Perth Central Station
Wellington St
Perth Western Australia 6000
13 62 13
http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au
The Transperth Information Centre within the Central Perth Train Station on Wellington St has improved enormously after its recent refurbishment. The chaos, crowding and lack of order of the obsolete office have been transformed into a clean tidy Customers Office with several tellers and a lined cue. The office now attends to both TransPerth and TransWA customers, offering general information on buses and trains, printed timetables, sale of SmartRiders cards, and sales and refunds of long-distance train and TransWA's tickets. There are a few general schedule brochures you can grab on your own, while others are only
handed down to you by the staff. A convenient flat screen also informs of the
departures of the local trains, just in case you are on transit.
The cues move slow at times, especially at lunch time, when the volume of visitors increases and many of them require a bit of time. Still, the tellers work non stop to attend customers as fast and best they can.
In the past, the attention to the customer has been abrupt and lacking in courtesy at times. However, the refurbishment has also brought younger people who seem to be more enthusiastic and friendly towards customers. Still, the service is, in many cases, matter of fact. You ask something, they reply, and move on without a hint of human connection. It is great that the
staff do their job properly, but it
should be a policy of any customer service to select people who, beyond
efficiency, have some social skills. Those who have them, make a whole difference.
TIP
There is a specific
line for the TransWA teller, but any of the tellers in the office do sale and refund tickets. So follow the line that better suits your needs.
378, Wellington St
Concourse Level, Perth Rail Station
Perth WA 6000
(08) 9221 3933
Hours:
Mon-Thu: 5:45am – 6:00pm
Fri: 5:45am – 9:00pm
Sat: 7:30am – 5:30pm
Sun: 9:00am – 6:00pm
The Lucky Charm Express is a small newsagent kiosk in Perth Central Trail Station that does a super-job at serving the hundreds of people using or passing by the Station every day. Beyond the usual newspapers and magazines, they are official agents of Transperth's multi-rider cards (sale and top-up), and they have different lotto services, a variety of cheap phone cards, greeting cards, wrapping paper, and basic stationary.
They have a good selection of International fashion, gossip and specialised magazines, although some of these are a bit behind, some of them even a month behind, and the fashion magazines usually arrive without the free gifts they give customers in the country of origin.
The Lucky Charm also has a huge selection of International landline and mobile phone cards with very cheap rates. If you are not sure which one to buy, tell them the country you want to call, and they will recommend you the best card for you.
The service is fast and the staff correct and respectful. They barely have time to breathe, so one cannot ask more from them.
378 Wellington St
Perth Western Australia 6000
http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/
Perth Train Station is the heart of the city, literally, the way to connect with people, to wait for people, to buy your newspaper, to have a coffee, to go to the a doctor, and, I forgot!, to catch a train.
There is something special about this station, truly. It is the mix of old and new, the easiness and functionality of the design, the cosiness of the atmosphere, and the good vibe of the space in general. This was one of the first things that caught my attention when I moved to Perth, as most train stations elsewhere are too crowded, too complicated, too ugly, too smelly, to big, too noisy, too "trainy", if you know what I mean. The place is very safe all day around, even at night, a thing you can't say of other train stations in Perth.
The fact that there are a few coffee shops, a newsagent, doctor and physiotherapy practices, a dental practice, a hairdresser, and a few other business and resting places around, makes the place a lively spot, accentuated by the fact that the train station upper level is a pass way between the Cultural Centre and the Shopping area in the CBD.
The trains depart on time almost every time, and the service is terrific even on Sundays. If there are delays or disruptions, you are properly informed and guided to replacement buses.
The are a few ticket machines for individual tickets in front of the entrance area, but better use a multi-rider if you are going to be in Perth for a few days (if you are a visitor), which you can purchase and recharge at the newsagent on the same floor. Do buy your ticket because the security guards at the entrance and exit will stop you, and, if you don't have one, they won't have any pity, no matter you had it and lost it.
The only down in the Station is the size of the information office, which needs to be enlarged, as it is always crowded, especially now that the TransWA office has closed its door and the Transperth information office has taken over the booking and sale of those tickets.
The place is being refurbished at the moment, and it wont be long that we have a completely different space, unfortunately.
