News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[Patrick_27]

I hate to say it, but the O Bahn tunnel will blow out big time. Remember how much it was going to cost to tunnel South Road at Port Road? Now, while one is six lanes and the other is two lanes; sure, the cost won't be the same but $160m is a rather low estimate.

[Norman]

The cost for those road projects is higher not because of the fact that it was a tunnel, but mainly because of property acquisition.

[Torrens_5022]

The Gawler line is in a high growth corridor while the obahn area has already been developed (eg Greenwith) , Adelaide's north is growing especially around Munno Para (West), Blakeview areas - Gawler and even beyond - The obahn between the city and the track entrance needs to be fixed but increasing Gawler line capacity and frequency is a more urgent issue.

[ml69]

The Gawler line is in a high growth corridor while the obahn area has already been developed (eg Greenwith) , Adelaide's north is growing especially around Munno Para (West), Blakeview areas - Gawler and even beyond - The obahn between the city and the track entrance needs to be fixed but increasing Gawler line capacity and frequency is a more urgent issue.

Nailed it .... 100% agree.

[Tonsley213]

What you guys are forgetting is that the remaining Unelectrified lines will gain 22 diesel train consists that will boost the capacity and frequency of these lines.

[monotonehell]

What you guys are forgetting is that the remaining Unelectrified lines will gain 22 train consists that will boost the capacity and frequency of these lines.

This is a point, the cost to electrify the line isn't the only cost to improve frequency. Although I still think electrifying the line is a priority over the OBahn congestion mitigation.

Is it a case of we can do the Obahn thing now, for a return now. But if we electrify the Gawler Line now, we wont improve services much because we still have to wait for delivery of vehicles?

[crawf]

How many electric trains are still yet to come?. I still believe it's far more important to modernise an entire major railway line or at least half of it, then shedding a couple minutes for Obahn passengers.

In the meantime the State Government could atleast allocate funds towards sprucing up the stations. The busy Salisbury Interchange for example, is an absolute mess that badly needs a huge overhaul.. As does the whole town centre.

Kilburn is another one that could do with a simple makeover.

[ChillyPhilly]

The western platform of Parafield is being upgraded to match the eastern one.

Bringing our rail network into the present day and out of the 1960s is pivotal if we're going to get more people on public transport. Not an overpriced tunnel that will save four minutes.

[AG]

How many electric trains are still yet to come?. I still believe it's far more important to modernise an entire major railway line or at least half of it, then shedding a couple minutes for Obahn passengers.

In the meantime the State Government could atleast allocate funds towards sprucing up the stations. The busy Salisbury Interchange for example, is an absolute mess that badly needs a huge overhaul.. As does the whole town centre.

Kilburn is another one that could do with a simple makeover.

22 three-car sets were ordered. 6 of them are currently in service, and one set is currently in testing.

On the O-Bahn tunnel, given that the concept plans seem to show the works ending short of the bridge over the Torrens, I don't see how the project is going to achieve a time saving of 4 minutes for O-Bahn passengers, given that they will still have to cross regular traffic in the short stretch that won't be upgraded.

[Tonsley213]

4001 is yet to hit service. To my knowledge at least.

[monotonehell]

22 three-car sets were ordered. 6 of them are currently in service, and one set is currently in testing.

Do you know what the expected timing of all those 22 to be in service is?

On the O-Bahn tunnel, given that the concept plans seem to show the works ending short of the bridge over the Torrens, I don't see how the project is going to achieve a time saving of 4 minutes for O-Bahn passengers, given that they will still have to cross regular traffic in the short stretch that won't be upgraded.

Most of the time spent is not at those lights as they have a bus signal* but is spent amongst cars on the Hackney Road and Rundle Road stretch. I can see this working, if it also solves the bottle necking issue at the OBahn's exit.

(* is that like a bat signal?)

[Vee]

The western platform of Parafield is being upgraded to match the eastern one.

Bringing our rail network into the present day and out of the 1960s is pivotal if we're going to get more people on public transport. Not an overpriced tunnel that will save four minutes.

I agree that the rail line electrification and upgrading etc of station platforms should be a higher priority than the O-Bahn tunnel investment - to save just 4 minutes off the journey?

It's been great to talk to many fans at the Adelaide Oval who have discovered the convenience of public transport, particularly using the trains to get to and from matches. This is a great opportunity to increase patronage for other journeys.

[SouthAussie94]

I think the main reason that the Gawler electrification keeps being delayed is because electrifying the line would render 1/3 of the train fleet unusable; the 2000/2100 class diesel trains can't be run under electric wires because their cabs are too close to the wires.

The O-Bahn is costing $160M. You could probably electrify the Gawler line for this, however you would then need to buy more trains with this greatly increasing the cost.

Once all 22 electric trains are delivered and are operational then the Diesel trains will be able to be cascaded to the other lines and services along these lines will be able to be increased. Electrification is great but it isn't the 'be all, end all'.

Does anyone have a estimate on how much quicker Gawler services would be if the line were to be electrified? Is the time saving more than 4 minutes?

[Hooligan]

If having all 22 trains delivered means better diesel services on the other lines I'm not going to complain about the Gawler line not being electrified.

[ChillyPhilly]

I think the main reason that the Gawler electrification keeps being delayed is because electrifying the line would render 1/3 of the train fleet unusable; the 2000/2100 class diesel trains can't be run under electric wires because their cabs are too close to the wires.

Someone correct me if wrong, but when SA was very healthy financially and things were getting done, the year of 2012 was meant to be the death knell of the 2000s/2100s.

The O-Bahn is costing $160M. You could probably electrify the Gawler line for this, however you would then need to buy more trains with this greatly increasing the cost.

Correct. From memory Gawler electrification is somewhere at around $150 million. The trains have already been ordered and paid for as far as I am aware.

Once all 22 electric trains are delivered and are operational then the Diesel trains will be able to be cascaded to the other lines and services along these lines will be able to be increased. Electrification is great but it isn't the 'be all, end all'.

Does anyone have a estimate on how much quicker Gawler services would be if the line were to be electrified? Is the time saving more than 4 minutes?

Speed up services by 20-30 kilometres per hour and you'll see how much time you save. Salisbury to Adelaide (with a stop in between at only Mawson Lakes) could be done in 15 minutes or less. Take an average speed of about 100 km/h. Salisbury to Adelaide is pretty much bang on 20 km. That's around 12 minutes. The patronage would explode.