News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[jk1237]

sounds good

[Heardy_101]

Might have to get some photos of Tambelin then before that happens.

I was kicking myself when Keswick got demolished as I had plans to photograph the station before it went.

[muzzamo]

I just noticed that the real time page has an icon for electric trains:

image.jpg (166.23 KiB) Viewed 5140 times

[Nort]

If anyone's interested, I got news on the Gawler line electrification, and another station rebuild.
This is from the horses mouth, eg the local politician himself.

The $152m for the Gawler line does cover all the vital equipment, extending the line to Gawler is simply a matter of extending the wires.
And getting rid of a certain low bridge in Gawler proper.

Also planned is a relocation/rebuild of the Tambelin Railway station, to serve the directly adjacent Orleana Waters.
New carpark, bus interchange, platforms, and new road with level crossing (I presume underpass) to keep all the traffic off the local roads.
To be located few hundred meters south of the existing platform.

Hopefully not much more south than the existing Tambelin station, it gets a massive amount of traffic from school kids.

[ChillyPhilly]

Just spotted a new electric at Dry Creek yard being worked on. #4005.

[Vee]

Interesting argument on InDaily relating to dilapidated train stations on the Metro network.

This article, by Daniel Bennett, recognizes that investment is taking place eg electrification of some lines, some new stations etc but bemoans the "city’s unattractive, unsafe-looking train stations" and missed opportunities .."to create new and well-integrated places for people to live, work and play."

Several new train stations show what is possible with a massively bigger budget.
Dollars, priorities, timelines - upgraded tracks, new trains, passengers, new stations????

Fix the train stations and people will come.
Ask any of our transport planners for their vision for the Adelaide network and I doubt any of them would mention customers first – the focus remains on the infrastructure.

Take Emerson Station at the junction of Cross Road and South Roads. The station is anchored onto the intersection, with a 140 metre platform and a single, lonely bus shelter three quarters of the way along the platform. It is bleak, uninviting, and looks like a security nightmare. There is no signage and no obvious passive surveillance.
It’s a depressing place with a depressing outlook.

The tracks, overhead wires and signals are gleaming and new, but no investment has been made into the look, feel and overall amenity of the ‘place’.

More.
InDaily:
http://indaily.com.au/opinion/2014/04/1 ... will-come/

Thoughts?

[crawf]

One thing that desperately needs to change is these impractical one hour frequency night services. It's 2014, enough said.

Adelaide is the place of single car trains, a diesel network, low patronage, no growth, timetable frequencies measured in hours not minutes, ineffective interchanges and aged and poorly maintained stations.

Harsh, but summed up quite nicely.

All up that was a decent article. I hope in 10 years time, Adelaide will have a fully electrified modern railway system with better station facilities, increased frequency, serious plans for an underground city loop and single car trains will be a distant bad memory. That's not that much to ask for?

[PeFe]

I read the article as well, basically I agree with what he has to say, but being more positive, there is a little light at the end of the tunnel - the new electric trains are slowly being delivered, allowing higher frequencies on the diesel section of the network in the near future.
Hopefully the average Joe also thinks the trains are worth throwing into their transport mix after experiencing the weekend AFL excitement....
Just diverting slightly, but what is disappointing in 2014 is that Adelaide is yet to see any real progress towards one transit-oriented-development, not Bowden, no-where...Whether Bowden train station is redeveloped is now under doubt with the state government's plan to convert the Outer Harbor corridor to light rail. Salisbury, Port Adelaide and Noarlunga Centre should be massive tod's in my opinion.

[Waewick]

I won't support a CBD loop or subway until we get a tram/ train to the top of the parade.

[muzzamo]

I won't support a CBD loop or subway until we get a tram/ train to the top of the parade.

Cool story, I wont support anything else until a monorail gets built directly between my work and my house.

[Waewick]

I won't support a CBD loop or subway until we get a tram/ train to the top of the parade.

Cool story, I wont support anything else until a monorail gets built directly between my work and my house.

A monorail!

[AtD]

A lot of stations in Adelaide are great development opportunities just waiting to be taken. I am surprised how few have no retail tenancies of any type. Larger stations Salisbury could support several small shops (newsagent, dry cleaners, etc.) whose rent in turn could support station maintenance. I am also suprised how few have billboards or vending machines.

Does Mawson Lakes still have that little convenience store?

[jk1237]

Mawson Lakes is the greatest missed opportunity. It is a highly used station, however if it was built about 70mtrs south, and incorporated into the town centre, it would have had far better potential. But yeah, it would be good if some of our desolate platforms (with the one bus shelter), could be upgraded

Now with the hordes of people using our train system each weekend for football, and coupled with the Seaford extension, I wonder if this year we will see the highest usage of our train system in 50 years. The large amount of football people using the trains may even have a spin-off effect that it may make them use the system more in weekdays too. However we urgently need to have all platforms on the Seaford and Gawler lines capable of 6-car trains because there is a handful of stations that aren't, and is causing quite a bit of congestion after games, by having such short trains to move a lot of people at once

I very happy with the new Adelaide Oval

[crawf]

A lot of stations in Adelaide are great development opportunities just waiting to be taken. I am surprised how few have no retail tenancies of any type. Larger stations Salisbury could support several small shops (newsagent, dry cleaners, etc.) whose rent in turn could support station maintenance. I am also suprised how few have billboards or vending machines.

Does Mawson Lakes still have that little convenience store?

I just passed it before and it's still open.

In regards to Salisbury, hopefully the entire interchange will be overhauled to coincide with the electrification project. I heard there is plans for turnstiles, so hopefully that's a sign for whats to come.

[Tonsley213]

Update for Tonsley Junction works.

@11:30 track work on PEM/LEM crossing Alawoona Ave X-ing.

@1800 Diamond seen traversing the LX on Alawoona Ave.


Turnout at Clovelly Park station
IMG_4928 by Tonsley, on Flickr

Turnout at Celtic Ave X-ing.
IMG_4938 by Tonsley, on Flickr

Diamond Crossing Alawoona Ave
IMG_4953 by Tonsley, on Flickr

IMG_4955 by Tonsley, on Flickr

IMG_4965 by Tonsley, on Flickr