Perth Airport to the CBD: Train in 18 Minutes, $3.50 Fare, and the Free Bus to Terminals 3 and 4 (Perth, WA)

Airport Central station, linked to Terminals 1 and 2, is 18 minutes from Perth Station by train, according to Perth Airport, and the Go Anywhere fare is $3.50 cash or contactless and $3.15 with a SmartRider, as of October 2026. Terminals 3 and 4 have no station of their own, so you take the free Route 292 bus to Redcliffe Station and board the same line there.

Both stations are on the Transperth Airport Line, which runs between Claremont and High Wycombe through Perth Station. This guide sets out which station suits which terminal, what the fare is, how often trains run, and the bus routes that connect with the line. Everything below comes from Transperth, the Public Transport Authority and Perth Airport, as checked on Monday 19 October 2026.

Which station do I use for my terminal?

Terminal	Station	Time to Perth Station	How you get there
Terminals 1 and 2	Airport Central	18 minutes	Follow the signs along the Skybridge walkway
Terminals 3 and 4	Redcliffe	15 minutes	Route 292 bus, about 3 minutes, free

Perth Airport’s public transport page says that when you arrive at Airport Central you follow the signs along the Skybridge walkway to reach either Terminal 2 or Terminal 1 Domestic and International.

How do I get from Terminal 1 or 2 to the train?

Airport Central station is the stop for Terminals 1 and 2. From the platform you follow the Skybridge, an elevated walkway, to the terminals. Perth Airport lists the station as 18 minutes from Perth Station in the CBD.

Redcliffe Station is three minutes by train from Airport Central, according to Perth Airport. It does not serve Terminals 1 and 2 directly, so for those terminals Airport Central is the station to use.

How do I get from Terminal 3 or 4 to the train?

There is no direct connection from Terminals 3 and 4 to a train station. Transperth’s free travel page says passengers need to take the Route 292 bus, which connects them to Redcliffe Station on the Airport Line. Redcliffe Station is just 15 minutes from the CBD and a three-minute bus trip from T3 and T4.

• Route 292 is a circular service between Redcliffe Station and the terminals’ pick-up and drop-off area, according to Perth Airport.
• It runs every 12 minutes during peak and every 15 minutes off-peak and on weekends, according to Transperth.
• The Public Transport Authority made the bus free between Terminals 3 and 4 and the Airport Line in a media statement dated 13 January 2025. Before that, passengers without a SmartRider needed exact cash on the bus.

The free fare covers the bus only. Transperth says passengers continuing their journey from Redcliffe Station need to buy a cash ticket or tag on with a SmartRider or contactless payment.

How much is the fare to the CBD?

Transperth uses one fare structure across bus, train and ferry. The Transperth fares page lists these standard fares, effective 1 January 2026:

Fare	Cash or contactless	SmartRider, 10% discount	SmartRider, 20% discount
2 Sections (trip of 3.2 km or less)	$2.40	$2.16	$1.92
Go Anywhere (three hours of travel on any service)	$3.50	$3.15	$2.80
DayRider (unlimited travel on the day)	$7.00

Transperth defines 2 Sections as a trip of 3.2 km or less; any longer trip uses Go Anywhere. With a SmartRider or contactless payment, Transperth says the fare is capped at the Go Anywhere fare. With a cash ticket you choose the Go Anywhere option and get three hours of travel on any Transperth service from the time you buy it. Transperth lists a 20% discount on fares with SmartRider Autoload.

Concession fares are lower: Go Anywhere is $1.60 cash, $1.44 with a 10% SmartRider discount and $1.28 with a 20% discount. Transperth lists children four years old and younger among those who may be entitled to free travel. A standard cash rate applies to contactless payments, and concession fares do not apply to them.

Where can I buy a SmartRider at the airport?

Perth Airport says SmartRider travel cards can be bought at Smarte Carte on the ground floor of Terminal 1 International. It describes the card as the cheapest and most convenient way to travel with Transperth, with a 10% discount off the cash fare.

Is travel ever free?

Every Sunday, travel is free for SmartRider holders and for people using contactless payments, on all Transperth bus, train and ferry trips from first service until last service. It does not apply to late-night services after midnight on Saturday, and a SmartRider must not be in a negative balance. Without a SmartRider or contactless payment, you need a cash ticket.

Transperth also runs a Free Transit Zone for trains in the city, bounded by City West, Elizabeth Quay and Claisebrook stations. To travel free you need a SmartRider or contactless payment and your journey must start and finish inside the zone, so a trip from the airport does not qualify.

Bus drivers are not handling cash on board Transperth buses, and no change is given if you pay with cash. Transperth recommends considering a SmartRider if you use cash to buy fares.

How often do trains run?

Transperth’s Airport Line timetable, effective 13 October 2025, shows trains toward High Wycombe leaving Perth Station as follows (check the current timetable before you travel):

Day	First train from Perth	Frequency
Monday to Friday	5:09am	Every 12 minutes in the morning until 9:33am; every 15 minutes through the middle of the day; every 12 minutes again from 2:45pm; every 15 minutes from 6:46pm; then every 30 minutes from 9:30pm
Saturday	5:31am	Every 15 minutes from 6:46am, with every 30 minutes later in the evening
Sunday and public holidays	7:01am	Every 15 minutes, with every 30 minutes later in the evening

On weekdays the first train from Perth at 5:09am reaches Redcliffe at 5:24am and Airport Central at 5:27am. Passengers heading the other way should look at the timetable for trains toward Claremont. The timetable also says to call the Transperth InfoLine on 13 62 13 about these times, and it notes that Christmas Day operating times may differ from the public holiday times shown.

Which buses connect with the airport?

Route	Connects	When
292	Redcliffe Station and Terminals 3 and 4 (free)	Every 12 minutes at peak, every 15 minutes off-peak and weekends
940	Elizabeth Quay Bus Station and Redcliffe Station via Great Eastern Highway	7 days a week
37	Airport Central and Oats Street Station via Belmont Forum	Monday to Friday

Perth Airport says that passengers on Route 940 should take Route 292 to connect between Redcliffe Station and Terminals 3 and 4. Perth Airport also publishes airport maps showing bus stop and train station locations.

What does the trip look like, step by step?

1. Terminals 1 and 2: walk the Skybridge to Airport Central and take a train toward Perth Station. Tag on with a SmartRider or contactless payment, or buy a Go Anywhere cash ticket.
2. Terminals 3 and 4: board Route 292 at the terminals’ pick-up and drop-off area to Redcliffe Station. The bus is free, and you tag on at the station for the train.
3. On the train, the trip to Perth Station takes 18 minutes from Airport Central and 15 minutes from Redcliffe.
4. Check the JourneyPlanner before you leave if you are going somewhere other than Perth Station, since the fare and time depend on where you finish.

Sources

• Perth Airport — Public transport (checked 19 October 2026)
• Transperth — Fares (effective 1 January 2026)
• Transperth — Free travel (Route 292, Sunday travel, Free Transit Zone)
• Transperth — Airport Line train timetable (effective 13 October 2025)
• Public Transport Authority — Free bus service to the Airport Line (13 January 2025)

Featured image: Perth Airport Terminal 2 pick-up and drop-off area (photo: Calistemon / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Perth Airport, Transperth or the Public Transport Authority. Fares and timetables can change; check the official pages above before you travel.