08/09 state budget announcements

[aussie2000]

Time for me to do some dancing represting nothing in particular, every railfan's wildest dreams in this state have been answered! Electrification of the suburban system was first proposed back in 1906, budgeted for in 2008. It's finally happening plus more!!!

are you serious??? 1906? did we have electricity then?

[crawf]

Quite a few people on the AdelaideNow website are thinking that a tramline is going to be extended along Port Road, however it seems that they are going to upgrade the existing Outer Harbour line which will be able to handle hybrid trams/trains. Which is a fantastic idea

The 10-year, $2.6 billion transport program outlined in Treasurer Kevin Foley's seventh Budget will deliver 50 new electric trains, 58 converted electric trains, 15 hybrid tram/trains which can use both lines and 80 additional buses.

P.S Why on earth does SSC have to be down right now, can't wait to post this

I think Education will be the big winner in next years budget, considering there were no big ticket items for education.

[aussie2000]

i've already posted it, but only the transpost part, not much replies but all is positive!

[crawf]

Just had a brief read of the budget papers, and I can't find any mention of the relocation of the DETI

[Tyler_Durden]

Quite a few people on the AdelaideNow website are thinking that a tramline is going to be extended along Port Road, however it seems that they are going to upgrade the existing Outer Harbour line which will be able to handle hybrid trams/trains.

We know it will go up Port Road until the Entertainment Centre and my guess is that from there it will join the existing train line. And then further up Port Road a tram line will come off the existing rail line and finish the journey to West Lakes. I can't imagine them creating a new tram line all the way up Port Road though. We'll have to wait and see though.

[Ho Really]

Quite a few people on the AdelaideNow website are thinking that a tramline is going to be extended along Port Road, however it seems that they are going to upgrade the existing Outer Harbour line which will be able to handle hybrid trams/trains. Which is a fantastic idea

Well, I hope that's the case, but why extend the tram line all the way to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre along Port Road?

I think Education will be the big winner in next years budget, considering there were no big ticket items for education.

Well, plenty of public servants and teachers have already been desanfranchised. Can these people wait until next year?

Cheers

[jimmy_2486]

Well from what I understand right - is that two lines, Outer Harbor and Noarlunga will become the electrified ones - for the moment.

The order of 50 new electric trains would service these lines, and then from the existing fleet another 58 trains would be converted to electric, providing 108 trains to service these two lines.

I know our current rail fleet has 99 trains, which means that 41 trains will remain diesel (at present) to service the Gawler and Belair lines. The Gawler line gets $193m for re-sleepering, and as we know it the Belair line is being resleepered already - When they'll get electrified is probably going to be budgeted for next year. I would expect the remainder of the fleet would be either decommisioned or converted along with another substantial purchase of train rollingstock.

The Gawler line WILL get electrified once the concrete re-sleepering is completed. Have a CLOSER look at the budget overview on the treasury website. They are saying the only main line that will not be electric will be Belair.

[Norman]

Ten News Video (Nine News & ABC News to come)

[jimmy_2486]

KEVIN FOLEY IS THE MANNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!

[Bulldozer]

Mixed feelings from what I've seen so far.

While electrification is to be applauded, I was hoping that resleepering would be stepped up before electrification so it could all be done at once and a good deal could be done on an entire new fleet of trains. Is there any funding for engineering studies on the Seaford or other rail extensions and Is there anything for grade separation of level crossings on arterial roads?

The mixed part comes from what I believe is a massively missed opportunity and politically driven waste of money in the spending on Football Park and running a tram line out to it. $100 million, plus $160 million for the tram line and $90 million for the trams (if they'll cost the same as the Flexity's) is $350 million. If you add that onto how much they reckon Footy Park could be sold for housing you could pay for a 60,000 seat undercover stadium in the city and get the benefit of having 4 high-capacity rail lines and a bus network servicing it.

That Liberal chap also has a fair point. The Rann government is very city-centric and the rail on Eyre Peninsula really does need fixing up because it's been faster to move grain on trucks than rail for a number of years now. It wasn't so much of an issue 5 years ago, but fuel has gone up a lot since, and as it continues to, it is a serious impediment to productivity in a region that contributes a large amount of wealth to the state. Electrifying the lines is a bit far fetched for the foreseeable future, but would go a way to strengthening and extending the reach of the electrical grid - and that is bound to have benefits for population growth, industry and mining over there.

[Will409]

The southern section of the Eyre Peninsula system has been given $30 million for a track rebuild (currently underway) with heavier 53kg/m rail replacing 40kg/m rail as well as heavier ballast and new steel sleepers. However, most of the system is still crap but it is slowly on the mend.

[crawf]

Theres more to West Lakes than just AAMI Stadium. Like one of the largest shopping complexes in SA and the growing number of mid/high rises going up in the suburb.

[AtD]

More good news! MHS is saying this is all his idea, which makes it politically difficult for his party to block the transport spending in the senate.

Now as long as they don't do a Sydney and cancel all this in a few years time.

[Norman]

Theres more to West Lakes than just AAMI Stadium. Like one of the largest shopping complexes in SA and the growing number of mid/high rises going up in the suburb.

Yeah, this will serve the West Lakes high-rises very nicely!

[muzzamo]

This budget was VERY quiet about the proposed south road tunnel and sturt road underpass though. I guess they are waiting on further money from the federal government on that..