News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[ozisnowman]

String a few wires is exactly the issue. Some sort of tunnel reconfiguration/rebuild is required to allow electrification. Government does not thus want to spend the money doing that for one line since it cannot be done to the freight line. The government is thus sitting waiting on the Federal Government to decide on whether the hills freight route will be re-routed and hence both tunnels can be used for the Belair Line, they would also probably want Federal funds to upgrade the tunnels anyway.

My suggestion gets rid of the immediate need to do that. You could run from the city to before the first tunnel on Electric and then lower the electric arm and run on diesel. Also this way you could reuse the freight line. Have a look at the Bombardier AGC Hybrid on their website. Eventually when the line becomes fully electric you can then just use the electric. Another benefit of such vehicles would be that in the advent of a power failure (which is becoming more common in Adelaide) the trains could just run on Diesel during the blackout.

[Aidan]

String a few wires is exactly the issue. Some sort of tunnel reconfiguration/rebuild is required to allow electrification. Government does not thus want to spend the money doing that for one line since it cannot be done to the freight line. The government is thus sitting waiting on the Federal Government to decide on whether the hills freight route will be re-routed and hence both tunnels can be used for the Belair Line, they would also probably want Federal funds to upgrade the tunnels anyway.

My suggestion gets rid of the immediate need to do that. You could run from the city to before the first tunnel on Electric and then lower the electric arm and run on diesel. Also this way you could reuse the freight line. Have a look at the Bombardier AGC Hybrid on their website. Eventually when the line becomes fully electric you can then just use the electric. Another benefit of such vehicles would be that in the advent of a power failure (which is becoming more common in Adelaide) the trains could just run on Diesel during the blackout.

But there is no immediate need to do that! You could just run on diesel all the way.

Electro diesel trains have been around for decades, but the cost savings over straight diesel are rarely enough to justify the extra expense.

A better solution is to convert the line to light rail. With its smaller loading gauge, it shouldn't be too hard to add another track up as far as Sleeps Hill and more passing loops beyond there.

[UrbanSG]

I thought the Gawler Line was a long way off, maybe they are bringing part of it forward for the relocation of the railyards?

From the Government tender website today:

The Construction of the Noarlunga (Marion to Brighton) and Design and Construction of the Gawler (North Adelaide to Wingfield) Passenger Rail Lines

Issued by Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure

Expression of Interest
Tender State: Current Tender
Tender Code: DTEI017348
Contract Number: 09C065
Category: Building and Construction and Maintenance Services

Enquiries
Paul Burns
8462 1284, 0401 126 449
Peter Newbold
8462 1253, 0408 896 823

Tender closes at 2:00 PM Adelaide time 2 June 2009

[deano91]

The Construction of the Noarlunga (Marion to Brighton) and Design and Construction of the Gawler (North Adelaide to Wingfield) Passenger Rail Lines

I don't get it, why is it only from Marion to Brighton and North Adelaide to Wingfield? Do they have to do something to the tracks there to get it ready, or is this the actual electrification?? They're really random places to be doing it if it is the actual electrification...

[Wilfy 2007]

The Construction of the Noarlunga (Marion to Brighton) and Design and Construction of the Gawler (North Adelaide to Wingfield) Passenger Rail Lines

I don't get it, why is it only from Marion to Brighton and North Adelaide to Wingfield? Do they have to do something to the tracks there to get it ready, or is this the actual electrification?? They're really random places to be doing it if it is the actual electrification...

deano91,

Perhaps they are going to do it in two stages.
But what about the Outer harbour line.
May also be about supply of Railcars.
Perhaps thats going to be done in two stages as well.
Just presuming at this stage.

Regards,

[deano91]

There was some action today at Warradale station, about 5 or 10 "Track Protectors" using the survey equipment. I wonder what they were doing? Surely this isn't already part of the electrification?? Maybe they were trying to work out how to get rid of that absolute waste of a station I think that's probably something more suited for our dreams though Come to think of it, I think I remember seeing there last Wednesday too.

[Somebody]

I don't get it, why is it only from Marion to Brighton and North Adelaide to Wingfield?

There is also the obvious point that Wingfield is on the Rosewater branch line, not the Gawler Line!

[peas_and_corn]

Please excuse a rail n00b for a moment- why are they using wood for the sleepers? As far as I'm aware, concrete is also used as a material, so why do they choose wood over concrete?

[Norman]

Please excuse a rail n00b for a moment- why are they using wood for the sleepers? As far as I'm aware, concrete is also used as a material, so why do they choose wood over concrete?

They use wood for minor maintainance on rail lines (which are already wood), but they are moving the whole system to concrete sleepers at the moment.

[peas_and_corn]

Please excuse a rail n00b for a moment- why are they using wood for the sleepers? As far as I'm aware, concrete is also used as a material, so why do they choose wood over concrete?

They use wood for minor maintainance on rail lines (which are already wood), but they are moving the whole system to concrete sleepers at the moment.

Is concrete considered to be a much more durable/easily maintained material?

[jk1237]

concrete sleepers can last either double or tripple the amount of years than a timber one. And the fact that all high speed railways around the world (that ive seen pics of) use concrete sleepers means that they must make the lines smoother and less prone to buckling

[peas_and_corn]

Makes sense

Thanks for the replies!

[Norman]

Fantastic news!

• Seaford Extension will go ahead
• Gawler Line electrification brought forward to 2012
• Desal plant size will doubled

Seaford to get $170m rail line

May 11, 2009 12:01am

A GO-AHEAD for the $170 million Seaford rail line will be a key boost for South Australia in the Federal Budget as Treasurer Wayne Swan unveils big-spending programs.

Southern commuters have been calling for years for faster, and more efficient, public transport for new growth areas. The latest move will extend the Noarlunga line by a further 7km to the Seaford shopping centre.

Another long-awaited proposal will be the decision to introduce 18 weeks paid parental leave from January, 2011, at a cost of $260 million a year.

Under the scheme, a primary carer will be paid at the adult federal minimum wage which is $543.78 a week while high-income earners – more than $150,000 a year – will not be eligible.

The Advertiser also understands that funding of several hundred million dollars will be earmarked for a high-end medical facility at the new $1.7 billion Royal Adelaide Hospital. The facility – expected to focus on cancer research – is designed to become one of Australia's best resourced medical research facilities.

New infrastructure spending will include up to $400 million to double the capacity of the Port Stanvac desalination plant to 100 gigalitres a year. Money will also be provided to bring forward the upgrading and eventual electrification of the Gawler rail line to 2012.

But the good news has been tempered by a warning SA will be hit by further cuts in GST revenue which will see the State Budget deficit hit $500 million.

Treasurer Kevin Foley said yesterday it would make it "very, very difficult" to deliver tax cuts in the June 4 Budget.

He warned that as a result of revenue losses of around $1 billion a year, the state would remain in deficit for at least four years.

He said the state would not cut back on any of its infrastructure spending.

The Seaford rail extension was at the top of the State Government's wishlist for money from the Infrastructure Australia fund.

Construction of the line from Noarlunga to Seaford, which includes a bridge across the Onkaparinga River, is likely to start next year.

Onkaparinga mayor Lorraine Rosenberg said extending the Seaford line would be "bloody marvellous". "It's been a long time coming and there has been a lot of talk about it," she said.

"Seaford is a good compromise in the short-term while extending it to Aldinga is a very long-term option."

Noarlunga resident Ian Jenkins said it would be "a great idea". "It will save many people driving to the current stop and then catching the train," he said.

There has been increasing speculation since last week the state's share of the infrastructure fund would be less than that of most other states. The size of the fund, originally standing at $20 billion, has shrunk to $8 billion and reports suggest the bulk will go to NSW, Victoria and Queensland. That was rejected yesterday by both Premier Mike Rann and Infrastructure Minister Patrick Conlon.

Mr Rann said commentators interstate had predicted "they would win submarines and other things".

"I think I have a much better idea what's in the Infrastructure Australia decision than people in Sydney and Melbourne," he said. "You will just have to wait and see."

Mr Conlon has been heavily involved in negotiations with the Commonwealth Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese on the funding.

He has also dismissed suggestions other states would win the lion's share of the fund.

There was also a warning from economic forecasters Access Economics that massive government spending in the boom times meant the Federal Budget would be "deep in deficit" well after the global financial crisis had disappeared.

In a new report to be released today called Deficits as far as the eye can see, Access Economics director Chris Richardson says the revenue hole left by the end of the resources boom is worse than many people think.

Dr Richardson said structural weaknesses in Commonwealth revenues had been masked for years by the massive inflow of money from company profits and capital gains. This had allowed successive governments to hand out billions in so-called middle-class welfare, paid for by these rivers of gold.

[deano91]

Jeez, and I was thinking that we wouldn't be getting much at all from the Federal Government! Will be great to see the Noarlunga line extended, and I spose it means that they can extend it further to Aldinga if required as the population down there grows. Does anyone know if the extension is planned to be dual track, or is it just the one track??

With the Gawler electification, surely that doesn't mean that it is expected to be completed by 2012, surely it's just that it will be starting by 2012??

[Shuz]

I believe it means electrified and resleepered by 2012, as initial completion was slated for 2014 I think. Good news all around.

Seaford line stands to be a single line also which I think is dissapointing.

The feasibility study shows the current cost of the project to be $175m with a single-line bridge or $215m with room for a double line.