News & Discussion: Station Upgrades

[Wayno]

A nice choice of trees and large shrubs would make the whole keswick terminal region much more attractive (and i don't mean more australian trees either)...

Bring in Jamie Dury, let's do a Railyard blitz!

[urban]

Jamie Durie(?) just picked up an award at the Chelsea Flower show in London for a design which used only Australian natives.

If they are planted with some design intent they can be absolutely stunning. Almost all of the plants in the North Tce upgrade are Australian natives.

The god-awful Plane trees being the main exception.

[skyliner]

Why not put the "Marj" hospital at Keswick, and the interstate rail terminal where the 'Marj' is supposed to go?

I am not sure that having a hospital right in the CBD is a good idea. Wherever it is in the CBD there are going to be traffic access issues. If the Marj were at Keswick, it has a number of potential access points from North, South and West at least. Not to mention being on a major rail line. (The present Marj site is a long walk to the Adel Rly Stn.

If you put the interstate terminal in where the Marj is proposed to be, it is much more conveniently placed than the present rather out of the way station.

Yep i love that idea of putting the marj at Keswick. A new Railway station could ether be built right on North or West Tce, grade separated above the roads rather then hidden underground, with a huge transparent glass canopy (like Berlin Railway Station) something that would symbolize a re-birth of Railway in South Australia (cost would be huge but surely worth it in the long run). while the old station becomes a railway history museum and just one of the stations of a future underground city loop.

Agree with most of this - Keswick - especially immediate surrounds SOOO inviting and picturesque as an intiation to Adelaide. It looks like a country rail station IMO! Functionality - well it must be better than impressions give, but it seems like no-where - not a capital city.

The 'Mike Rann' there - can cope with this alternatve.

[jimmy_2486]

What a waste of money.

We could had taken half of the train services out of the adelaide railway station and converted them to trams, then freed up heaps of room to provide an upgrade of the platforms and tracks for country services. Thats where the money should had went IMO. How many platforms are at the current interstate station?? like 2? Removing belair, grange, and tonsley services could had easily freed up enough platforms.

[Will409]

We are well overdue for an update on the rebuild of Parafield station. My prediction of a shelter that is similar, though somewhat smaller, then the one at Mawson Lakes has proven to be fairly close. Parafield is really starting to look good but I'll let the photos do the talking.

The old and the new at Parafield. Considering how long this rebuild has taken, it may be a fair while before the DOWN platform is upgraded. Indeed, there were only three guys on site.






Close up of the welding that is being done on what look like the gutters.




The southern end of the platform. This end will not receive any shelter except for a (what appears to be second hand) bus shelter at the far southern end of the platform.

[AtD]

Wow, they're putting more than the minimum into this. Pleasant surprise.

[Norman]

Thanks for the update Will. Too bad the graffiti is already there

The shelter looks promising though.

[Will409]

Time for another update. After 4 months or so, the UP platform is finally looking like it is getting close to completion. New roofing material has been installed finally. Unlike Mawson Lakes and Oaklands station which have specially formulated plastic roofing, this is a typical galvanised steel job. Because there are now only 3 guys working on this project on any given day, work is progressing slower then a drunk snail.

The main shelter being roofed. Since these photos were taken on Tuesday, the 'lip' at the back of the shelter has also been covered over in galvanised steel.








At the northern end of the platform, a new ramp to the platform replacing the old one is also being installed.



Finally.


The platform clearance between the Jumbos and the platform is now around the same distance apart as on the tram stops, it is a ridiculously tight clearance.

[muzzamo]

Are there signs of enhanced security (cameras)? Is there going to be an extended/expanded car park?

[SRW]

Is that graffiti on the platform? What a shame.

[Norman]

Nice pics Will, I was meaning to ask for an update. Well, it's certainly an improvement to what was there before.

[Will409]

The UP platform at Parafield is now in an operationally complete stage with the new shelter now in use although a few minor issues still have to be worked on. This will not be a 56k friendly update!

New signage at Kings Road catwalk as well as around the station. (You may notice in the top left of the last signs photo, a warning sign from the former Australian National which dissapeared back in 1997).






Completed ramp at the northern end of the UP platform.




Garden beds that are still being worked on as well as storm water drainage which collects water from the shelter roof.



Station lighting. In comparison to the lighting used on the old shelter, the new shelter will be lit up like a Christmas tree. There are two near unbroken rows of lights fitted to the roof.




New fencing.


Former bus shelter site.


Ethel which has been repainted back to her original dark blue and a timetable display stand. This is the original unit from the old platform rather then a new unit with the revised graphics.



New seating and also new windbreaks (of sorts). This is steel sheet with a number of fine holes in it and arranged in a zig zag. While it still allows some wind through, it is certainly less noticeable then if these weren't installed. With the seats, 'hip seats' (although I have another name for them) have also been used. I think this is first time these have been used in Australia outside of the D2 class trams in Melbourne. The seats themselves are the same pattern as that used at Mawson Lakes and the rebuilt Oaklands.






Other photos around the station.

[Cruise]

Why isn't it painted the good old Brown?

[Shuz]

That's a very inviting station, certainly of a standard which is reasonable.

[Paulns]

Great photos.. It'd be nice to see all stations get atleast an upgrade like this around Adelaide.