Through the cycling forums I got a link to this guy’s article TransWA Promotes Cars and it just depresses me.
In Europe you can take your bike anywhere on most trains except some of the high-speed intercities and it usually costs less than $10. Even if there is no raised platform you may take your bike off yourself and usually a conductor or conductress will help you.
It’s not only TransWA who promote cars. TransPerth promote cars. PTA’s massive car parks near stations and associated road engineering make it difficult to enter the station if not by car. If you’re getting into your car anyway, why not just drive directly to your destination?
If you don’t want to drive a car, you pay such a high price for your ticket. The price only makes economic sense if travelling during peak hour to or from the CBD. Otherwise it is cheaper and faster to drive.
Basically, you have to be stupid to take TransPerth during off-peak times, or between the outer zones not passing through Perth.