News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[Hooligan]

City underground rail key to Adelaide group's new transport vision

Adelaide needs a new approach to public transport with an underground rail loop in the city a key part of this transformation, according to a comprehensive blueprint released by a South Australian transport lobby group.



Full Article: https://indaily.com.au/news/2023/11/08/ ... rt-vision/

Interesting, a lobby group who hasn’t came up with completely pie in the sky stuff.

The CBD tunnel, Roseworthy, Concordia, Two wells, Riverlea and Sellicks Beach rail extensions just all make sense. Wanting trains to Victor Harbour was a bit too far imo.

I like most of the ideas for the tram extensions too! I just struggle to understand the fascination with the idea of a tram to the airport though, diddly bopping down Henley beach road in a tram crammed with suitcases sounds horrible.

A heavy rail spur to the airport however…..

[rubberman]

City underground rail key to Adelaide group's new transport vision

Adelaide needs a new approach to public transport with an underground rail loop in the city a key part of this transformation, according to a comprehensive blueprint released by a South Australian transport lobby group.



Full Article: https://indaily.com.au/news/2023/11/08/ ... rt-vision/

Interesting, a lobby group who hasn’t came up with completely pie in the sky stuff.

The CBD tunnel, Roseworthy, Concordia, Two wells, Riverlea and Sellicks Beach rail extensions just all make sense. Wanting trains to Victor Harbour was a bit too far imo.

I like most of the ideas for the tram extensions too! I just struggle to understand the fascination with the idea of a tram to the airport though, diddly bopping down Henley beach road in a tram crammed with suitcases sounds horrible.

A heavy rail spur to the airport however…..

One of the main authors, Tom Wilson, did this sort of planning as his real life job before retirement. So, almost 40 years of professional judgement in there. The Victor Harbor proposal was to secure an alignment to stop any competing development. It's like SA Water putting dibs on catchments a hundred years ago.

FWIW, Tom has published a history of public transport in Adelaide. Everything you ever wanted to know about trams, trains and buses. Wakefield Press.

[ChillyPhilly]

Interesting, a lobby group who hasn’t came up with completely pie in the sky stuff.

The CBD tunnel, Roseworthy, Concordia, Two wells, Riverlea and Sellicks Beach rail extensions just all make sense. Wanting trains to Victor Harbour was a bit too far imo.

I like most of the ideas for the tram extensions too! I just struggle to understand the fascination with the idea of a tram to the airport though, diddly bopping down Henley beach road in a tram crammed with suitcases sounds horrible.

A heavy rail spur to the airport however…..

One of the main authors, Tom Wilson, did this sort of planning as his real life job before retirement. So, almost 40 years of professional judgement in there. The Victor Harbor proposal was to secure an alignment to stop any competing development. It's like SA Water putting dibs on catchments a hundred years ago.

FWIW, Tom has published a history of public transport in Adelaide. Everything you ever wanted to know about trams, trains and buses. Wakefield Press.

Tom is such a knowledgeable guy. It's great to see him sharing his knowledge with communities, and he also indirectly illustrates how stuck in the 1900s much of our planning and infrastructure is.

[Nathan]

I just struggle to understand the fascination with the idea of a tram to the airport though, diddly bopping down Henley beach road in a tram crammed with suitcases sounds horrible.

I've used the tram in Portland to get to and from PDX, and it works fine. Just have the trams with a different internal configuration to account for luggage.

[claybro]

I just struggle to understand the fascination with the idea of a tram to the airport though, diddly bopping down Henley beach road in a tram crammed with suitcases sounds horrible.

I've used the tram in Portland to get to and from PDX, and it works fine. Just have the trams with a different internal configuration to account for luggage.

Its a short distance from the CBD, so heavy rail would be overkill. So that leaves bus or light rail. Light rail would have more capacity than a bus, and could integrate into a CBD tram loop. I'm not sure HBR is the correct route. If the service is to be for the airport, the best option is probably the creek alignment- provided it came with decent landscaping.... it aint pretty through there!

[ChillyPhilly]

I have a pipe dream idea: extend the Grange line into a mostly tunnelled, two-way western suburbs loop, with stops at Henley Square, West Beach, Harbour Town and the Airport, and then feed into either a CBD underground loop or existing rail north of Adelaide Showground.

Overseas and even in the likes of Melbourne this is not unrealistic, but engineering this through the water table close to the coast would be challenging.

[SBD]

I have a pipe dream idea: extend the Grange line into a mostly tunnelled, two-way western suburbs loop, with stops at Henley Square, West Beach, Harbour Town and the Airport, and then feed into either a CBD underground loop or existing rail north of Adelaide Showground.

Overseas and even in the likes of Melbourne this is not unrealistic, but engineering this through the water table close to the coast would be challenging.

Melbourne must have similar water table/sea level problems to Adelaide - it's not far above the tidal Yarra River.

A Keswick Creek route also has the problem that every now and then, the creek fills with rainwater.

[Ho Really]

[...]

A Keswick Creek route also has the problem that every now and then, the creek fills with rainwater.

Good to see these guys have used my idea that's been on Sensational Adelaide for years, the use of the Keswick Creek as a corridor to the Airport. I don't have the link to that thread off hand but look up how it can be done with water in the drain like you say SBD. Engineers will always find solutions.

As for a loop in the CBD they've got it all wrong. Again they copied one of the routes from a proposal Aidan posted here on Sensational Adelaide years ago. Loops aren't required. You can go straight through with both Gawler-Seaford and OH-Belair. All depends what you want done with Adelaide Railways station and the Keswick Parklands terminal and whether you want to integrate other cross town underground lines. Adelaide can have a futuristic subway system if the planners use their heads properly. Of course money is always the issue but doing it right straight off the bat there won't be regrets in 20-30 years time.

Cheers

P.S. Here is one of the threads we started years ago back in February 2007: Adelaide Airport rail link

[Ho Really]

Here's a couple of concepts for the Keswick Creek light rail I posted in the forum a few years back but can't seem to find where they were posted.





Cheers

[Ho Really]

Here is the first of four CBD subway concepts I've chosen at random from my collection of over twenty different versions. Like I said it all depends what you want the Adelaide Railway station to be used for as well as the Parklands terminal and whether Adelaide Oval, a new rectangular stadium in the city or the universities are connected and if a cross town underground line East-West is included, etc. Here the O-bahn is converted to light rail and the tram is extended into North Adelaide, Grange and city loop, etc. And don't forget the light rail to Airport through Keswick terminal (a major above ground and underground redevelopment) and Adelaide Railway station. A new above ground/underground interchange station at Strangways and at Goodwood.



Adelaide Metro System option 4kc

Cheers

[Ho Really]

Adelaide Metro System option 5c

Cheers

[Ho Really]

Adelaide Metro System option 6a

Cheers

[Ho Really]

This is an option I came up with after I had a private discussion with Eurostar.

Cheers

[Ho Really]

Here's a fifth one for good luck...but I'll post a few more showing other options including two CBD loops, a north-south through King William Street and an interchange under North Terrace...and more.



Adelaide Metro System 4j

Cheers

[Ho Really]

Here's the one with the interchange on North Terrace and King William.