I just tried it on my laptop:

$ python --version
Python 2.7.12
$ time python every-second-item-reversed.py in.txt > pyout.txt

real    0m1.927s
user    0m1.898s
sys    0m0.028s
[download]

$ perl -v

This is perl 5, version 18, subversion 2 (v5.18.2) built for x86_64-li
+nux-thread-multi
[...]

$ time perl every-second-item-reversed-haukex.py in.txt > haukex-out.t
+xt

real    0m2.309s
user    0m2.290s
sys    0m0.020s
[download]

No differences in the two output files. However, note Perl 5.24.1 is faster than both Python 2.7.12 and Perl 5.18.1:

$ perl5.24.1 -v

This is perl 5, version 24, subversion 1 (v5.24.1) built for x86_64-li
+nux-thread-multi
[...]

$ time perl5.24.1 every-second-item-reversed-haukex.py in.txt > haukex
+-out-5.24.1.txt

real    0m1.759s
user    0m1.740s
sys    0m0.016s
[download]

And also Python 3.4 is slower than any of the above:

$ python3.4 --version
Python 3.4.5
$ time python3.4 every-second-item-reversed.py in.txt > pyout-3.4.txt

real    0m2.493s
user    0m2.444s
sys    0m0.048s
[download]