Public Transport Centre

The Public Transport Centre (formerly known as the Westrail Centre) is a terminal and administration building for public transport in Perth, Western Australia. It is the centerpiece of East Perth Terminal (formerly known as Perth Terminal), a standard gauge railway station and coach terminal adjacent to East Perth station on the Transperth narrow gauge suburban rail network.

Public Transport Centre
The Public Transport Centre in 2015
Public Transport Centre is located in Perth
Public Transport Centre
Former namesWestrail Centre
General information
Type
  • Public transport terminal
  • Office building
Architectural styleBrutalist
Address116 West Parade
Town or cityPerth
CountryAustralia
Coordinates31°56′36″S 115°52′37″E / 31.94333°S 115.87694°E / -31.94333; 115.87694
Current tenantsPublic Transport Authority
Opened12 November 1976
Design and construction
Architecture firmForbes & Fitzhardinge
Website
www.pta.wa.gov.au

Some transport operations will expand into the future Public Transport Operations Control Centre, currently under construction adjacent to the existing Public Transport Centre.[1][needs update]

Overview

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MerredinLink service at East Perth Terminal in January 2015

The site occupied by East Perth station, East Perth Terminal, and the Public Transport Centre was formerly the East Perth Locomotive Depot.[2]

East Perth Railway Terminal

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East Perth
station
Track layout and
surrounding railyard
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
M
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
T
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
 
 
 
2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
T = East Perth Terminal platform
M = Motorail dock
# = East Perth station platforms
Source[3]

As part of the gauge conversion of the Eastern Goldfields Railway, a new standard gauge terminus was opened in 1969.[4] The station has one side platform and a dock platform at its northern end.

Today the station is served by Journey Beyond's Indian Pacific, and Transwa's Prospector and MerredinLink services.[5][6][7] Until it ceased in June 1991, the terminal was also served by the Trans-Australian.

Administration building

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The construction of building above and adjacent to the Railway Terminal platform was commissioned by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR).[8] By the time it was completed, WAGR had become Westrail.[9]

It was opened by State Premier Charles Court on 12 November 1976 as the Westrail Centre.[10] The public area includes a newsagent, café, help desks, vending machines, seats, televisions, information screens, an ATM and public toilets. In 2000, the upper floors were refurbished.

The building was formerly the headquarters for Westrail, and after the sale of Westrail's freight services was occupied by the Australian Railroad Group (ARG) from 2000 until 2002. In 2002, ARG relocated to Welshpool, and the building is now occupied by the Public Transport Authority and Department of Transport having been renamed the Public Transport Centre.[11]

Transwa coach services to various state destinations also currently depart and arrive at the northern end of the terminal building.[12]

Public Transport Operations Control Centre

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In 2021, it was announced that some operations will expand into the Public Transport Operations Control Centre, a new A$25-million building to be constructed 150 metres (490 ft) north from the existing Public Transport Centre building.[1][13] The building will house Metronet's High Capacity Signalling project.[needs update][14]

References

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  1. ^ a b Public Transport Authority to move into new East Perth building
  2. ^ East Perth Station Archived 12 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine History of Western Australian Railways & Stations
  3. ^ "Manual – Rail Access" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. 19 August 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  4. ^ History of Stations on the Midland Line Right Track
  5. ^ East Perth Terminal Journey Beyond
  6. ^ Prospector - East Perth to Kalgoorlie Transwa
  7. ^ AvonLink and MerredinLink Transwa]
  8. ^ Forbes and Fitzhardinge & Western Australian Government Railways Commission (1972). In Western Australian Government Railways East Perth Administration Terminal Building : report on schematic design. WAGR, [Perth, W.A.]
  9. ^ Westrail Head Office, East Perth conference and executive offices : resultant sound levels : Forbes & Fitzhardinge and W.E. Bassett & Partners Pty. Ltd. / Ron Carr & Company Pty. Ltd.[East Perth, W.A.] : Westrail, 1977. "Report no. V2104-3, February 1977"
  10. ^ History at a Glance Public Transport Authority
  11. ^ Contact Us Public Transport Authority
  12. ^ Timetable files Transwa
  13. ^ Public Transport Operations Control Centre
  14. ^ High capacity signalling to maximise Perth rail traffic efficiency
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Preceding station   Transwa Following station
Terminus Prospector Midland
towards Kalgoorlie
MerredinLink Midland
towards Merredin
Preceding station Journey Beyond Following station
Terminus Indian Pacific Kalgoorlie
towards Sydney