips on offer.

However, the boost in services only resulted in a small increase in total passenger numbers while the average amount of passengers per service dropped.

An average weekday AvonLink train was at 21 per cent occupancy before the trial but that figure has since dropped to 15 per cent - an average of 16 passengers per service on a train with a capacity of 116.

From July 1, 2017, there will be return services running once a day from Monday to Friday, which is the level the AvonLink ran at before the trial. The last service of the expanded trial will run on Saturday, July 1.

MerredinLink services will revert to the pre-trial timetable offering return services between Perth and Merredin on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

There will be no AvonLink weekend or special event train services.

Comments attributed to Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:

"The State Government is very supportive of public transport, in regional WA as well as the greater metropolitan area.

"I'm glad we could continue to fund AvonLink and we will be engaging with relevant stakeholders in tourism, ageing and local shires to discuss opportunities to optimise the train service.

"The previous government had not funded AvonLink beyond June 30, meaning we had to find an additional $800,000 to retain the service.

"I would like to thank the community representatives involved with the AvonLink working group and the supporter groups over the last three years who supported the service."