News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[PeFe]

Is there a sign on the platform that days....

"Trains on this platform travel in 2 directions"

or are passengers just meant to know this....

[Eurostar]

Poles and wires between city and Salisbury so in theory diesel train services could be run even if done in peak direction only it'll relieve buses, get northerners from and to home quicker.

[Spotto]

Is there a sign on the platform that days....

"Trains on this platform travel in 2 directions"

or are passengers just meant to know this....

Passengers are just somehow meant to know this. Easy for somebody who might use the Belair Line regularly and know how it runs, not so much for occasional or new commuters. Sure, it's really only a problem at Goodwood and Showground where the Belair Line runs parallel to other routes, but especially since Showground gets very busy during the royal show and other events it's a pretty noticeable flaw. Even a "trains on this platform travel in 2 directions" under the departure screen would be a start, but it's only a band-aid solution.

[Tonsley213]

Poles and wires between city and Salisbury so in theory diesel train services could be run even if done in peak direction only it'll relieve buses, get northerners from and to home quicker.

Is the signalling commissioned yet?

[Jacob_ULG3]

Poles and wires between city and Salisbury so in theory diesel train services could be run even if done in peak direction only it'll relieve buses, get northerners from and to home quicker.

Is the signalling commissioned yet?

No yet.

The original signals are still operational atm. However, they have got signals setup between Adelaide and Smithfield, but switched off. I shared previously the signals at Elizabeth with new junction signals set up. Now track work has been connected to the main line and finally completed 10 years late.

[Bob]

Still no electrical wiring strung yet through North Adelaide, considering this was the first section to have masts installed a year ago things seem to be running slowly with this project.

In the photos attached, the wire you see in between the gantries is just a steel cable - I am assuming is just for stability reasons.

[SBD]

Has electrical wiring been strung anywhere yet?

This might be a different trade, done by different people and perhaps all at once after the poles and gantries are all in place? I imagine that they don't want electrical wires strung but not electrified for very long, in case they get damaged or shorted, as the person who first flicks the switch to "on" needs to be confident that the section they are turning on is not going to blow up.

I've noticed the cross bars are on poles near Curtis Road and Womma Road crossings now.

[PD2/20]

Still no electrical wiring strung yet through North Adelaide, considering this was the first section to have masts installed a year ago things seem to be running slowly with this project.

In the photos attached, the wire you see in between the gantries is just a steel cable - I am assuming is just for stability reasons.

The first group of electrification crews worked out of the south yard at Islington Works and masts were first erected around Dudley Park and Islington. In the July 2020 closure the section through Islington was partially strung with 2 return cables and 1 earth cable. For each track the standard arrangement is an earth wire bonded to all the mast structures, a return wire for the traction current to reduce stray current around the track, and two wires energised at 25 kV, a contact wire to deliver current to the pantographs and a catenary wire which supports tke contact wire. The first stringing of the 25kV copper occurred in December 2020 using a specialised rig mounted on a pair of Hi-Rail trucks. This allows the contact and catenary wires to be rolled out simultaneously under tension. The rig has been used since then to string from Park Terrace, N Adelaide to reach just S of Elizabeth in the past week. The Islington crew worked out to Mawson Lakes and a second crew worked around Parafield, Salisbury and recently to Elizabeth. The Adelaide Yard was partially strung in the March/April closure and has been almost completed in the current 2 week closure including the stabling sidings opposite tke RAH and the tracks out to Torrens Bridge. Your photos capture the one section S of Elizabeth still to be strung. The city end of this section is in close proximity to the Outer Harbour and this may be why it has been delayed. The single cable that you note is an earth cable which incorporates an optical fibre to provide a communications link along the line. Normally it has only been installed after everything else has been strung, as it comes in ~2km lengths and requires more careful handling.

Has electrical wiring been strung anywhere yet?

This might be a different trade, done by different people and perhaps all at once after the poles and gantries are all in place? I imagine that they don't want electrical wires strung but not electrified for very long, in case they get damaged or shorted, as the person who first flicks the switch to "on" needs to be confident that the section they are turning on is not going to blow up.

I've noticed the cross bars are on poles near Curtis Road and Womma Road crossings now.

From what I have observed the foundations for the steel masts and the erection of the concrete masts have been carried out by concreting contractors. However the electrification crews seem to be responsible for the erection of the steel masts and portals, the fitting of all the brackets and arms and the stringing of the wires.

Work has been ongoing at the SAPN Kilburn Substation on the electrical equipment to feed the line. Both there and at Torrens Bridge cable ducts are being installed for feeders to the overhead.

My impression is that the project has been progressing steadily both in the electrification and in the resignalling. Almost all masts have now been erected to beyond Tambelin and I believe completion could be achieved in November as currently planned. Of course many of the masts N of Nurlutta were erected in 2012 when the track was renewed.

[Bob]

Still no electrical wiring strung yet through North Adelaide, considering this was the first section to have masts installed a year ago things seem to be running slowly with this project.

In the photos attached, the wire you see in between the gantries is just a steel cable - I am assuming is just for stability reasons.

The first group of electrification crews worked out of the south yard at Islington Works and masts were first erected around Dudley Park and Islington. In the July 2020 closure the section through Islington was partially strung with 2 return cables and 1 earth cable. For each track the standard arrangement is an earth wire bonded to all the mast structures, a return wire for the traction current to reduce stray current around the track, and two wires energised at 25 kV, a contact wire to deliver current to the pantographs and a catenary wire which supports tke contact wire. The first stringing of the 25kV copper occurred in December 2020 using a specialised rig mounted on a pair of Hi-Rail trucks. This allows the contact and catenary wires to be rolled out simultaneously under tension. The rig has been used since then to string from Park Terrace, N Adelaide to reach just S of Elizabeth in the past week. The Islington crew worked out to Mawson Lakes and a second crew worked around Parafield, Salisbury and recently to Elizabeth. The Adelaide Yard was partially strung in the March/April closure and has been almost completed in the current 2 week closure including the stabling sidings opposite tke RAH and the tracks out to Torrens Bridge. Your photos capture the one section S of Elizabeth still to be strung. The city end of this section is in close proximity to the Outer Harbour and this may be why it has been delayed. The single cable that you note is an earth cable which incorporates an optical fibre to provide a communications link along the line. Normally it has only been installed after everything else has been strung, as it comes in ~2km lengths and requires more careful handling.

Has electrical wiring been strung anywhere yet?

This might be a different trade, done by different people and perhaps all at once after the poles and gantries are all in place? I imagine that they don't want electrical wires strung but not electrified for very long, in case they get damaged or shorted, as the person who first flicks the switch to "on" needs to be confident that the section they are turning on is not going to blow up.

I've noticed the cross bars are on poles near Curtis Road and Womma Road crossings now.

From what I have observed the foundations for the steel masts and the erection of the concrete masts have been carried out by concreting contractors. However the electrification crews seem to be responsible for the erection of the steel masts and portals, the fitting of all the brackets and arms and the stringing of the wires.

Work has been ongoing at the SAPN Kilburn Substation on the electrical equipment to feed the line. Both there and at Torrens Bridge cable ducts are being installed for feeders to the overhead.

My impression is that the project has been progressing steadily both in the electrification and in the resignalling. Almost all masts have now been erected to beyond Tambelin and I believe completion could been achieved in November as currently planned. Of course many of the masts N of Nurlutta were erected in 2012 when the track was renewed.

Thanks for the detailed post - that clears things up.

[Uncle Monty]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned anywhere, but extra height barriers are being installed on the Morphett St bridge along the Western side. Assuming this is to stop anyone from touching the new overhead wiring.

[SBD]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned anywhere, but extra height barriers are being installed on the Morphett St bridge along the Western side. Assuming this is to stop anyone from touching the new overhead wiring.

There are new higher barriers on the Gawler Bypass bridge over the railway line too. It seems a strange place to need extra protection as there would be almost zero pedestrians there.

[PeFe]

New murals at the Noarlunga Interchange.....I suppose it's better than what there was before.

[mawsonguy]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned anywhere, but extra height barriers are being installed on the Morphett St bridge along the Western side. Assuming this is to stop anyone from touching the new overhead wiring.

There are new higher barriers on the Gawler Bypass bridge over the railway line too. It seems a strange place to need extra protection as there would be almost zero pedestrians there.

I suspect the real reason is to stop morons from dropping a cable over the side of the bridge to deliberately short out the overhead wires.

[Spotto]

Is this the first use of the round taxi symbol? I don’t recall it being included in the redesign announcement. Doesn’t seem to have changed from the previous design.

[rev]

Gawler line delayed until [ Insert your best guess ].
They're blaming the recent lockdown.
Because....many of the workers are from interstate and OVERSEAS, and they had to return home apparently.

Why are we using foreign workers to build infrastructure?
Politicians keep telling us, at every media circus they host for infrastructure project announcements, that thousands of jobs will be created. What, for foriegn and interstate workers?