News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[Hooligan]

I would say Mile End will be irrelevant once the CBD subway is established.

Lol, is that before or after 2050?

[Norman]

I would say Mile End will be irrelevant once the CBD subway is established.

Lol, is that before or after 2050?

Probably in the next 20-30 years, it depends what the final copy of the transport plan says.

[PeFe]

Millswood station re-opens Sunday October 12

http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/Announc ... -timetable

[fifty]

Millswood station re-opens Sunday October 12

http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/Announc ... -timetable

What?! Where is the SA thread for this?! I'm based overseas but will be returning and this would become my local station. YES!!

[metro]

video on Adelaide's electrification:



This must have been made a while ago, they made it sound like the whole rail system was being electrified, all we got was one line

and not sure what that Luigi Rossy guy was talking about, Perth just electrified their system??? yeah 20 years ago. Maybe he meant Auckland, they just finished electrifying their whole network.

[PD2/20]

video on Adelaide's electrification:

...

This must have been made a while ago, they made it sound like the whole rail system was being electrified, all we got was one line

and not sure what that Luigi Rossy guy was talking about, Perth just electrified their system??? yeah 20 years ago. Maybe he meant Auckland, they just finished electrifying their whole network.

The oldest video was the Nairne Jn reconstruction in January 2013 with the erection or the electrification gantrywork in the Adelaide station yard. Most of the signalling work was done in latter half of 2013. EMUs were running in service so post Feb 2014. There are shots of the new double track Tonsley Junction which was installed at Easter 2014.

[EBG]

The ETCS 1 (European Train Control System) is hardly new technology . It was First proposed 1n 2000 and introduced in Europe in 2002. Most European countries are now Running ETCS 3. but since we don't high train frequencies or any high speed trains I suppose ETCS 1 is adequate.

[PD2/20]

The ETCS 1 (European Train Control System) is hardly new technology . It was First proposed 1n 2000 and introduced in Europe in 2002. Most European countries are now Running ETCS 3. but since we don't high train frequencies or any high speed trains I suppose ETCS 1 is adequate.

How many of the ETCS 2 and 3 implementations are not on newly-constructed or self-contained lines? ETCS 1 has the advantage that it can be used with conventional signalling and does not require all rolling stock to be ETCS 2/3 equipped.

[metro]

whatever the signalling, it better be able to do high frequencies (10+ trains an hour) and higher speeds (120-140km/h).

[PD2/20]

whatever the signalling, it better be able to do high frequencies (10+ trains an hour) and higher speeds (120-140km/h).

Installing higher performance signalling on the present Adelaide network would not be of great benefit. Higher speeds would be of most benefit to express services. However running a mixture of express and stopping services really requires more than the double track network Adelaide currently has. Seaford/Tonsley in the peak now has 10 trains / hr with 6/hr in the reverse direction. Increasing the frequency further would require elimination of the many level crossings to avoid bring road traffic to a standstill. Also there are fairly severe speed restrictions across the current network, eg the curves at Edwardstown, Oaklands/Warradale, and Hove/Brighton, on the Belair line, platform clearances on the Outer Harbor line and sighting issues at quite a few level crossings that would require major investment before the benefit of improved signalling could be realised.

[metro]

Installing higher performance signalling on the present Adelaide network would not be of great benefit. Higher speeds would be of most benefit to express services. However running a mixture of express and stopping services really requires more than the double track network Adelaide currently has. Seaford/Tonsley in the peak now has 10 trains / hr with 6/hr in the reverse direction. Increasing the frequency further would require elimination of the many level crossings to avoid bring road traffic to a standstill.

The existing train network in some parts should be able to run much faster than what it currently does - There are long straight stretches on the Gawler line between stations where even the Diesel trains should be able to get upto 120-140km/h easily, similarly on the Seaford line for example; trains not stopping at Mile End should be able to do over 110km/h from Port Rd to Anzac Hwy. The whole point of electric trains is fast acceleration and breaking so it should be easy for them to quickly get upto 100km/h when leaving a station, where there's at least a 2km gap between stations 120-140km/h should be possible.

On frequency, Seaford with 10 per hour in peak is good and as you say increasing it further will result in level crossings being closed more than they're open. Rather I think its more the off-peak times and the other lines that need more services, 1-2 trains an hour seems to be the norm for a lot of stations, it should be at least 2-4 trains an hour right upto midnight.

Also there are fairly severe speed restrictions across the current network, eg the curves at Edwardstown, Oaklands/Warradale, and Hove/Brighton, on the Belair line, platform clearances on the Outer Harbor line and sighting issues at quite a few level crossings that would require major investment before the benefit of improved signalling could be realised.

On this point, did the last few years of track work not fix these problems? The Seaford line was closed for a whole year so surely those issues with curves and sighting issues could have been resolved during that time.

[PD2/20]

Installing higher performance signalling on the present Adelaide network would not be of great benefit. Higher speeds would be of most benefit to express services. However running a mixture of express and stopping services really requires more than the double track network Adelaide currently has. Seaford/Tonsley in the peak now has 10 trains / hr with 6/hr in the reverse direction. Increasing the frequency further would require elimination of the many level crossings to avoid bring road traffic to a standstill.

The existing train network in some parts should be able to run much faster than what it currently does - There are long straight stretches on the Gawler line between stations where even the Diesel trains should be able to get upto 120-140km/h easily, similarly on the Seaford line for example; trains not stopping at Mile End should be able to do over 110km/h from Port Rd to Anzac Hwy. The whole point of electric trains is fast acceleration and breaking so it should be easy for them to quickly get upto 100km/h when leaving a station, where there's at least a 2km gap between stations 120-140km/h should be possible.

I agree that the Gawler line probably has the greatest scope for higher speed running and had that in mind when I wrote "would not be of great benefit". It has to be borne in mind however that signal section length has a close relationship with maximum permitted speed or more strictly with minimum braking distance. Thus without improved braking performnce an increase in speed results in a reduced line capacity. I certainly acknowledge that the 4000s have a noticeable better acceleration that the 3000s to the extent that the diesels struggle to maintain the present offpeak tiemtable whereas the electrics at times have extended station stops to avoid running early. In the past there was a definite compromise even with electric trains between acceleration and maximum speed, but with modern AC motors and traction system this is probably less so.

On frequency, Seaford with 10 per hour in peak is good and as you say increasing it further will result in level crossings being closed more than they're open. Rather I think its more the off-peak times and the other lines that need more services, 1-2 trains an hour seems to be the norm for a lot of stations, it should be at least 2-4 trains an hour right upto midnight.

But then offpeak frequencies are not constrained by signalling.

Also there are fairly severe speed restrictions across the current network, eg the curves at Edwardstown, Oaklands/Warradale, and Hove/Brighton, on the Belair line, platform clearances on the Outer Harbor line and sighting issues at quite a few level crossings that would require major investment before the benefit of improved signalling could be realised.

On this point, did the last few years of track work not fix these problems? The Seaford line was closed for a whole year so surely those issues with curves and sighting issues could have been resolved during that time.

The track work renewed drainage, trackbed and ballast but did not the address the easing of major curves which would involve moving of the rail corridor. The sighting issues arise from more stringent regulations for level crossings which have come into force in recent years. The problem is with level crossings (vehicle and pedestrian) which are located on curves, which again cannot be remedied easily without major work. The majority of temporary speed restrictions on the Seaford line are now of this nature with the worst being a 20 km/hr at Edward St, Brighton.

[metro]

The problem is with level crossings (vehicle and pedestrian) which are located on curves, which again cannot be remedied easily without major work. The majority of temporary speed restrictions on the Seaford line are now of this nature with the worst being a 20 km/hr at Edward St, Brighton.

But still, I stress the fact the line was closed for 365 days! Level crossings can be rebuilt in a couple of days, and curves can be banked in a short time too, aside from electrifying and building the Goodwood Underpass it seems very little work was done when they had the golden opportunity of no trains at all for the entire year. Also, I dont understand the need for speed restrictions at level crossings like at Edwards St when there are boom gates, bells, and flashing lights to warn pedestrians and road users of a train, so the sighting issues should be irrelevant and trains should run through these level crossings at faster speeds.

On another note, Millswood station has been reopened for a trial period, although what they've put up looks permanent and cost half a mil, for a trial of reopening a closed station it's looking much nicer than stations that weren't closed down (Islington, Torrens Park, etc).

[PeFe]

From News.com.au

Residents celebrate re-opening of Millswood station after almost 20 years


Train services have returned to Millswood station. Source: News Corp Australia


RESIDENTS are celebrating yesterday’s re-opening of Millswood station, almost 20 years after it was abandoned due to low patronage.

Reopen Millswood Station group, which has 120 members, says people are already making the most the station.

Group member John Greenshields, of Millswood, saw 18 people on the station platform at one time this morning.

“They were a mix of students and workers, all heading into the city,” Mr Greenshields says.

“I’m reasonably happy with how many people have used it so far.”

The group remains confident plenty of people will use the station during the 12-month trial re-opening.

Mr Greenshields is not concerned peak-hour trains will bypass the station nine times, saying he is thankful to have any service at Millswood.

“You only have half an hour to wait and it’s quite pleasant to sit there and wait — it’s not like you’re on Goodwood Rd with traffic buzzing past.”

The group has distributed 1000 timetables to residents to ensure they use the station and will officially celebrating the re-opening this Sunday from 2.15pm.

The party, including a sausage sizzle and raffle prizes, is at a vacant block just west of the station, on the eastern side of Goodwood Rd.

The Transport Department says for the trial to be a success, the station will need to have similar patronage to neighbouring stations such as Unley Park and Goodwood.

In June, about 3600 passengers used Unley Park station and 1800 at Goodwood.

http://www.news.com.au/national/south-a ... 7088663685

So Unley Park has twice the patronage of Goodwood, that's a surprising statistic. No wonder there is some doubt over Goodwood's future

[Torrens_5022]

Are these statistics of boardings, 3600 at Unley Park and 1600 at Goodwood just the Belair line boardings?
If so Goodwood would have a much much greater number then Unley Park if you include the Seaford line.