[SWP] New Womens and Childrens Hospital

[NTRabbit]

If Adelaide gets an underground CBD railway, the plan for the tunnel entrance is that it will be in the gap between the university buildings to the north of the City West tram stop. It will be easiest if the stations are above ground because underground stations are incredibly expensive. Melbourne Metro's stations will cost $3.1 billion out of the $4.7 billion project (https://www.theage.com.au/national/vict ... 56dva.html).

So it will be costly to build an underground Adelaide Railway Station. Moving ARS to the RAH just before the tunnel will be the lowest cost solution (and therefore more likely to be built at all). Then the other CBD stations can be built from excavations in the squares.

Adelaide Railway Station is practically an underground station already! There's a substantial staircase down from North Terrace to platform level, and most of the platforms are now underneath the Convention Centre, Exhibition Centre and Riverside Centre.

The problem with the current Adelaide Railway Station is that it can't be readily converted into a through running station. The current constraints of the existing station layout and surrounding properties mean that the current platforms can't be changed from a terminal layout. The new Festival Plaza basement car park and tower are the nail in the coffin to any future conversion of the existing platforms.

The creation of a new through running link at Adelaide Railway Station will need to come from bored underground tunnels and new platforms below North Terrace, with pedestrian connections to the existing station. Those new underground platforms can free up capacity at the existing terminal platforms for new services, potentially regional and long distance if some of the other access, track gauge and long term planning issues can be addressed.

They can bore from the current line underneath the station, at the expense of a slightly longer walk to a flat bit of rail next to the platform you can board from, and still retain the capacity for two sets nose to tail at a platform, certainly from platforms 1-4

One thing that's glaringly absent from the nWCH proposal is public transport. The concepts released last year already have a conveniently-located overpass above the wide, straight rail corridor next to the nWCH, why not take advantage of it?

Anybody on the Belair, Seaford and Flinders lines coming to use the nWCH or RAH have to go all the way into Adelaide Station and transfer to the tram to double back. A station will cut the need to transfer services and will land southern train passengers right on the doorstep of the nWCH and the rest of the BioMed precinct, zero transfers needed.

Yes, the station would be barely 1km away from Adelaide Station, but it would make accessing the hospitals significantly more convenient and by happenstance, provide a direct rail connection between Flinders hospitals and the BioMed precinct. It would also encourage more southern commuters to use their nearest train station to get to the hospitals instead of driving all the way into the city.

Remember the age-old rule of public transport: if you make it easy and convenient to use, then people will use it.

nWCH station.png

People coming from Gawler and Outer Harbour would still need to go all the way to Adelaide station and catch the tram back though, halving its utility and making it a non starter.

[1NEEDS2POST]

People coming from Outer Harbor and Grange can change at Bowden for the Entertainment Centre tram stop. It's convenient for the RAH too, it should be promoted as an interchange.

[Nort]

People coming from Outer Harbor and Grange can change at Bowden for the Entertainment Centre tram stop. It's convenient for the RAH too, it should be promoted as an interchange.

Doesn't seem worth the effort. Five minute walk between Bowden train station and the tram stop versus ten minutes from the train to the hospital.

[1NEEDS2POST]

People coming from Outer Harbor and Grange can change at Bowden for the Entertainment Centre tram stop. It's convenient for the RAH too, it should be promoted as an interchange.

Doesn't seem worth the effort. Five minute walk between Bowden train station and the tram stop versus ten minutes from the train to the hospital.

Google Maps will route you this way during the day because it's faster. It's only a problem late at night when the tram is infrequent.

[ndru_01]

Government should be getting close to finalizing their revised plan.

Anyone want to guess the latest cost estimate?

[Jaymz]

Government should be getting close to finalizing their revised plan.

Anyone want to guess the latest cost estimate?

Yep, a bazillion dollars

[ndru_01]

Government should be getting close to finalizing their revised plan.

Anyone want to guess the latest cost estimate?

Yep, a bazillion dollars

Seriously now, with a Labor in government in charge it's going to be 3 bazillion with no contingency

[Llessur2002]

Bit of a recurrent theme with tonight's posts but along with the Hahndorf access project the new WCH (on this site at least) has been canned.

[SRW]

Was this dropped to the 'Tiser? I don't subscribe and haven't seen it elsewhere.

[ml69]

So they don’t even have a site now. It’s gonna be another decade before this gets built!
Who else think the former Aust Post site on Grote St is a good location? Good access from West Tce and Sir Donald Bradman Dr, and can be a catalyst for an extended tram loop down West Tce back to Vic Square.
I know developers their plans for residential apartments but could buy them out.
It could also encourage an extension of the Gouger St restaurant precinct to the west of Morphett St.

[SRW]

According to InDaily new site will be announced today:
https://indaily.com.au/news/2022/09/27/ ... tal-build/
As much as I would like it to be contained within the Square Mile, this government doesn’t appear to have the appetite for the spending required. I think the most likely location will be the parkland west of Morphett St bridge where the Liberals arena was mooted. If they contemplate any other parkland site, they will (rightly) lose the seat of Adelaide.

[Prodical]

Or the Police barracks over the railway line

[Nathan]

I can't see any parklands being politically suitable outside of the now canned location.

Maybe Thebarton? Former Coke or West End sites might be an option.

[Ben]

I can't see any parklands being politically suitable outside of the now canned location.

Maybe Thebarton? Former Coke or West End sites might be an option.

I think these sites would make most sense. Tram link between the two. Close to NRAH while having an ability to expand.

[gnrc_louis]

Police barracks site chosen