The noise from trains is becoming very loud as they speed by our house. This has become increasingly worse since the laying of concrete sleepers as they do not absorb the sound as well as the old wooden sleepers. Also some drivers insist on blowing the train whistle as they approach the Bishopgate Crossing (this happens from 0500am through to midnight and later). The crossing has been gone for about five years but some drivers will insist on blowing the whistle. I have a list of times for the really bad ones. No matter how many times I complain nothing happens.

My solution would be to build a noise abatement wall from Millers Crossing to the Victoria Park Station car park.

We have also started to have the jets over our roof during the easterly winds. So with the trains and planes all of a sudden we have gone from relatively quiet to very noisy.

Your support on the above concerns would be greatly appreciated.

Kindest regards



Fred Moss
08 9470 4974
0438 947 108
08 9470 2715

My partner works at RPH and is simply too frightened to use rail after dusk hence will not do overtime as it would necessitate travel by rail after dark.
Better lighting would be an improvement, CCT camera's may help catch offenders but does not wish to be the victim. The only strong improvement to personal security would be permenent transit guards at all stations plus one guard per carraige travelling on the train. One guard per train simply means the criminal element changes carraiges at stations so as to stay clear of authority. The current rail system is fast becoming an uncomfortable anxious way to travel during the day and a definate no go zone after dark. Having recently used metro, tube systems and public transport in London, Paris, Barcelona and Rome I find our services to be security discrace and not a safe way to commute.

CCTV camera's operate at every station. Transit Officers are required to work in pairs for their safety and for that of passengers. To have permenant Transit Officers at every station on the Armadale Line would mean that the PTA needs to recruit at least 36 new officers. This is why only the major stations that have high passenger movements (Cannington, Oats Street, Kelmscott, Armadale) have officers stationed there.

Gosnells and Victoria Park are manned but by a mobile patrol which means that when incidents occur elsewhere the vehicle and its officers are dispatched. Transit Officer response time is less than 15 minutes. WA Police can only guarantee a 40 minutes maximum response.

Almost every train service at night is manned but not always by Transit Officers. Many night time trains are manned by private security officers employed by MSS Security for the PTA. Unfortunately these officers can only check tickets and observe and report, they cannot go hands-on with offenders. Due to lack of recruitment Armadale Transit Officers (on trains) are regularly placed at other stations on other lines resulting in a diminished security prescence.

Transit Officers also rely on information from the public. This can be done by phoning 92220000 or by pressing the red button at every train door and speak to the driver.

There are some real dropouts who hang out on the trains day in and out, and IMO they're most of the problem. They have a perfect right to be there, and aren't usually doing anything outright illegal. They're just being aggressive, loud, rude and unpleasant. Nonetheless, they're what contributes much of the feel of the trains and stations being "unsafe".

One thing that doesn't help is that the transit guards are so busy checking tickets and fining old ladies who barely speak English that they don't have the time or interest to deal with offensive behavior. They're mostly rostered on during busy peak times (for maximum fine revenue) and are often absent on trips where you wish they were around. But hey, they checked your ticket three times in a row on your way to work, so you must be safe, right?

Getting more transit guards and less "revenue protection officers" would be a big, big step in the right direction. As would spreading out their rosters so more were on at times that, while less profitable in terms of infringement notices, were more beneficial for passenger safety.

Hi Craig.

Transit Officers inherently dislike issuing fines for ticketing offences. They prefer to target more serious offences like anti-social behaviour, assaults, etc. They also DO NOT check tickets on trains during peak periods and neither do the MSS security officers, whom I referred to in my earlier post.

As to your opinions about spreading out rosters, I agree. However, do the math. 220 Transit Officers divided by "any given day" = 15-20 on compo for injuries at work. 120-130 required every night to man the network. Plus a skeleton dayshift. Plus those giving evidence daily in Court. Plus those on their normal days off. Plus those on annual or sick leave.

Have a chat with one next time. All the ones I know are happy to discuss things with you. BTW they are the ones now wearing the orange hi-viz vests.

I am sure the same concept can be used in a variety of way to get lot of real time information. Thanks for shared this with us..

I admire your willingness, energy, and organizational abilities. Everyone in the neighborhood joins with me in thanking you for what you did. Your example has been a great lesson for us.

People need to understand that the so called "offensive" riders are simply an element of society that exists and unfortunately by choosing to ride public transport you're choosing to be exposed to that element of society.

I'm not talking about people committing crimes, but there's nothing you can do to curb loudness and offensive appearance/vibe without introducing draconian rules which discriminate and have no positive consequences for the community.

It might look good for PR to have a lovely clean transport system without the "riff raff" but public transport is primarily a service for those who can't afford other means of transport so it is important that they aren't disenfranchised.

It must also be made clear that at no stage should hired security contractors be given more powers beyond their ability to check tickets and observe, as such schemes have resulted in obscene incidences of brutality in public transport systems overseas.