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Thanks Will, I didn't get to see the Eden Hills tunnel work.

Nice series, Will!

Thanks for sharing those Will. That third photo reminds me of my layout at home

Forgive me for asking, and I'm sure it's been asked a million times before...

Why is there only 1 line to Belair? Can't they use the other line? (I know its used for goods trains)

Wrong gauge, owned by a different organisation.

Shuz wrote:Forgive me for asking, and I'm sure it's been asked a million times before...

Why is there only 1 line to Belair? Can't they use the other line? (I know its used for goods trains)

The Broad gauge line to Melbourne (and other places) used to share the tracks between Belair and Keswick. But when the line was standardized, they didn't make it dual gauge. TransAdelaide were restricted to a single track, and SteamRanger got an even worse deal, having to truncate their service at Mount Barker. Some of the remaining country SA lines were standardized, and others were abandoned.

Also, in the process of converting the former down track to standard gauge three stations were closed (Millswood, Hawthorn and Clapham), whilst most other stations along the line were left with one disused platform. There's passing loops at Mitcham, near the Sleeps Hill Tunnel and at Blackwood Station to allow trains in opposite directions to pass each other.

Good to see we've finally started looking for trains:

I know they're run by different organisations, but if we are to consider that Belair will always be a minor line (not requiring as-intensive services) and won't be electrified, if the government could buy back ARTC's line it wouldn't be completely unfeasible to go back to the old days of freight & pass sharing.

Although I think it would be more likely to be the other way round, like CityRail's Hunter Valley services - TA trains running on ARTC trackage.

The number of freight trains from Adelaide to Melbourne isn't massive, you could sit by the line for a few hours and see none. I'm not sure how much of a bottleneck Belair - Mile End actually is for freight though, so it would probably benefit pax more.

Well, I hope this study on relocating the ARTC line away from the hills will come out soon so we will know if TA can buy back the line for full-time use.

The tender for the new EMU fleet has been put up as per the Advertiser article already posted.

https://www.tenders.sa.gov.au/tenders/t ... er-details

Tenders SA wrote:Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) for the Adelaide metropolitan passenger rail network

Issued by Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure
Request for Information
Tender State: Current Tender
Tender Code: DTEI017362
Contract Number: 09C063
Category: Unassigned

So if tenders for the new EMUs close on the 26th of May, when should we expect to hear about the decision? End of June? End of July? Later?

Will409 wrote:The tender for the new EMU fleet has been put up as per the Advertiser article already posted.

I might be wrong, but this appears to simply be an RFI (request for information) with the purpose of gathering info about various suppliers (to let them know we are interested in buying, help us build a strategy, and start convincing the suppliers they are charging too much).

Future steps might be:
* RFP (Request for proposal) asking suppliers to say why their product is best suited to the purpose
* RFT (request for tender) asking suppliers to bid

Early days...

Once the complete the belair line resleepering using gauge convertible sleepers, they will have the
option in future to convert them to standard gauge and share the freight line as well. I believe the
goverment has plans to do this and to electrify the belair line however it is awaiting to see if the
freight line will be re-routed north of adelaide. If the freight line is not rerouted i assume that they
are expecting some sort of tunnel upgrades and my then standardise the line to allow sharing of
the freight line however if the frieght is not re-routed the line may remain diesel...

One option the government could look at is the Bombardier AGC Hybrid (Diesel and Electric) that
way it could operate electric prior to hills tunnels and then diesel etc? That way it could also share the
freight tracks as their would be no overhead power lines after the seperation prior to the first hills
tunnel..... Dont believe our State Government even knows these exists.....

Umm, stringing wires through those tunnels is not the issue here

Also you really don't need to
make your postings look like
this as the forum automatically
wraps lines.