News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[ozisnowman]

They have 1.8 billion for the MARJ MA HAL and 600 million for the Prisons but only $121 million
for resleepering which hasnt even started yet(their waiting for winter when they can blame
the weather and rain for delays)... This is absolutely disgraceful, all politicians should be forced
to travel with public transport to see what a shitty state its in.

[muzzamo]

This is just Rann attempting to dismiss MHS and scare the public away from the liberals. I bet Rann will himself propose to electrify the system as a 2010 election promise...

Bingo

[Cruise]

Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith says the party will look at electrifying the system, at its conference starting today in Port Lincoln, but he has stopped short of committing to the plan.

that's not an election promise.

[Norman]

They have 1.8 billion for the MARJ MA HAL and 600 million for the Prisons but only $121 million
for resleepering which hasnt even started yet(their waiting for winter when they can blame
the weather and rain for delays)... This is absolutely disgraceful, all politicians should be forced
to travel with public transport to see what a shitty state its in.

The Marj is PPP, so it won't be as bad for the state as the cost won't be there in one big hit.

And Labor already promised rail infrastructure works won't be PPP.

[Cruise]

They have 1.8 billion for the MARJ MA HAL and 600 million for the Prisons but only $121 million
for resleepering which hasnt even started yet(their waiting for winter when they can blame
the weather and rain for delays)... This is absolutely disgraceful, all politicians should be forced
to travel with public transport to see what a shitty state its in.

So you're against improving hospitals, Prisons and Schools are you?

[Norman]

Here's a question for Will409: When were the older, thinner concrete (or metal) sleepers implemented at the Adelaide Railway Station? And are there plans to improve the sleepers and/or viaduct at Port Adelaide?

[Xaragmata]

... And are there plans to improve the sleepers and/or viaduct at Port Adelaide?

The bulk of the viaduct piers were strengthened in 2002, with a reinforced concrete casing, like this:
http://www.xaragmata.thebbs.org/album/r ... duct1.html

[Bulldozer]

Looking back through history, another likely scenario would be that MHS sells off more assets to the first bidder for an injection of quick cash which we'll all suffer the consequenses of a few years later.

Look back a bit further and you'll see that it was done to pay off the $9 billion debt left by the Bannon government. Over a billion dollars per year in interest - think of where SA could be today without having had that burden for all those years.

I would prefer slow and consistant than major debt via the MHS way.

Slow and consistent will cost more than just up and doing it now all at once. Plus don't forget Rann is already borrowing lots anyway to pay for things.

This is just Rann attempting to dismiss MHS and scare the public away from the liberals. I bet Rann will himself propose to electrify the system as a 2010 election promise...

Yep, it's desalination all over again. The Liberals were touting that for a long while, Rann laughed and dismissed it until his balls were right against the wall then proceeded to brainwash everyone that it's his idea and he's being proactive about solving the water crisis.

[rhino]

Looking back through history, another likely scenario would be that MHS sells off more assets to the first bidder for an injection of quick cash which we'll all suffer the consequenses of a few years later.

Look back a bit further and you'll see that it was done to pay off the $9 billion debt left by the Bannon government. Over a billion dollars per year in interest - think of where SA could be today without having had that burden for all those years.

I'm quite aware of why the sell-off Bulldozer, it's the way it was gone about that stunk - e.g. selling off the TAB for less money than it made in a year. The debt was used as a handy excuse to privatise. Duncan McFetteridge was on the radio on Monday belittling the Tour Down Under (calling it a B class event) and asking why millions of dollars of state money was being spent on it instead of a sponsor buying naming rights. The answer (from Tour organiser Mike Turter)was that by selling the naming rights you sell a degree of control, and while there were deals on the table re selling the naming rights, the right deal at the right price had not yet been reached. McFetteridge, true to Liberal Govt style, wouldn't accept this and thought that we should not be spending "millions of dollars of Government Money" on putting on this race when it should be sponsored. He would rather sell it to the first bidder that came along.

Anyway, this thread is about electrification and resleepering the TransAdelaide network.

[Will409]

Here's a question for Will409: When were the older, thinner concrete (or metal) sleepers implemented at the Adelaide Railway Station? And are there plans to improve the sleepers and/or viaduct at Port Adelaide?

Most of the track in the Adelaide railway yard dates from the rebuilding of the station in 1986 (when the original 13 platforms were cut to 9 and most of the developements that currently sit above the platoforms were erected). The steel sleepers would no doubt be from that time. HOWEVER, some of the points and the timber sleepers in the yard date from before the reconstruction. You can tell if you look closely at some of the sleepers because they have small date nails in the middle of the sleeper. Date nails havn't been used since 1974 and the average life of a good timber sleeper is 15-20 years at the most.

As Xaragmata has already said, the viaduct was given a heavy refurbishment in 2002 with a lot of new concrete added around the piers. Most of the timber sleepers were replaced at the same time although the sleepers on the ballasted section at the railway station weren't replaced and these have date nails from 1969 in them! When the standard gauge is removed from the viaduct when the new Port River Bridge is opened, it is possible that the sleepers there will be replaced.

[rev]

Bulldozer ....
Conservative governments the world over, privatise. The state debt had nothing to do with it, it was a convenient excuse to justify what they were doing..ie blame the previous government we have no choice now. :wank:
And they privatised so much, and look at the mess we are in now? What, was privatising a positive for the consumer was it? :wank:
They had already slashed spending, dramatically for hospitals and schools, nor properly funding the police force. With a real, proper plan in place to pay off the debt, they wouldn't have needed to privatise. But they did, because that is their policy regardless of debts they inherit from previous governments.


And where is the Liberals plan to fix our train network? All I've heard, is in short, the basics of what people even on this forum have stated. Seems Liberal staffers are busy trawling the net.

[Hoops]

Bulldozer ....
Conservative governments the world over, privatise. The state debt had nothing to do with it, it was a convenient excuse to justify what they were doing..ie blame the previous government we have no choice now. :wank:
And they privatised so much, and look at the mess we are in now? What, was privatising a positive for the consumer was it? :wank:
They had already slashed spending, dramatically for hospitals and schools, nor properly funding the police force. With a real, proper plan in place to pay off the debt, they wouldn't have needed to privatise. But they did, because that is their policy regardless of debts they inherit from previous governments.


And where is the Liberals plan to fix our train network? All I've heard, is in short, the basics of what people even on this forum have stated. Seems Liberal staffers are busy trawling the net. :

*cough*PhilM*Cough*

[skyliner]

Electric trains too costly, says Premier
Posted Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:00am AEDT
Updated Tue Jan 29, 2008 10:20am AEDT
ABC News Online

South Australian Premier Mike Rann says the Government can not afford to electrify Adelaide's trains.

The State Government says it cannot afford to electrify Adelaide's train system.

The idea is being considered by the Opposition as a policy in the lead-up to the next election.

Adelaide's public train system has recently been plagued with problems and South Australia is the only mainland state to still run diesel trains.

Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith says the party will look at electrifying the system, at its conference starting today in Port Lincoln, but he has stopped short of committing to the plan.

Premier Mike Rann has questioned how the Opposition would fund such a project.

"The only possible way he can pay for these things is to basically increase taxes or also of course revert back to the Liberal dark days of privatising everything that moves," he said.

The Premier says electrifying the system would not be responsible economic management.

Absolutely incredible. Not even a hint at such plans!!Such an archaic and sluggish system and an embarrassment. Good infrastructure is key to this city's future success. Just look at the mess Brisbane is in. Who wants a repeat in Adelaide? What will Adelaide's system be like in a few years when thousands more are here? (one person on a mining report recently said Adelaide will have approx 500th more by 2020 to match up with the coming boom - an increase of about 26th a yr - see the mining thread).

Such a staggering scenario. I keep suspecting the metro railways are just going to slide into oblivion if the current 30 yr. trend continues. Does not befit such a great city. NOT HAPPY JAN!

[rev]

Bulldozer ....
Conservative governments the world over, privatise. The state debt had nothing to do with it, it was a convenient excuse to justify what they were doing..ie blame the previous government we have no choice now. :wank:
And they privatised so much, and look at the mess we are in now? What, was privatising a positive for the consumer was it? :wank:
They had already slashed spending, dramatically for hospitals and schools, nor properly funding the police force. With a real, proper plan in place to pay off the debt, they wouldn't have needed to privatise. But they did, because that is their policy regardless of debts they inherit from previous governments.


And where is the Liberals plan to fix our train network? All I've heard, is in short, the basics of what people even on this forum have stated. Seems Liberal staffers are busy trawling the net. :

*cough*PhilM*Cough*

Say what? Are you going to be this precious every time someone mentions a political party?

Read these forums. Read what people here have suggested. Then go look at what the Opposition leader is saying. He has not announced any policy, he is stating similar things to what people on here have said.
Maybe this site could form its own political party, if this is all it takes?

[Hoops]

Bulldozer ....
Conservative governments the world over, privatise. The state debt had nothing to do with it, it was a convenient excuse to justify what they were doing..ie blame the previous government we have no choice now. :wank:
And they privatised so much, and look at the mess we are in now? What, was privatising a positive for the consumer was it? :wank:
They had already slashed spending, dramatically for hospitals and schools, nor properly funding the police force. With a real, proper plan in place to pay off the debt, they wouldn't have needed to privatise. But they did, because that is their policy regardless of debts they inherit from previous governments.


And where is the Liberals plan to fix our train network? All I've heard, is in short, the basics of what people even on this forum have stated. Seems Liberal staffers are busy trawling the net. :

*cough*PhilM*Cough*

Say what? Are you going to be this precious every time someone mentions a political party?

Read these forums. Read what people here have suggested. Then go look at what the Opposition leader is saying. He has not announced any policy, he is stating similar things to what people on here have said.
Maybe this site could form its own political party, if this is all it takes?

if your referring to me...(as you quoted my quote of Bulldozer and not bulldozers post) I recognize its not a policy launch just that its something he's going to look into. I just found it am musing that if liberal staffers are on this site.. PhilM would be the most obvious.....