Perth Public Transport Guide: Transperth, CAT Buses & More

Perth's public transport network (operated by Transperth, a division of the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia) is more extensive and higher quality than its reputation suggests: the Transperth train network (6 lines connecting Perth Station and Esplanade Station in the CBD to suburban Perth and the Mandurah satellite city 75km south) provides fast and frequent rail service to most of Perth's major suburban centres, the CAT (Central Area Transit) bus network provides free bus services across the Perth CBD (the Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green CAT routes cover the CBD, Northbridge, East Perth, and West Perth), and the Transperth bus network fills the suburban gaps not covered by the train lines. The SmartRider card (Perth's equivalent of the Opal card) provides tap-on tap-off travel with a 10% discount on fares compared to cash payment.

The Mandurah Line and Perth's Train Network — the Mandurah Line (Perth to Mandurah via the underground Perth City Link tunnel and stations at Esplanade, Perth, McIver, Claisebrook, East Perth, and the suburban stations through Fremantle and the southern suburbs) is Perth's most impressive rail achievement: the 72km line (including 9km of underground tunnel through the Perth CBD) provides an extremely fast (Mandurah to Perth CBD in 47 minutes) and reliable commuter rail connection that carries extraordinary passenger volumes. Perth's other train lines (the Joondalup Line to the northern suburbs, the Midland Line to the eastern suburbs, the Fremantle Line, the Armadale Line, and the Airport Line) collectively provide good coverage of the main Perth suburban corridors.

CAT Buses and Free CBD Travel — the Central Area Transit (CAT) bus network provides free, frequent bus services across the Perth CBD, Northbridge, East Perth, and West Perth, making travel within the central city (including the major shopping destinations, the cultural institutions, and the Elizabeth Quay and Barangaroo commercial precincts) entirely free of charge. The CAT buses run every 5-10 minutes in peak hours and every 10-20 minutes off-peak, making them a genuinely useful transport option rather than just a tourist convenience.

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