Fremantle line, Underground shut for Easter

OPEN: Mandurah line services can be access from the Esplanade Train Station, with the city Underground closed. Source: PerthNow

CLOSED: The Fremantle to Perth rail line will be out of action this Easter. Source: PerthNow

CITY train services will be disrupted over the Easter weekend, with the Fremantle line and Perth Underground Station shut.

The Fremantle line will be closed from 8pm today (Thursday) with operations returning to normal from the start of services on Tuesday, April 2.

The closure is in place so the Town of Claremont can upgrade one of its underpasses.

Work will also be taking place on the Perth City Link project and replacement buses will be running the length of the Fremantle line.

Perth Underground Station will also be closed for the weekend, forcing Mandurah line trains to start and finish at Esplanade Station.

Passengers wanting to continue into the city or along the Joondalup line will be able to use a bus replacement service, which will run through to Leederville.

The Joondalup Line will operate as normal from Leederville to Clarkson with rail replacement buses between Leederville and Perth.

Armadale trains will operate all stops, but replacement bus services will run between Thornlie and Cannington station.

The Armadale line will operate on an alternative timetable with passengers asked to use the Midland Line platforms at Perth and McIver stations.

The Midland Line will operate as usual.

For information on the closures visit the Transperth website www.transperth.wa.gov.au or phone the Infoline on 13 62 13.

View the original article here

Miners' underground dance harmless, says lawyer

WA miners performing the Harlem Shake. Picture: YouTube Source: Supplied

A group of work mates have lost their jobs doing the Harlem Shake while on duty. Courtesy Today Network Nine

THE lawyer for one of the sacked "Harlem Shake'' miners who broke into a dance craze in a WA underground mine says the 30-second dance that cost 15 employees their lucrative jobs did no harm.

West Australian mining contractor Barminco made worldwide headlines earlier this week when it sacked more than a dozen workers from the Agnew gold mine after their YouTube version of the internet's latest dance craze went viral.

Citing safety issues, Barminco sparked a national debate as to whether they were heavy handed in sacking the employees, posting on its company Facebook page that ``safety takes unconditional priority at all times ... and we will not make any exception to this''.

Barminco said rigid safety rules were needed in the inherently hazardous underground environment.

It has been revealed one of the sacked miners, Stephen Dixon, had referred his case to Fair Work Australia.

His lawyer John Hammond has told Fairfax Radio his case will focus on whether the men breached safety regulations.

Those taking part had considered safety before making the video, and had performed it during a meal break, Mr Hammond said.

"Around town, opinion seems to be very, very split as to whether or not these miners should have been sacked,'' he said.

"In making these comments I am talking about what people think politically. Everywhere you go people are discussing whether it was right or wrong for the company to have sacked those who engaged in what was a 31-second dance.

"Mr Dixon did consider safety. They left their steel capped boots on, they left their headlamps on and left the self-rescuers on before they engaged in the Harlem Shake.

"Doing a dance on the spot, jumping up and down gyrating, to me personally, was not a harmful act.''

Mr Hammond said 14 or 15 men had been sacked over the dance, eight who actually danced and six or seven who watched.

He said no one would disagree with Barminco that safety was paramount in mining, but it was yet to be seen whether the men contravened any safety requirements.

Mr Dixon said he was a dedicated worker, not a clown, and the workers had been anxious about their job security when they performed the dance to "let off steam''.

More than 10,000 Harlem Shake videos - based on the track by electronic musician Baauer - had been posted online by the middle of last month. The internet "meme'' was originated by five teenagers from Queensland, registered on YouTube as TheSunnyCoastSkate.

View the original article here