News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[Patrick_27]

There is no room at the Adelaide Railway Station for regional or interstate trains......there is not enough room for all the suburban services....already we have 2 departing services on the same platform.

That is why an underground CBD tunnel would unlock all sorts of possibilities regarding more frequent suburban services and.....and....(draws deep breath) regional/interstate services returning the CBD.

If there's no room at ARS, then we are wasting time talking about servicing Riverlea, Two Wells, and the Barossa until either we build the loop, but that's even further off, or we convert the Outer Harbor line to light rail, freeing up a couple of tracks. The loop isn't on the government's radar.

Before any talk of expending the train network and before a CBD tunnel, the state government need to get the f*** on with electrifying the entire rail network. This was an election promise well over a decade ago, the cost to do so has ballooned with years of inaction and dithering on the matter. The very fact that the last states to electrify their networks were WA and QLD in the 80s/early-90s, meanwhile our state government at the time were ordering fresh diesel rolling stock, is frankly embarrassing. Now we already know that speed is going to be an issue with a Mount Barker service, electrifying the Belair Line will solve one part of that problem. We also know that you can't run diesel trains in an underground tunnel without adequate ventilation (an unnecessarily and costly requirement that could be averted with an electrified network). Finally, it's been said that our remaining refurbished diesel rolling stock could easily service the Barossa if it were freed up for use. Get on with electrifying Outer Harbour Line and Belair Line and then make plans for expansion.

[1NEEDS2POST]

Before extending the Seaford line to Aldinga or building the CBD tunnel, the existing Seaford line can be made faster by cutting out some inner city stations and only serving them with the Flinders line. The first one to go would be Ascot Park because it can be physically shifted to the south where the Flinders line branches off, shown in red. This could be combined with the level crossing removal on Daws Road and rejoining the Seaford line with a flying junction.



Instead of a flying junction that combines four tracks into two, the railway could be quadruplicated between Emerson and Woodlands Park. There's enough space around those stations to add extra tracks on the outside of the existing tracks, so at the Ascot Park junction, the Flinders line would be in the middle. Between Emerson and Adelaide Showgrounds there isn't enough space for extra tracks.

Current express trains are slow around these stations, the peak express train between Oaklands and ARS covers 13 km in 16 minutes = only 48.75 km/h. Giving Seaford trains their own express tracks between Emerson and Marion would make them much faster and the frequency of Seaford and Flinders trains can be improved.

[I Follow PAFC]

Partial closures on the Outer Harbor line across July.

From 7:30 pm Friday 5 July to last service Sunday 7 July 2024.
From 7:30 pm Monday 8 July to last service Friday 12 July 2024.
From 7:30 pm Sunday 14 July to last service Friday 19 July 2024.
From 7:30 pm Friday 26 July to last service Sunday 28 July 2024.
https://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/about- ... cross-july

[Llessur2002]

A few (presumably new) quotes from Kouts following the $10M budget announcement.

Adelaide is growing beyond its limits — so could a train revival help steam the city's expansion?

In short:
The SA and federal governments have commissioned a $10 million study to look at what rail lines could be built or reopened.
Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said improving rail would be vital to help Adelaide grow, amid a housing crisis.
What's next? The government is considering extending rail further south, north and into the Hills, with a plan to electrify and decarbonise.

South Australia's train services weren't always this limited.

Forty years ago, passenger trains ran all over the state.

People caught regular services from Adelaide to major centres such as Whyalla, Mount Gambier, Victor Harbor and Angaston in the Barossa Valley.

The opening of the Angaston line in 1911 was a major event.

On the first service, 1,200 children caught a "special school train" to Angaston form Gawler.

But as roads and cars improved in the 1970s and 1980s, South Australia's passenger rail era came to an end with regional services largely scrapped.

In the Adelaide Hills, the last regular passenger train from the city to Mount Barker stopping running in 1984.

"I think all of us in the Hills rue the day when rail departed," Kavel MP Dan Cregan told the ABC.

"It fell out of fashion, state governments everywhere weren't investing in rail, now we look right across the country and light rail, in particular, is becoming fashionable again."

South Australia too is looking seriously at further rail revitalisation.

A $10 million study is being funded by the state and federal governments to look at what extensions could be built or historic lines reopened.

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said with Adelaide already experiencing a housing crisis, improving rail would be vital to help the city grow.

"Public transport can solve a lot of these problems … we lost that in the '80s and we're trying to get it back," Mr Koutsantonis said.

He said the government was considering extending rail further south, north and into the Hills, with a plan to electrify and decarbonise "quickly".

One option is to return rail to the Barossa Valley.

It would not be able to go all the way back to Angaston as part of that line is now bikeway, but there is a push for a new service beyond Gawler where the line currently ends.

Locals hopeful of rail line upgrades, extensions

Barossa Council Mayor, Michael "Bim" Lange, said rail makes sense as part of the plan to create the new city of Concordia in the Barossa.

"That in the future is going to be 26,000 people, so that's a huge population growth within our council area and, of course, public transport is critical," the mayor said.

But Mayor Lange is less hopeful about trains returning to Lyndoch, Tanunda or Nuriootpa.

"I guess that will come down to the government's assessment, the cost benefit ratio, the population growth in those areas," Mayor Lange said.

At the other end of Labor's electrified rail network is Seaford.

Electrification of the Gawler and Seaford lines was part of Labor's last great rail push nearly 20 years ago.

Even then, many locals in Aldinga wanted the railway extended, and perhaps now it will be.

"We've got another 7,500 who will be joining the 15,000 people who are already living there [in Aldinga] in the next few years."

In Adelaide's west, the Outer Harbour line could also have a long-awaited upgrade.

Plans to electrify the line were scrapped more than 10 years ago, but Mr Kousantonis has again flagged possible electrification and an extension of the line to accommodate AUKUS workers at the Australian Submarine Corporation.

"The study will inform us about … whether we actually extend the Outer Harbour line right down to Osborne to try and get 5,000 workers to and from the shipyards," Mr Koutsantonis said.

Then there is perhaps the most costly and difficult project to deliver — the return of services to Mount Barker.

One estimate, from the privately-run SA Railway Company, has put the cost at $5 billion to return rail to Mount Barker.

Former transport executive Luigi Rossi, now a director for the SA Railway Company, said a new freight and commuter line to Mount Barker and beyond would be expensive but feasible.

"It provides the opportunity for people to live at Murray Bridge and live at Tailem Bend and have a rail service that gets them into town within 50 minutes," Mr Rossi said.

Mr Koutsantonis disputes the $5 billion cost, but does acknowledge Mount Barker will need better transport.

Mount Barker's population is expected to reach around 50,000 people in just over a decade, creating more traffic congestion around the city and on the South Eastern Freeway.

"We're the one who zoned Mount Barker, and we're the ones who've got to fix it.

"I think rail probably is the solution, but we'll wait and see what this study finds."

Re-invigorating the long dormant passenger line from Belair to Mount Barker also remains an option, despite concerns that the long commute time makes it unviable.

The idea was raised again two years ago but the plan has failed to materialise.

But Mr Cregan believes using the old line could work.

"We should be examining whether there are some small improvements to that corridor to make the journey time faster," he said

Any investment from the state government on future rail projects would also require substantial funding from the federal government.

Meanwhile, the state already has big expenditure in the pipeline, including the South Road upgrade with a price tag of about $15 billion, and the new Women's and Children's Hospital, which is expected to cost more than $3 billion.

"We are talking very, very substantial dollars," Mr Cregan said.

Mr Koutsantonis said this study was not just about new train lines, but was also looking at how to bring more people onto public transport.

"This is long-term thinking," he said.

"I'm not saying these things will be built tomorrow, but we've got to do the planning."

"I think South Australians expect that of us."

From: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-26/ ... /104009980

[claybro]

A few (presumably new) quotes from Kouts following the $10M budget announcement.

Adelaide is growing beyond its limits — so could a train revival help steam the city's expansion?

In short:
The SA and federal governments have commissioned a $10 million study to look at what rail lines could be built or reopened.
Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said improving rail would be vital to help Adelaide grow, amid a housing crisis.
What's next? The government is considering extending rail further south, north and into the Hills, with a plan to electrify and decarbonise.

South Australia's train services weren't always this limited.

Forty years ago, passenger trains ran all over the state.

People caught regular services from Adelaide to major centres such as Whyalla, Mount Gambier, Victor Harbor and Angaston in the Barossa Valley.

The opening of the Angaston line in 1911 was a major event.

On the first service, 1,200 children caught a "special school train" to Angaston form Gawler.

But as roads and cars improved in the 1970s and 1980s, South Australia's passenger rail era came to an end with regional services largely scrapped.

In the Adelaide Hills, the last regular passenger train from the city to Mount Barker stopping running in 1984.

"I think all of us in the Hills rue the day when rail departed," Kavel MP Dan Cregan told the ABC.

"It fell out of fashion, state governments everywhere weren't investing in rail, now we look right across the country and light rail, in particular, is becoming fashionable again."

South Australia too is looking seriously at further rail revitalisation.

A $10 million study is being funded by the state and federal governments to look at what extensions could be built or historic lines reopened.

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said with Adelaide already experiencing a housing crisis, improving rail would be vital to help the city grow.

"Public transport can solve a lot of these problems … we lost that in the '80s and we're trying to get it back," Mr Koutsantonis said.

He said the government was considering extending rail further south, north and into the Hills, with a plan to electrify and decarbonise "quickly".

One option is to return rail to the Barossa Valley.

It would not be able to go all the way back to Angaston as part of that line is now bikeway, but there is a push for a new service beyond Gawler where the line currently ends.

Locals hopeful of rail line upgrades, extensions

Barossa Council Mayor, Michael "Bim" Lange, said rail makes sense as part of the plan to create the new city of Concordia in the Barossa.

"That in the future is going to be 26,000 people, so that's a huge population growth within our council area and, of course, public transport is critical," the mayor said.

But Mayor Lange is less hopeful about trains returning to Lyndoch, Tanunda or Nuriootpa.

"I guess that will come down to the government's assessment, the cost benefit ratio, the population growth in those areas," Mayor Lange said.

At the other end of Labor's electrified rail network is Seaford.

Electrification of the Gawler and Seaford lines was part of Labor's last great rail push nearly 20 years ago.

Even then, many locals in Aldinga wanted the railway extended, and perhaps now it will be.

"We've got another 7,500 who will be joining the 15,000 people who are already living there [in Aldinga] in the next few years."

In Adelaide's west, the Outer Harbour line could also have a long-awaited upgrade.

Plans to electrify the line were scrapped more than 10 years ago, but Mr Kousantonis has again flagged possible electrification and an extension of the line to accommodate AUKUS workers at the Australian Submarine Corporation.

"The study will inform us about … whether we actually extend the Outer Harbour line right down to Osborne to try and get 5,000 workers to and from the shipyards," Mr Koutsantonis said.

Then there is perhaps the most costly and difficult project to deliver — the return of services to Mount Barker.

One estimate, from the privately-run SA Railway Company, has put the cost at $5 billion to return rail to Mount Barker.

Former transport executive Luigi Rossi, now a director for the SA Railway Company, said a new freight and commuter line to Mount Barker and beyond would be expensive but feasible.

"It provides the opportunity for people to live at Murray Bridge and live at Tailem Bend and have a rail service that gets them into town within 50 minutes," Mr Rossi said.

Mr Koutsantonis disputes the $5 billion cost, but does acknowledge Mount Barker will need better transport.

Mount Barker's population is expected to reach around 50,000 people in just over a decade, creating more traffic congestion around the city and on the South Eastern Freeway.

"We're the one who zoned Mount Barker, and we're the ones who've got to fix it.

"I think rail probably is the solution, but we'll wait and see what this study finds."

Re-invigorating the long dormant passenger line from Belair to Mount Barker also remains an option, despite concerns that the long commute time makes it unviable.

The idea was raised again two years ago but the plan has failed to materialise.

But Mr Cregan believes using the old line could work.

"We should be examining whether there are some small improvements to that corridor to make the journey time faster," he said

Any investment from the state government on future rail projects would also require substantial funding from the federal government.

Meanwhile, the state already has big expenditure in the pipeline, including the South Road upgrade with a price tag of about $15 billion, and the new Women's and Children's Hospital, which is expected to cost more than $3 billion.

"We are talking very, very substantial dollars," Mr Cregan said.

Mr Koutsantonis said this study was not just about new train lines, but was also looking at how to bring more people onto public transport.

"This is long-term thinking," he said.

"I'm not saying these things will be built tomorrow, but we've got to do the planning."

"I think South Australians expect that of us."

From: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-26/ ... /104009980

Another study?! And with comments like "we cant take the old line all the way back to Angaston because it is now a bikeway???? I'm not holding my breath for anything to come out of this.

[Patrick_27]

Whilst I'm not holding my breath either, that is the most acknowledgement that Kouts has given over Labor's zoning of Mount Barker and the fact that trains are the best outcome for Mount Barker and perhaps beyond.

[I Follow PAFC]

[abc]

He said the government was considering extending rail further south, north and into the Hills, with a plan to electrify and decarbonise "quickly".

so no plastic in the trains?

[SRW]

I'm confused as to the objective of the study? Are they looking at how best to improve coverage or ridership of the metropolitan system? It's odd to me that it does not appear to consider a city underground as an obvious potential catalyst.

[SBD]

On ABC radio, he also spoke about trains between the northern suburbs and AUKUS/Osborne that would not require passengers to change trains at Adelaide Station. Presumably that involves bringing passengers back on to the Dry Creek-Port Adelaide line.

I did not hear anything about freight rail - either realignment for efficiency nor conflict between slow freight trains and quick efficient passenger rail on the same tracks.

[ChillyPhilly]

I'm confused as to the objective of the study? Are they looking at how best to improve coverage or ridership of the metropolitan system? It's odd to me that it does not appear to consider a city underground as an obvious potential catalyst.

Hopefully this latest study helps with identifying a CBD Loop.

[baytram366]

Another study? That's all that seems to be done when it comes to transport in Adelaide. A huge thick report comes out and just goes on the shelf and gathers dust. Surely there has been enough previous studies done that the current government can use to start some actual work. To me it seems a study is just the governments way of showing they are interested and doing something but nothing actually happens. I hope I am wrong but I strongly doubt it. And that comment about the bike track... build a new bike track next to the train line. Its not hard.

[SBD]

Another study? That's all that seems to be done when it comes to transport in Adelaide. A huge thick report comes out and just goes on the shelf and gathers dust. Surely there has been enough previous studies done that the current government can use to start some actual work. To me it seems a study is just the governments way of showing they are interested and doing something but nothing actually happens. I hope I am wrong but I strongly doubt it. And that comment about the bike track... build a new bike track next to the train line. Its not hard.

That’s not quite as trivial as it sounds - there’s a cutting coming in to Angaston. I have no idea what’s next to the top whether there is space to widen it.

The Nuriootpa to Angaston section of the Barossa Trail on the rail alignment is much nicer than the parts adjacent to the road or railway with sharp bends and steep blind crests (and stobie poles in the middle).

[ChillyPhilly]

Another study? That's all that seems to be done when it comes to transport in Adelaide. A huge thick report comes out and just goes on the shelf and gathers dust. Surely there has been enough previous studies done that the current government can use to start some actual work. To me it seems a study is just the governments way of showing they are interested and doing something but nothing actually happens. I hope I am wrong but I strongly doubt it. And that comment about the bike track... build a new bike track next to the train line. Its not hard.

That’s not quite as trivial as it sounds - there’s a cutting coming in to Angaston. I have no idea what’s next to the top whether there is space to widen it.

The Nuriootpa to Angaston section of the Barossa Trail on the rail alignment is much nicer than the parts adjacent to the road or railway with sharp bends and steep blind crests (and stobie poles in the middle).

Indeed, I've looked at the corridor and there are a couple options.

- Widen the corridor where appropriate, and elevate a new, modern line above a rebuilt cycleway as required, or
- Use the Penrice Quarry spur and extend it a short distance back into Angaston.

[Waewick]

Couldn't they include in any study how to get rail along the east of the city?

If rumours are true that Magill Uni is to be turned into housing that's even more people using already busy roads (by rail i mean tram or train)