News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[rubberman]

Install exhaust stacks?

That will go down well with the new residents of Bowden Village TOD. Like it or not the freight line project i feel will get priority over the Gawler Central electrification. The average joe using the Gawler Central Line trains couldn't give a s**t whether its a diesel railcar or NEW electrical railcar, as long as it gets them to their destination on time its fine

You are probably right.

Who in their right minds would use the suburban rail system if they had any other choice? It has been slow running due to track condition or replacement for years, long periods of outages with bus transfers etc etc. I am not sure if the 'average joe' couldn't give a s**t so much as by this stage, all those who do need to get to a destination on time, travel by car - the rest have to take whatever is dished out.

It will be interesting to see what the patronage statistics of the line tell us. By this I mean that if the patronage figures are low enough, the question has to be asked: "What are we running trains for anyway?" I hasten to add, I do not know if this is the case, but I don't think we ought to assume that the patronage is good enough to justify a heavy rail network.

[crawf]

Speaking of Bowden Station, it's been given a bit of a spruce up. Including a new cafe inside the old station building and minor paint job on the exterior.

I'm guessing the station building is heritage listed to an extent?

[ChillyPhilly]

I'd say you're about right. Local heritage though - I'm guessing.

http://lifemoreinteresting.com.au/lmi/p ... e_Plan.pdf

[Port Adelaide Fan]

Adelaide Railway Station closure - 2 January to 3 February 2013

The Adelaide Railway Station (ARS) will be closed between 2 January and 3 February 2013 (the quietest time of the year), for coordinated and accelerated major rail and project works.

Works are being coordinated to complete the track upgrade of Adelaide’s rail network (including the city rail yard), electrification of the Noarlunga and Tonsley lines, building a rail underpass at Goodwood to improve travel times, accelerating works on the Adelaide Convention Centre expansion and improving facilities at Adelaide Railway Station.

These coordinated works aim to reduce the overall disruption to passengers and provide construction efficiencies that deliver best value for money to taxpayers.

During this time

Gawler line trains will terminate at North Adelaide and will connect to substitute bus services.
Noarlunga, Tonsley and Belair lines will be closed and substitute bus services will operate.
Outer Harbor and Grange line trains will terminate at Woodville and will connect to substitute bus services.
During the month-long Adelaide Railway Station closure, travelling on a train line, or on substitute buses to cover train lines, will be free.
New temporary timetables will be distributed from mid-November.
Convention centre works will be accelerated.
http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/RR

[Ho Really]

Just a note regarding the Outer Harbor line and commenting from a tourism point of view. Cruise ship CRYSTAL SYMPHONY will be in on January 7. Some of these high-paying tourists will catch the train at Outer Harbor. They'll be glad it will be free. Major issue is only if the services run on time. Hopefully no one will be left behind on the dock. Cruise ship ATHENA will also visit Outer Harbor on January 27 and February 3. Some will embark and disembark, but not sure how many of those will use public transport to carry their luggage. By in large January is probably the best time as February and March receive more tourists. Fingers crossed.

Cheers

[crawf]

I thought they use tourist buses to get into town and not public transport.

[claybro]

I am stil not sure how Perth is managing to underground it's entire CBD station without having to close for a whole month (there have been some weekend closures.), and yet here, we are installing some overhead wires, poles and platform upgrades etc and the whole place has to close for a month? With 1 line being electrified and 8 platforms to choose from, surely they could route around the line works.

[neoballmon]

I think the major reason of the City station closure is for work to quickly and safely advance on the Convention Center upgrade. They are just using this opportunity to get as much as they can on the rail line upgraded as possible. I would say if they weren't doing the Convention Center, it would just be several weekend closures, or a full week closure.

[claybro]

It shows that other cities value their rail systems by working around major works and not closing the whole thing down. Convention centre construction or not, I think it is lazy and lame, and if the West Australians can shift an entire station without closing the system, then surely we can manage it here.

[Matt]

A few wires, poles and platforms?
They're whacking a great big exhibition space directly above the rail lines.

[claybro]

We just dont embrace our rail system in the way other cities do. A month long closure elsewhere would not be tolerated reguardless of what was being built adjacent to, above or below the station or indeed shifting the station itself as in Perth.

[Norman]

Not to mention that they are rebuilding the entire set of tracks going into the station. This is a massive once-off, unless we decide to neglect the tracks like we did last time.

[claybro]

And no wonder why they get away with a month long closure, as it seems from this forum any number of people believe the closure is unavoidable. We seem to strive for mediocrity of services in this state. The entire closure is not needed, as proved elsewhere with much larger rail projects. Southern cross station in Melbourne was completely rebuilt including platforms, tracks,concourses and a huge roof constructed over the lot, all without closure. Currently Perth is being relocated underground ,tracks platforms access ramps railyards etc. All without cosure. What we are doing here is nowhere near the same scale.

[kenget]

What we are doing here is nowhere near the same scale.

Which makes me think that there is something, unknown to us, that poses a big enough risk that warrants the full closure!

[claybro]

Which makes me think that there is something, unknown to us, that poses a big enough risk that warrants the full closure!

Unless they are constructing a Cape Canavarel style space launching pad over the tracks then it should be easy to explain. And yet all us worker bees in this state dont even question what is so challenging from a logistical or engineering point of view to warrant full closure. And so they get away with the easy option rather than proper planning. No wonder we are a laughing stock.