News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[ralmin]

I can recall reading on one of the dtei information pdf's that they plan to increase the frequency of services once the network is
upgraded and electrified and new rolling stock purchased. If i recall properly they did mention 15 min service frequency during peak
hours and 30 min out of peak. If they do increase frequency there will be a patronage increase which may then lead to more rolling
stock and even more increased frequency.

Yes, "Build it and they will come". Positive feedback.

To my station Alberton and probably throughout most of the rail network, services are currently once an hour both on weekends and after 7pm at night. It's a real inconvenience and often makes me use alternatives (like bike or bus) over the train system.

[Waewick]

that is the big problem with public transport especially when its not government run.

is it is frequent then people will use it. you either have to make it more connvienent or the alternatives less so.

It is a bit like train travel in Europe is now becoming more popular as air travel times increase (not the actual flight times the pre-flight crap).

[fabricator]

Its unlikely the extra railcars will make much difference, as rumor has it they can only operate as fixed 3 car sets. Will be some improvements as electric trains have better acceleration and braking, but I doubt it will result in every 15 minute services.

I wasn't aware that the tender result had been announced.

It doesn't matter who wins, the contract specifies it has to be existing proven rolling stock, and as everyone makes 3 car sets that what we get.

[skyliner]

Once suburban passenger trains ran as 6 - 7 car sets - we have a long way to get to reach that again - also shows how much cars/buses have eroded in to rail traffic. Brisbane runs 6 cars a train (two 3 car sets - electric of course) and has done from when the population was 800 000.Interesting....what is Adelaide's pop? 1.2m?...

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[Straze]

In my opinion I don't think the electrification of the Gawler Central and Noarlunga Centre train lines are going to be completed in time because it has been said by the opposition Federal Government that Labor is currently borrowing $100,000 on average a day and is already in a massive multi-billion dollar debt. Now Labor has promised to get the country back into surplus by around 2013 which is when the Gawler and Noarlunga Centre train lines are due to be hooked up to electric power by 2013. Now Opposition Prime Minister has stated that he will pay back the debt also (I trust they will as they were the ones that got the nation back into surplus). I am struggling to believe that the South Australian Government can get any Federal funding at all until this debt is paid otherwise its kind like paying it with a credit card and then paying the high interest rate later on.

[SRW]

In my opinion I don't think the electrification of the Gawler Central and Noarlunga Centre train lines are going to be completed in time because it has been said by the opposition Federal Government that Labor is currently borrowing $100,000 on average a day and is already in a massive multi-billion dollar debt. Now Labor has promised to get the country back into surplus by around 2013 which is when the Gawler and Noarlunga Centre train lines are due to be hooked up to electric power by 2013. Now Opposition Prime Minister has stated that he will pay back the debt also (I trust they will as they were the ones that got the nation back into surplus). I am struggling to believe that the South Australian Government can get any Federal funding at all until this debt is paid otherwise its kind like paying it with a credit card and then paying the high interest rate later on.

Say what now?

This is a State Government development with already allocated Commonwealth funding. The outcome of the federal election will not affect the development schedule (though there are other things that might).

You might be interested, also, that the Federal Opposition hasn't actually committed to a date by which they'll have the budget back in surplus (from a debt level, mind you, that is very low when compared internationally).

[rev]

In my opinion I don't think the electrification of the Gawler Central and Noarlunga Centre train lines are going to be completed in time because it has been said by the opposition Federal Government that Labor is currently borrowing $100,000 on average a day and is already in a massive multi-billion dollar debt. Now Labor has promised to get the country back into surplus by around 2013 which is when the Gawler and Noarlunga Centre train lines are due to be hooked up to electric power by 2013. Now Opposition Prime Minister has stated that he will pay back the debt also (I trust they will as they were the ones that got the nation back into surplus). I am struggling to believe that the South Australian Government can get any Federal funding at all until this debt is paid otherwise its kind like paying it with a credit card and then paying the high interest rate later on.

It was the demand for our raw materials from China in particular, among others, that created the surplus, not the previous Liberal fed. government.


I don't see the relation between federal Labor's promises about federal budgets and state Labor's project for electrification/resleepering of the train network in Adelaide, which is under way. Unless Gillard has announced some election promise over it?

[Aidan]

Once suburban passenger trains ran as 6 - 7 car sets - we have a long way to get to reach that again - also shows how much cars/buses have eroded in to rail traffic. Brisbane runs 6 cars a train (two 3 car sets - electric of course) and has done from when the population was 800 000.Interesting....what is Adelaide's pop? 1.2m?...

The 7 car sets were Red Hens which were shorter. And the current timetable includes more trains than there used to be, so I don't think it's a fair comparison. Increasing service frequency is preferable to increasing train length at the moment.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

Why do you want to associate us with one of Victoria's old slogans?

[fabricator]

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

Why do you want to associate us with one of Victoria's old slogans?

Victoria was indeed on the move, with parts of the population heading up the road North to Queensland

[Isiskii]

You could say that they are "moving forward".

[monotonehell]

Once suburban passenger trains ran as 6 - 7 car sets - we have a long way to get to reach that again - also shows how much cars/buses have eroded in to rail traffic. Brisbane runs 6 cars a train (two 3 car sets - electric of course) and has done from when the population was 800 000.Interesting....what is Adelaide's pop? 1.2m?...

SA - Moving 35 degrees east of north with a velocity of 67 mm a year.

There I fixed it for you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Australian_Plate

[kenget]

New Adelaide railyards a step closer

Updated 55 minutes ago
Railyards at Dry Creek

Work progressing on new railyards in Adelaide's north. (ABC News: Chris McLoughlin)

* Map: Dry Creek 5094

The South Australian Government says testing of facilities will begin in a few weeks on new railyards at Dry Creek in Adelaide.

The 10-hectare site replaces the rail car depot near North Terrace in the city, which will be cleared to make way for a new Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Transport Minister Pat Conlon says the $157 million railyards project is part of the development of an electrified railway system.

"I think this is a far more appropriate place for a rail marshalling yard ... so we'll be very pleased to get out of there and present it to the brand new hospital," he said.

"We'd hope to be in here by the end of the year. We've got a new train washer so the trains will be cleaner and present better, but we'll be in by the end of the year and out of the other site and we'll have a clear site for the hospital by the end of this year."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010 ... 974542.htm

[muzzamo]

The overall design of the network, like its stations is a matter for that other thread.
This was a 6 car Jumbo which was limited stops from memory, caught it myself a few times, it was an insanely long way to walk to find an empty seat sometimes.

Have you caught trains in Sydney? 8 Car double decker sets are the standard, pretty much all the time (for inner city lines)

[skyliner]

Once suburban passenger trains ran as 6 - 7 car sets - we have a long way to get to reach that again - also shows how much cars/buses have eroded in to rail traffic. Brisbane runs 6 cars a train (two 3 car sets - electric of course) and has done from when the population was 800 000.Interesting....what is Adelaide's pop? 1.2m?...

The 7 car sets were Red Hens which were shorter. And the current timetable includes more trains than there used to be, so I don't think it's a fair comparison. Increasing service frequency is preferable to increasing train length at the moment.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

Why do you want to associate us with one of Victoria's old slogans?

I feel compelled to have to reply to this mate.

The 7 car sets I was referring to were in steam days - each carriage about redhen length. (the old 'dogboxes' - bought in prep for electification mind you). I don't know how frequent the trains were in those days, but taking a guess, equally as much as now, if not more. I did not ever see 7 car redhen sets when in Adelaide from 1974 to 1986.

Next, I did not recall Victoria's old slogan when I first started writing this - to me SA (Adelaide) is home and that's that. I live far away from vic in QLD - much less interection and flow of info than between SA and Vic.

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[skyliner]

Once suburban passenger trains ran as 6 - 7 car sets - we have a long way to get to reach that again - also shows how much cars/buses have eroded in to rail traffic. Brisbane runs 6 cars a train (two 3 car sets - electric of course) and has done from when the population was 800 000.Interesting....what is Adelaide's pop? 1.2m?...

SA - Moving 35 degrees east of north with a velocity of 67 mm a year.

There I fixed it for you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Australian_Plate

Thanks mono - I know a fair bit about plate tectonics but not this fact.