[SWP] New Womens and Childrens Hospital

[Spotto]

i cant believe there is no train station at the hospital and sick people are made to go to ARS and then catch the tram back so stupid

How many sick people use public transport to go to hospital? Given the various promotions for saving a minute here and a minute there on public transport, how much is it worth to add a minute to every train trip into Adelaide station for an extra stop a few hundred metres earlier?

That's assuming there is actually space to add platforms between each pair of tracks in that area. There could be as the yards are smaller now, but some of that space is consumed by the buildings.

For the nWCH it might not be a bad idea. WCH and RAH are not just hospitals for your typical sick person, there's also people who visit consulting doctors/specialists for varying reasons, particularly WCH for reproductive health and natal-related checkups. There's already going to be a footbridge over the rail corridor between nRAH (with walkthrough to RAH) and the multistorey carpark, they could quite easily sacrifice a few metres of land from the carpark to make room for two island platforms between the Belair and Seaford tracks with access to the footbridge.

A station right next to the RAH would be too close to Adelaide Railway Station and in the middle of the rail yard to make any logical sense, but a station next to the nWCH is just far enough away to make sense, it's already a straight stretch of track away from any crossovers or other complex rail infrastructure, there's space to widen the corridor to make room, and it also has a walkable connection to the RAH. As an added bonus, it would also link RAH-WCH with FMC-FPH on a 20min rail trip. Throw in a tram stop on Port Road (walking to nWCH from the RAH tram stop is a fair walk, plus it can also be used for Park 25) and you've got one well-connected hospital precinct.

It's a precinct with two hospitals, it should be easy to get to and you shouldn't have to always rely on your car. I know people whose second homes are hospitals, visiting family not having to drive in and pay for parking every day would save them ridiculous amounts of money.

[Goodsy]

A station at the nWCH that's on the city underground loop would make much more sense

[Spotto]

A station at the nWCH that's on the city underground loop would make much more sense

I'm sorry, but you're making zero sense.

Firstly, the city rail tunnel won't be nor should it be a loop. Not only do we not need a loop (our lines are balanced unlike Sydney or Melbourne), direct through-running links are more efficient than loops. This has been discussed in the trains thread, so I'm going to leave it there.

Secondly, where would such a station go? Right in the middle of the rail yard which is seconds away from Adelaide Railway Station and you would then need to build a connection to the hospitals? There's going to be a perfectly suitable location with a footbridge already planned that would be far easier to build a station at.

Thirdly, if a passenger is on a train that doesn't stop at the hospital station (all three northern lines, Seaford line in the tunnel link), all you need to do is jump on a tram at Adelaide Railway Station and ride to either the RAH stop or a new stop for nWCH.

[PeFe]

Train stop spacing should not mimmick bus stop spacing...trains are there to move people over long distances, quickly. Buses are best at "local" transport.

Trams/light rail can do both.....for example many US light rail systems move people over long distances with few stops ( Some stops on the LA light rail lines are 1.5 to 2 KMs apart!) American streetcars are small trams that run a "local" service in a busy area.

Horses for courses, the Adelaide Metro train system works best when sticking to the tried and true stop spacing, otherwise why shouldn't there another 20 stations on the Seaford and Gawler lines so people don't have to walk so far.

[Llessur2002]

A western entry/exit to the existing ARS would be almost as good as a stop right outside of the hospital and would not involve building a stop in the middle of a rail yard only a few hundred meters from the terminus.

[Nort]

If they build the stadium over the rail lines seems like it would make a lot of sense to build a western entry to the train station.

[SBD]

If they build the stadium over the rail lines seems like it would make a lot of sense to build a western entry to the train station.

I support the idea, but wonder if it has already been made too difficult by the western extension of the Convention Centre?

The tracks under the Montefiore Road bridge are too close together to fit platforms between them. That means that the stairs and lifts from the western ends of each platform need to be under the underneath the Convention Centre.

I don't know what the headroom is between the railway lines and the Convention Centre and road bridge. If they are high enough, passengers to come up to a concourse above the tracks and below those constraints, then go through to street entrances west of the bridge. That would be a good outcome.

On the other hand, if there's not that much vacant height (as I suspect), then each lift and stairs needs to break through the floor of the convention centre and use its western entrance. That would not be an ideal outcome.

[[Shuz]]

They should convert the Morphett Bridge level of the convention centre into the western concourse for the railway station. I reckon it is doable. Just need to cut out the floor slab to align with the platform ends and put in stairs and escalators and lifts. Bit of an engineering and logistical challenge, but not impossible. Given that there are plans to extend the convention centre again, this time on the other side of the morphett street bridge, the space lost to make room for the western concourse could just simply be reabsorbed into the new building.

[rev]

They should convert the Morphett Bridge level of the convention centre into the western concourse for the railway station. I reckon it is doable. Just need to cut out the floor slab to align with the platform ends and put in stairs and escalators and lifts. Bit of an engineering and logistical challenge, but not impossible. Given that there are plans to extend the convention centre again, this time on the other side of the morphett street bridge, the space lost to make room for the western concourse could just simply be reabsorbed into the new building.

You mean the stadium proposal? Is that really an extension of the CC or just spin to try justify it?

[1NEEDS2POST]

If they build the stadium over the rail lines seems like it would make a lot of sense to build a western entry to the train station.

I support the idea, but wonder if it has already been made too difficult by the western extension of the Convention Centre?

The tracks under the Montefiore Road bridge are too close together to fit platforms between them. That means that the stairs and lifts from the western ends of each platform need to be under the underneath the Convention Centre.

I don't know what the headroom is between the railway lines and the Convention Centre and road bridge. If they are high enough, passengers to come up to a concourse above the tracks and below those constraints, then go through to street entrances west of the bridge. That would be a good outcome.

On the other hand, if there's not that much vacant height (as I suspect), then each lift and stairs needs to break through the floor of the convention centre and use its western entrance. That would not be an ideal outcome.

Do we really need 9 tracks into ARS? The track closest to North Terrace could be converted into a walkway. It could even extend all the way to a back entrance to the hospital.

[Norman]

If they build the stadium over the rail lines seems like it would make a lot of sense to build a western entry to the train station.

I support the idea, but wonder if it has already been made too difficult by the western extension of the Convention Centre?

The tracks under the Montefiore Road bridge are too close together to fit platforms between them. That means that the stairs and lifts from the western ends of each platform need to be under the underneath the Convention Centre.

I don't know what the headroom is between the railway lines and the Convention Centre and road bridge. If they are high enough, passengers to come up to a concourse above the tracks and below those constraints, then go through to street entrances west of the bridge. That would be a good outcome.

On the other hand, if there's not that much vacant height (as I suspect), then each lift and stairs needs to break through the floor of the convention centre and use its western entrance. That would not be an ideal outcome.

Do we really need 9 tracks into ARS? The track closest to North Terrace could be converted into a walkway. It could even extend all the way to a back entrance to the hospital.

The current Adelaide Railway Station is close to capacity at peak hour (when all lines are running), hence the need for an underground line with extra platforms. Removing a platform would further reduce the capacity of a station that once used to have 13 platforms from memory.

[SBD]

I support the idea, but wonder if it has already been made too difficult by the western extension of the Convention Centre?

The tracks under the Montefiore Road bridge are too close together to fit platforms between them. That means that the stairs and lifts from the western ends of each platform need to be under the underneath the Convention Centre.

I don't know what the headroom is between the railway lines and the Convention Centre and road bridge. If they are high enough, passengers to come up to a concourse above the tracks and below those constraints, then go through to street entrances west of the bridge. That would be a good outcome.

On the other hand, if there's not that much vacant height (as I suspect), then each lift and stairs needs to break through the floor of the convention centre and use its western entrance. That would not be an ideal outcome.

Do we really need 9 tracks into ARS? The track closest to North Terrace could be converted into a walkway. It could even extend all the way to a back entrance to the hospital.

The current Adelaide Railway Station is close to capacity at peak hour (when all lines are running), hence the need for an underground line with extra platforms. Removing a platform would further reduce the capacity of a station that once used to have 13 platforms from memory.

Yes, Adelaide Station had 13 platforms (and mostly longer than now), but it also had trains to a lot more of South Australia than it does now. The country trains that had not already stopped were moved to Keswick, then the remainder were cancelled anyway. There also used to be more metropolitan services on lines that are now closed (Northfield, Hendon, Penfield etc)

[ChillyPhilly]

Call for ‘immediate’ investigation into proposed Parklands carpark

City of Adelaide elected members were this week recommended to write to the State’s Planning Minister to urge for “additional investigations” to be undertaken “immediately” for the proposed new Women’s and Children’s Hospital multi-storey carpark slated for the Parklands.

https://citymag.indaily.com.au/commerce ... s-carpark/

[Spotto]

Call for ‘immediate’ investigation into proposed Parklands carpark

City of Adelaide elected members were this week recommended to write to the State’s Planning Minister to urge for “additional investigations” to be undertaken “immediately” for the proposed new Women’s and Children’s Hospital multi-storey carpark slated for the Parklands.

https://citymag.indaily.com.au/commerce ... s-carpark/

I'm sure a new carpark will irreparably damage the parkland-like qualities of the wild grass, gravel and discarded junk on the small wedge of land between the rail corridor and the already-developed land that the Gaol and Barracks reside on.

Edit: this is sarcasm

[Patrick_27]

I'm sure a new carpark will irreparably damage the parkland-like qualities of the wild grass, gravel and discarded junk on the small wedge of land between the rail corridor and the already-developed land that the Gaol and Barracks reside on.

Look at the plans again. The carpark is literally at the front door of the Adelaide Gaol. There are so many better places they could build a carpark to service the hospital, the current proposal is lazy in this regard.