AvonLink train service will stay open until mid-2014 after community outrage The AvonLink train that services Perth and Northam. THE AvonLink train service between Perth and Northam will stay open for an extra six months after a community backlash. A Public Transport Authority spokeswoman said today the service would be now be extended until mid-2014. She said TransWA would present a proposal for long-term options to the State Government next year. Earlier this year, TransWA announced the train, which has been running since 1995, would be replaced by a twice-daily return bus service next year after the State Government decided to close the line as part of cost-savings in the 2013-14 budget. Transport Minister Troy Buswell said the service was costing around $1 million every year for only 30 passengers on average each day. The announcement was met with outrage by regional communities, who were concerned about increased traffic on roads from the Avon Valley to Perth. Passengers who have booked tickets on the new coach service, which was due to start at the end of the year, will be able to use their tickets on the train instead. The MerredinLink, which travels between Perth and Merredin, will also stay open for an extra six months until mid-2014.