News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[ChillyPhilly]

Total, absolute rubbish again by the Liberals. Shocking mismanagement. Wingard starting to look as inept as Knoll.

[Goodsy]

We need another William Webb, it's been 100 years since he came through

[Spotto]

Apparently the drivers are predicting a reopening of May next year. Not an official date, but that's currently their best guess.

[Kasey771]

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?

Best guess?? I moved back tto ADL in 2010. I had no idea this project would still be incomplete in August 2021! I'm 44 and starting to wonder if I'll ever get to ride on an electric train! I honestly cant remember the last time I drove to Mawson Lakes Interchange to catch a train into the CBD.

[Spotto]

Compare us to Auckland, a city of similar population and similar network length. While we crawl through upgrading lines one at a time and years apart with long-term closures, Auckland knuckled down and electrified their entire network and built a new depot between 2010 and 2015 (first electric service 2014). From what I can find online, partial and full network closures occurred most commonly on weekends with longer planned closures lasting several weeks (I can't tell if any closures ran across months), but the trains still mostly kept running. If I've missed anything, please correct me.

Within that same 2010-15 time span we electrified the Noarlunga and Tonsley lines (plus the Belair line to Goodwood) over a year-long closure, with Tonsley having already been closed for a year immediately beforehand for track renewal. Track renewals also continued on all lines (2008-13) in anticipation for electrification, and the planned Gawler electrification was cancelled.

[Jacob_ULG3]

Houston we have lift off with the new signals along the Gawler Line now switched on.

Signals between Nurlutta and Elizabeth in the up direction are switched on.

[rev]

Compare us to Auckland, a city of similar population and similar network length. While we crawl through upgrading lines one at a time and years apart with long-term closures, Auckland knuckled down and electrified their entire network and built a new depot between 2010 and 2015 (first electric service 2014). From what I can find online, partial and full network closures occurred most commonly on weekends with longer planned closures lasting several weeks (I can't tell if any closures ran across months), but the trains still mostly kept running. If I've missed anything, please correct me.

Within that same 2010-15 time span we electrified the Noarlunga and Tonsley lines (plus the Belair line to Goodwood) over a year-long closure, with Tonsley having already been closed for a year immediately beforehand for track renewal. Track renewals also continued on all lines (2008-13) in anticipation for electrification, and the planned Gawler electrification was cancelled.

Our state politicians prefer to politicize these matters to try and win elections. And why wouldn't they? It works every time.

[Norman]

Compare us to Auckland, a city of similar population and similar network length. While we crawl through upgrading lines one at a time and years apart with long-term closures, Auckland knuckled down and electrified their entire network and built a new depot between 2010 and 2015 (first electric service 2014). From what I can find online, partial and full network closures occurred most commonly on weekends with longer planned closures lasting several weeks (I can't tell if any closures ran across months), but the trains still mostly kept running. If I've missed anything, please correct me.

Within that same 2010-15 time span we electrified the Noarlunga and Tonsley lines (plus the Belair line to Goodwood) over a year-long closure, with Tonsley having already been closed for a year immediately beforehand for track renewal. Track renewals also continued on all lines (2008-13) in anticipation for electrification, and the planned Gawler electrification was cancelled.

I think Rev might be right here. New Zealand has fewer layers of government, so funding for projects can be negotiated much easier between the national and local governments. For example, the main proponent of the underground link in Auckland was the Auckland City council, who negotiated directly with the national government for funding.

New Zealand's national government takes about 90% of all taxes in New Zealand. In comparison, the states, who manage Public Transport, only receive less than 20% of all taxes, with the federal government taking 80% and then dishing it out to the states.

Another crucial point is that Auckland is the biggest city in New Zealand, meaning a project in this city will always take priority over projects in smaller cities like Christchurch.

[PD2/20]

Houston we have lift off with the new signals along the Gawler Line now switched on.

Signals between Nurlutta and Elizabeth in the up direction are switched on.

I've been having a look at the works over the past few days and despite the recent announcement about the further delay to the project there has been significant progress visible on a number of fronts. Mast erection has been substatially completed with only limited works outstanding around Broadmeadows and Gawler. Mast erection and fitting is now underway in the South Yard of Dry Creek Depot. Stringing is in progress from Munno Para to Evanston. Electrical works include the installation of three traction sectioning huts, in the fork of Seaford and Gawler lines, at KIlburn sustation and at Munno Para Downs just SW of Dalkeith Road crossing. Booster transformers for stray current control are now in place at Dudley Park and Parafield Gdns. At Kilburn substation work continues on installing feeder cables and the SVC (static VAR compensator) which is standard practice at rail substations to equalise and stabilise the load across all three phases. It is evident that the electrical contract has been awarded to ABB whereas Siemens had the Seaford contract. Pedestrian crossing work has been completed at Islington, Chidda South and Broadmeadows South and is underway at Chidda North, Brown Street (Salisbury), Broadmeadows North and Roseworthy Junc, Gawler. As Jacob observed the signalling is progressing. At the S end of Mawson Lakes, a fixed red has been installed on the up line, presumbly to allow trains from Salisbury to run wrong line from Salisbury and reverse. Automatic signals around Chidda and N of Nurlutta were showing red yesterday with neighbouring old signals showing yellow or green!

I noticed recently that the power supply cabinet at Park Tce had a "now live' notice. At Salisbury new signals have not yet been erected on the up platform nor northbound on the new signal gantry.

[SBD]

Thanks for the detailed update.

Is it possible that the electrification works will be mostly completed on the original timetable, and the recent delay is to 1) allow for train delivery and 2) avoid having to close the line again soon after to install the Torrens Road bridge?

[jk1237]

In the Torrens Road bridge case there is one sole reason why the line won't be closed during construction - the interstate freight line runs through it so this is of importance to keep open. If this line wasn't there and it was just only metro trains that ran through it, the line would be closed for years because of how little importance the Liberals give to public transport

[PD2/20]

In the Torrens Road bridge case there is one sole reason why the line won't be closed during construction - the interstate freight line runs through it so this is of importance to keep open. If this line wasn't there and it was just only metro trains that ran through it, the line would be closed for years because of how little importance the Liberals give to public transport

It is of note that recent overbridge construction projects around Adelaide (Darlington, Regency/South. Flinders Link Rail) have all employed the technique of constructing pier supports and then lifting/manouvering prefabricated steel spans into place in a short space of time, thus minimising disruption to existing traffic flows.

[PD2/20]

Thanks for the detailed update.

Is it possible that the electrification works will be mostly completed on the original timetable, and the recent delay is to 1) allow for train delivery and 2) avoid having to close the line again soon after to install the Torrens Road bridge?

It seems that the recent lockdown hasn't had much impact on the project progress. However all the different aspects of the project would have to come together fot complettion to occur this year, Throughout the project it has been stated that the delivery of trains would follow the electrification work. This makes sense both to defer the capital expenditure and to avoid ahving to find stabling space while the depot work is done. There will be about four of the Seaford fleet of railcars available for service on the Gawler line before deliveriy of the new units. The installation of the Torrens Rd bridge spans over the rail shouldn't require a prolonged closure judging by the recent projects at Darlington, Regency park and Flinders.

Notices were emailed out this afternoon about overnight closures of the Clark Rd, Tambelin and Curtis Rd level crossings this weekend and early next week for overhead work. It also looks as if the stringing through Elizabeth up to Smithfield is fairly imminent.

[Jacob_ULG3]

Thanks for the detailed update.

Is it possible that the electrification works will be mostly completed on the original timetable, and the recent delay is to 1) allow for train delivery and 2) avoid having to close the line again soon after to install the Torrens Road bridge?

It seems that the recent lockdown hasn't had much impact on the project progress. However all the different aspects of the project would have to come together fot complettion to occur this year, Throughout the project it has been stated that the delivery of trains would follow the electrification work. This makes sense both to defer the capital expenditure and to avoid ahving to find stabling space while the depot work is done. There will be about four of the Seaford fleet of railcars available for service on the Gawler line before deliveriy of the new units. The installation of the Torrens Rd bridge spans over the rail shouldn't require a prolonged closure judging by the recent projects at Darlington, Regency park and Flinders.

Notices were emailed out this afternoon about overnight closures of the Clark Rd, Tambelin and Curtis Rd level crossings this weekend and early next week for overhead work. It also looks as if the stringing through Elizabeth up to Smithfield is fairly imminent.

It would seem that electrification work is now possibly progressing between Elizabeth and Munno Para I would say with the latest emails being sent out saying that electrification work is being carried out between Munno Para and Smithfield and requires the closure of Anderson Walk LXing, same with womma with electrification work between Broadmeadows and Womma requiring the closure of Womma Rd LXing as well and works won't finish until 1st September for that stretch. That would mean Remaining sections left would be Elizabeth to Womma (from the notices), Adelaide to Nth Adelaide, Munno Para to Kudla, Evanston to Gawler Central. It wont strike me as odd if the Munno Para to Kudla section is finished next after the Womma Rd Closure however due to a track sectioning cabin being installed there, it might be the reason why that section is not finished yet. In terms of the Evanston to Gawler Central section, might be that its broken up with Evanston to Gawler getting done soon in mid to late September and requiring the closure of Para and Barnet Road LXings and then during October finishing off the remaining sections. Thats my theory, however its anyone's guess. But work on the Dry creek depot is already underway and Hanging sturctures are now installed on some of the masts inside. It wont take long, if anything it would only be a month or 2 months delayed which would see the line open up again in Mid Jan i would say or right smacker on when school returns.

[ChillyPhilly]

Just imagine if the project included redeveloped stations and grade separations.