News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[adelaide transport]

The article on Infrastructure Australia was factual from an IA press release. This was confirmed by IA's director just a short time ago on 5AA to Leon Byner.
The State Government has budgeted $152.6 million to start the project in the 2017-2018 financial year.This is only for the Adelaide to Salisbury section.
The State Government has already spent $46 million on the section from Salisbury to Gawler,which has turned out to be wasted money as none of the work carried out is of any value or use on future work.

[monotonehell]

...The State Government has already spent $46 million on the section from Salisbury to Gawler,which has turned out to be wasted money as none of the work carried out is of any value or use on future work.

Out of interest, why is this so?

[rhino]

IIRC this project dates back to the year before BHP announced that they were not going to go ahead with their expansion at Olympic Dam (Dec 2012). Several projects the SA Govt had in the pipeline at that point ground to a halt, as the expected income immediately dried up. I don't think this was originally supposed to be funded by the Feds, was it? The internal (SA Govt) business case may not have been sufficient for the IA funding. I'm sure one was done, because the project was started (poles in the ground), but who knows what the Feds require as far as a business case is concerned?

[Goodsy]

They need to do something, I often get caught by the train crossing at Cormack road in the mornings around 7:45 and the 3000's look like they're about the burst with the amount of people inside. I don't know how many passengers get on at each stop but I imagine the trains are standing room only from Mawson Lakes to Adelaide

[Eurostar]

The article on Infrastructure Australia was factual from an IA press release. This was confirmed by IA's director just a short time ago on 5AA to Leon Byner.
The State Government has budgeted $152.6 million to start the project in the 2017-2018 financial year.This is only for the Adelaide to Salisbury section.
The State Government has already spent $46 million on the section from Salisbury to Gawler,which has turned out to be wasted money as none of the work carried out is of any value or use on future work.

The wires will need to be done for the remaining platforms in the City, January maybe?

State Election is in 2018 so getting the poles and wires to Salisbury might get some votes

[Brucetiki]

They need to do something, I often get caught by the train crossing at Cormack road in the mornings around 7:45 and the 3000's look like they're about the burst with the amount of people inside. I don't know how many passengers get on at each stop but I imagine the trains are standing room only from Mawson Lakes to Adelaide

Electrification, if anything, may worsen this problem as it will attract more people to the trains, unless they start having regular 6 car services.

Most services these days it's standing room only between Mawson Lakes and Adelaide.

[crawf]

With the upcoming State Budget and looming election, what's the bet that the State Government will announce electrification of the entire Gawler Line. It's well overdue and the residents of the northern suburbs deserve it.

The State Government has already spent $46 million on the section from Salisbury to Gawler,which has turned out to be wasted money as none of the work carried out is of any value or use on future work.

I'm pretty sure that funding went towards upgrading Elizabeth, Munno Para and other stations, aswell as replacing rotting wooden sleepers with new concrete sleepers. Therefore I wouldn't call it a waste of money.

Electrification, if anything, may worsen this problem as it will attract more people to the trains, unless they start having regular 6 car services.

Most services these days it's standing room only between Mawson Lakes and Adelaide.

At least they will be permanently three cars and have more standing room. It's beyond ridiculous they still use 2-car services during PEAK, it makes for one horrendous daily trip in the morning and night.

Peak services along the Seaford and Gawler Lines should always be six cars.

[Brucetiki]

Peak services along the Seaford and Gawler Lines should always be six cars.

Amen to that - as should the Footy Express trains!

[PD2/20]

With the upcoming State Budget and looming election, what's the bet that the State Government will announce electrification of the entire Gawler Line. It's well overdue and the residents of the northern suburbs deserve it.

The State Government has already spent $46 million on the section from Salisbury to Gawler,which has turned out to be wasted money as none of the work carried out is of any value or use on future work.

I'm pretty sure that funding went towards upgrading Elizabeth, Munno Para and other stations, aswell as replacing rotting wooden sleepers with new concrete sleepers. Therefore I wouldn't call it a waste of money.

The $46 million was for the early electrification work done during the Salisbury - Gawler revitalisation closure. This must have included the detailed design of the overhead
structure and the subsequent installation of concrete masts and footings for steel gantries between Nurlutta and Evanston.

Electrification, if anything, may worsen this problem as it will attract more people to the trains, unless they start having regular 6 car services.

Most services these days it's standing room only between Mawson Lakes and Adelaide.

At least they will be permanently three cars and have more standing room. It's beyond ridiculous they still use 2-car services during PEAK, it makes for one horrendous daily trip in the morning and night.

Peak services along the Seaford and Gawler Lines should always be six cars.

On the Gawler Line only Salisbury and Elizabeth have platforms long enough for 6 cars. Mawson Lakes can only take 4.

[adelaide transport]

Under the Labour Governments plan the Adelaide to Salisbury section would be electrified first. Passengers wishing to travel beyond Salisbury would be required to transfer at Salisbury to a diesel railcar to complete their journey.

[EBG]

When this was first announced in 2008 it was all supposed to be finished in 2013,including the Seaford & Tonsely line, the Outer Harbour line and the Gawler line all electrified and converted to Standard gauge and here we are in 2017 still waiting.

[bits]

There was a significant event right around that time that might have played a part in the delay.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial ... _2007–2008

[ChillyPhilly]

There was a significant event right around that time that might have played a part in the delay.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial ... _2007–2008

Correct. The GFC impacted BHP's exploration and Olympic Dam expansion ambitions (as rhino said), which they put on hold indefinitely.

From memory the Gawler electrification may have been a matched funds project between Federal Labor and the State Government. The scope was downgraded to be just from Adelaide to Dry Creek in the wake of the GFC, but then was extended to Salisbury. Pro-cars and roads Tony Abbott pulled funding almost immediately after winning office.

[crawf]

Under the Labour Governments plan the Adelaide to Salisbury section would be electrified first. Passengers wishing to travel beyond Salisbury would be required to transfer at Salisbury to a diesel railcar to complete their journey.

That's just extremely inconvenient for those commuters wishing to travel past Salisbury, especially for an extra couple of minutes to the next major station at Elizabeth. It will deter people from using public transport and therefore attract even more congestion on our roads.

My understanding was that diesel trains would still run from the City to Gawler though would be express until Salisbury, while an electric service stopping at all stations from Salisbury to the City. Honestly the whole thing sounds complicated, just do the entire line in one go and be done with it. I caught the train to Mawson Lakes a couple of days, and discovered things have just worsen with over-crowding and non-existent frequency. Don't miss that at all.

With Holden closing this year and nearly a decade of false promises, the northern suburbs deserve better than another half arsed plan. A full electrification of the Gawler Line will attract more patronage aswell as investment to the area which in return will create much needed jobs. Expecting people to cram into an electric train to Salisbury, then five minutes later cram like cattle into a diesel powered train will have a negative effect on patronage and is an insult to those people.

On the Gawler Line only Salisbury and Elizabeth have platforms long enough for 6 cars. Mawson Lakes can only take 4.

Which was very poor planning. Any new train stations should have space to fit a minimum of six cars, thankfully the Seaford Line extension fits this requirement.

[OlympusAnt]

Electrify the whole damn thing for goodness sake, its not that hard