News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[craigie]

Less than 3% of Adelaides population use our rail system, This city is so bus dominated that i dont think it would be that dramatic to shut it down, anyway once its all upgraded and we have our new trains well have a 15 minute service on the Seaford line and possibly 10 on gawler so along with Aldinga beach on the cards down the track so things will get better.

[Aidan]

Less than 3% of Adelaides population use our rail system,

But for City journeys the figure's significantly higher, especially from the outer northern and southern suburbs. And IIRC the modal share's higher for commuting. Of course it's still very much in the minority, but it's a significant minority.

This city is so bus dominated that i dont think it would be that dramatic to shut it down,

Then you have undertestimated its importance. Other cities built urban freeways because they thought there was no choice. Adelaide found there was a choice, because car use was lower where there were better public transport services. And in the outer suburbs, that often means rail. Buses, stuck on the same roads as cars, are much slower. But even if they could do the job of trains, getting them to do so would be a terrible waste of buses!

Perth was running its railways down for eventual closure until public opinion forced a policy backflip. But in Adelaide the train services have long been recognised as important.

anyway once its all upgraded and we have our new trains well have a 15 minute service on the Seaford line and possibly 10 on gawler so along with Aldinga beach on the cards down the track so things will get better.

But why should we have to wait until then? And what do you have against making things better without making them worse first?

[muzzamo]

Dear Mr Foobar

Thank you for taking the time to enquire about the Noarlunga Rail Revitalisation project.

The Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI) has endeavoured to implement the most efficient arrangement for substitute bus services, with a mixture of express and stopping services operating during the period the Noarlunga line is closed. It is, however a difficult task to balance the needs of all 11,000 passengers, with many varied travel patterns.
In response to your enquiry, substitute bus and regular Adelaide Metro bus services are being monitored on a daily basis to allow additional capacity to be added to the services people are choosing to travel on. Some standby vehicles have already been used on route T721 and T721X during the first week of the closure.

Standby vehicles are available to be used where they are needed. Should the regular bus services from Noarlunga continue to have additional demand, DTEI can allocate vehicles where and when they are needed most.

The service provider, Southlink, has had a significant role in the planning of the substitute bus services. They also operate the regular bus services in the Outer South and are coordinating services to ensure connections are made where possible. Monitoring of the services will continue over the coming days/months to ensure the demand is being met.

I trust this information is of assistance.

We thank you for your patience during these essential works to upgrade the Noarlunga rail line.

[Omicron]

Mr. Foobar?

Haha!

[Xaragmata]

Dear Mr Foobar

Thank you for taking the time to enquire about the Noarlunga Rail Revitalisation project.

The Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI) has endeavoured to implement the most efficient arrangement for substitute bus services ...

Looks vaguely familiar:

The Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI) endeavoured to implement the most efficient arrangement for substitute bus services during the period the Gawler line was closed. The Department received a number of complimentary comments about how well these arrangements were working.

http://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/RR/ ... tions_faqs

[DM8]

Went for a bit of a drive to check it out last weekend....

Taken from The Cove Road bridge, the Hallet Cove Beach station (under construction) is in the distance:



Noarlunga Centre station (minus the tracks) from David Witton Drive:


Same spot, but looking towards Beach Road:


By chance, happened to get stuck behind a truck on Dyson Road carting rail, police escort and everything. So I followed it.
The vacant land on the north-west corner of the Chrysler Rd level crossing is being used to dump sleepers (both old and new). Track and sleepers are gone either side of this level crossing.

[HeapsGood]

Thanks for the pics.

My young nephews live next to the Christies Downs station and are enjoying seeing the diggers and trucks at work.

In other news the buses I take are often disgustingly filled with graffiti and have no air conditioning, plus some of the bus drivers are as warm and welcoming as a wet fish. I take the 725, the T721 and the 721X. So far I would rate the service at about 3-4 out of 10.

[contractor]

Thanks for the pics.

My young nephews live next to the Christies Downs station and are enjoying seeing the diggers and trucks at work.

In other news the buses I take are often disgustingly filled with graffiti and have no air conditioning, plus some of the bus drivers are as warm and welcoming as a wet fish. I take the 725, the T721 and the 721X. So far I would rate the service at about 3-4 out of 10.

When they shut the Gawler line, the express buses from Mawson Lakes were fantastic and dare I say more enjoyable (everyone got a seat too). Now that we are catching the train again, the paper thin cushioning that is wet from other people's sweat which has accumulated during the day reminds me of the good old days and what it used to be like.

[85trainfan]

An update on progress as of Tuesday 1st March

Noarlunga Centre has now got its base layer of ballast on the Up line between the footbridge and the Beach Rd overpass. It was being layed today.
Between Noarlunga Centre and Christies Downs, the tracks bed is being leveled and weedmatting for the base layer of Ballast being layed. The Ballast for around Noarlunga centre is coming from the stockpile near Christies Downs station and being trucked in via the right of way behind Noarlunga centre, and through the platforms to be dumped on the line.
Today saw the removing of old ballast and track bed between the O'Sullivan's Beach Rd overpass and lonsdale station. the first part to be removed (so engineer's can get access) was the Dyson Rd overpass.
trucks were lining up behind the U-Store it building and the big pile of old ballast and track bed was slowly being taken away.
At the stabling yards @ lonsdale, workers were excavating the old trackbed past the yards. Sleepers were also being loaded onto semi's (Not sure where these were heading).

[85trainfan]

And some pictures. As they are worth a thousand words

Spreading new Ballast @ Noarlunga Centre


The new "Southern Expressway"


Hmmm, these temporary walkways look familiar, now where have we seen them before


Old ballast and roadbase near the O'Sullivan's Beach Rd overpass


The Dyson Road bridge, after having Ballast removed today


Adelaide end of the Pt Stanvac stabling yard.


Sleepers being loaded onto trucks, and the Re-Sleepered points for the stabling yard

[DM8]

The new "Southern Expressway"

Much ROFL'ing

[85trainfan]

That time again

Not much happening at Noarlunga Centre now the base Layer of ballast is down (All truck access for fresh ballast is coming through the platforms). Laying fresh Base layer ballast has progressed to in between the Elizabeth rd bridge and Christies Downs (Surprised no articles in the local messenger paper about how many trucks are going down Finbar crescent during the day)
New drainage is being installed Between the Dyson Rd bridge and the Embankment over Christies Creek. the crews are drilling into the solid rock to achieve this and it looked like pretty slow going.
At Lonsdale station, all the old ballast has been removed, and all the old drainage has been torn out ( This drainage look similar to how the drainage has been installed on the other stations across Adelaide, but had concrete over it rather than dolomite or gravel)
just down the road at the depot, the base layer from between lonsdale and Pt Stanvac Depot is being carted away in trucks.
Removal of the Base layer has progressed to the Myer Rd bridge, and weedmatting was being unloaded at the old rail welding site adjacent to Myer Rd.
At Hallett Cove, Hallett Cove beach now has it's shelter errected over the platforms, with concrete pouring continuing.

[85trainfan]

Hi All, Anther Update on how the Noarlunga Line rebuild is progressing.

Noarlunga centre has track laid. The crossover under the footbridge was being installed today. (I'm sure i can remember it being closer to Noarlunga Centre than where it is now )
Track has been laid up to the Elizabeth Rd bridge, but no further. No new base layer of ballast has been placed between the Elizabeth Rd bridge and Christies Downs station. There was a group (roughly 10-15 people) inspecting this section today with GPS equipment ( me thinks something is wrong with this section).
Christies Downs station has fresh ballast base layer, and is awaiting sleepers, as is the alignment up to the O'sullivans Beach Rd Bridge.
fresh ballast was being laid today to the North of the O'Sullivan's Beach Rd Bridge.
At lonsdale Station, the old drainage has been removed, the hole filled in, rolled flat and new drainage holes been dug through the platforms.
At the Field River bank (Myer Rd bridge, embankment runs parallel to lonsdale highway) the old base layer has been removed as far the curve. With the old ballast being screened for reuse on the old rail welding site.
Between this location and Brighton there is no activity. Except for at Brighton itself. Where a tractor was placing concrete sleepers in smaller piles throughout the station and surrounding areas.
Anther note is the old points at Brighton have now been re-sleepered with new timbers

[85trainfan]

That time of the week again
At Noarlunga centre not much has changed from last week. the Crossover has now all been clipped and spiked, just awaiting the motor's for the points. Ive finally fiqued out what was different about these points after re-installation. They have and extra piece of track in between the two points to increase the curve out of the points, thus making them longer.
Track is now laid up until the Flaxmil road bridge on the down line, while the up line is at the Noarlunga end of Christies Downs.
Signal 2931 at Christies Downs, now has it's red indication showing again
Rail has been placed ready for sleepers from Flaxmill rd to the Dyson Rd bridge.
New drainage has been placed between the Dyson rd bridge and the Stanvac Depot and looks to be going further past the depot.
The Adelaide end points of the Stanvac Depot at the Chrysler Rd level crossing was getting a new base today made up of dolomite and old ballast.
No new work at the Field river bank, just trucks taking away the old ballast. the rain has made this area resemble a mud bath.
Base layer removal is now up to Hallet cove for the ballast, and Hallett Cove beach for the Base Layer dirt

[mattblack]

No new base layer of ballast has been placed between the Elizabeth Rd bridge and Christies Downs station. There was a group (roughly 10-15 people) inspecting this section today with GPS equipment ( me thinks something is wrong with this section).

Apparently they came across some large sections of boggy and unstable earth which needed remediation work and capping before a new base layer and ballast was able to be laid.