Question Without Notice No. 965 asked in the Legislative Council on 6 December 2017 by Hon Jim Chown
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
PASSENGER TRAIN NETWORK — OPERATING COSTS
965. Hon JIM CHOWN to the minister representing the Minister for Transport:
(1) What is the annual operating cost of running the passenger train network as it exists today?
(2) Once Metronet is finished and operational, what is the estimated cost of running the entire train network?
(3) What value of the operational costs are subsidised by the government in dollar terms?
(4) Does the government, due to the current budget restraints, intend to implement full cost recovery and expenditure through increasing the cost of fares on metropolitan passenger rail lines?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
Hon Jim Chown: You're welcome.
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON: Good manners!
(1) The annual operating cost of running the passenger train network as it exists today is $324 million.
(2) Operational costs associated with these projects are being determined as part of the planning process. It is noted that the operational cost of the Forrestfield–Airport Link project was not funded by the previous Liberal–National government.
(3) The government subsidy for the operational costs of running the passenger train network as it exists today is $192.3 million.
(4) No.