News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[Waewick]

Great news, i dont use it but it must be great for those commuters who do.

[[Shuz]]

Why no contract to Concordia?

[SBD]

I have two questions:
1) Does Stage 2 "Salisbury to Gawler" only go to Gawler Station/Gawler Junction, leaving the necessity for at least a stage three to Gawler Central or beyond, and possibly a stage 4 to Roseworthy, or is it shorthand for electrification of all current services?
2) What rolling stock will be used? There is nothing in the press release about either buying more 4000-class, or about converting the 3000-class to be powered from the overhead wires. I don't recall anything in that area for stage 1 either, as the stated benefit was in getting Seaford train sets to Dry Creek under their own power.

[adelaide transport]

The contract includes 15 new electric trains.

[mawsonguy]

What rolling stock will be used? There is nothing in the press release about either buying more 4000-class, or about converting the 3000-class to be powered from the overhead wires. I don't recall anything in that area for stage 1 either, as the stated benefit was in getting Seaford train sets to Dry Creek under their own power.

The article stated "Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said the additional cost would be spent on purchasing 15 new electric rail cars." The "additional cost" was $175 million to be paid by the state government.

[PD2/20]

I have two questions:
1) Does Stage 2 "Salisbury to Gawler" only go to Gawler Station/Gawler Junction, leaving the necessity for at least a stage three to Gawler Central or beyond, and possibly a stage 4 to Roseworthy, or is it shorthand for electrification of all current services?
2) What rolling stock will be used? There is nothing in the press release about either buying more 4000-class, or about converting the 3000-class to be powered from the overhead wires. I don't recall anything in that area for stage 1 either, as the stated benefit was in getting Seaford train sets to Dry Creek under their own power.

1) According to the Public Works Committee Report No 613 (january 2018) (https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/Commit ... =5&CId=340) the scope of the project is to Gawler Central.
2) The press release about 2/3rds way down refers to the purchase of 15 additional 3 car electric trains in Phase 2. The prospect of 3000 class conversion has receded even further with current mechanical refurbishment programme. I understood that that Stage 1 to Salisbury could be operated by the surplus sets that were acquired for Seaford/Tonsley. Allowing for maintenance there are about 5 of the 22 sets available for a Salisbury service. Apart from electric access to the depot other benefits of Stage 1 are providing more capacity on the Gawler line, establishing a second electrical supply point at Dry Creek and completing a signalling upgrade to Salisbury.

[PD2/20]

Strip footings are currently being dug in the Adelaide railway yard on the opposite side of the tracks to the existing control centre.

Is there a new facility being put in here when the old one is closed to make way for the new SAHMRI 2 building? I thought it was going further afield to Dry Creek or something...

It could be SAHMRI related. The trenches do look like footings, but so far they've been laying pipe in them and then covering them over again. The trench running along the boundary fence which connects to this construction goes at least as far as the new rail underpass & 3 more trenches with pipes were recently built heading away from the work site & toward the train lines.

The Public Works Committee Report 583 tabled November 2017 contains a schedule of works for the Operation Control Centre (OCC) Relocation project:

The required works for the relocation and vacation of this site include the following:

• The relocation of the Adelaide Rail Yard power supply, involving the construction of a new power supply building within the Adelaide Yard to house the railway power supply and safety critical signalling equipment. The power supply will require a new high voltage external power supply from SA Power Networks.

• The fitout of the new OCC at Dry Creek, including a new control room and associated services, and the connection of the control room to the ground floor equipment rooms.

• The construction of a duplicate operationally critical main and backup computer-based railway systems and networks.

• The completion of redundant high capacity optical fibre links to connect the new OCC and signalling equipment to the Adelaide Yard to replace the existing local connections. This will comprise an interim solution to enable early testing and provide redundancy until the Gawler Rail Electrification Project conduits and aerial fibre cables are completed.

• The facility commissioning, including staged commissioning of new systems, and staff and equipment relocation.

Thus the observed work would appear to be the building to house the new power supply and safety critical signalling equipment.

I had a look at the site yesterday from the river side and noticed that the 4 huts in the work compound bear Lendlease logos. Does this indicate that Lendlease are undertaking the OCC relocation or does it reflect their role as main contractor for the electrification (include resignalling) work?

[claybro]

Strip footings are currently being dug in the Adelaide railway yard on the opposite side of the tracks to the existing control centre.

Is there a new facility being put in here when the old one is closed to make way for the new SAHMRI 2 building? I thought it was going further afield to Dry Creek or something...

It could be SAHMRI related. The trenches do look like footings, but so far they've been laying pipe in them and then covering them over again. The trench running along the boundary fence which connects to this construction goes at least as far as the new rail underpass & 3 more trenches with pipes were recently built heading away from the work site & toward the train lines.

The Public Works Committee Report 583 tabled November 2017 contains a schedule of works for the Operation Control Centre (OCC) Relocation project:

The required works for the relocation and vacation of this site include the following:

• The relocation of the Adelaide Rail Yard power supply, involving the construction of a new power supply building within the Adelaide Yard to house the railway power supply and safety critical signalling equipment. The power supply will require a new high voltage external power supply from SA Power Networks.

• The fitout of the new OCC at Dry Creek, including a new control room and associated services, and the connection of the control room to the ground floor equipment rooms.

• The construction of a duplicate operationally critical main and backup computer-based railway systems and networks.

• The completion of redundant high capacity optical fibre links to connect the new OCC and signalling equipment to the Adelaide Yard to replace the existing local connections. This will comprise an interim solution to enable early testing and provide redundancy until the Gawler Rail Electrification Project conduits and aerial fibre cables are completed.

• The facility commissioning, including staged commissioning of new systems, and staff and equipment relocation.

Thus the observed work would appear to be the building to house the new power supply and safety critical signalling equipment.

I had a look at the site yesterday from the river side and noticed that the 4 huts in the work compound bear Lendlease logos. Does this indicate that Lendlease are undertaking the OCC relocation or does it reflect their role as main contractor for the electrification (include resignalling) work?

Just out of curiosity, wasn't the Adelaide rail yard completely reconfigured during the months long closure a few years back to allow for the Seaford electrification? Wasn't the electrification of OH and Gawler still on the cards at that time, and the whole yard designed for electrification of the 3 lines?. Wasn't SAMRI and associated uni buildings already planned even then? Why wasn't the new power and signalling done then? Not saying its a major drama now, but surely it would have been cheaper/quicker/easier to do it all at once?

[Goodsy]

Just out of curiosity, wasn't the Adelaide rail yard completely reconfigured during the months long closure a few years back to allow for the Seaford electrification? Wasn't the electrification of OH and Gawler still on the cards at that time, and the whole yard designed for electrification of the 3 lines?. Wasn't SAMRI and associated uni buildings already planned even then? Why wasn't the new power and signalling done then? Not saying its a major drama now, but surely it would have been cheaper/quicker/easier to do it all at once?

The Yard itself is ready to go for Gawler Electrification. All lines have overhead wires and the Gawler line has a few gantries in place ready for wire

[PD2/20]

Just out of curiosity, wasn't the Adelaide rail yard completely reconfigured during the months long closure a few years back to allow for the Seaford electrification? Wasn't the electrification of OH and Gawler still on the cards at that time, and the whole yard designed for electrification of the 3 lines?. Wasn't SAMRI and associated uni buildings already planned even then? Why wasn't the new power and signalling done then? Not saying its a major drama now, but surely it would have been cheaper/quicker/easier to do it all at once?

The January 2013 month-long closure saw the erection of the overhead gantries over the immediate approaches to all 9 platforms from east of Nairne Junction (where the Seaford/Belair and Port/Gawler lines diverge. The pointwork of the crossovers at Nairne Jn between the Belair/Port?Gawler lines was replaced on a like for like basis. Apart from the removal of a couple of crossovers under the Morphett St bridge on the approach to Platform 2, the track layout and signalling of the Adelaide Yard remained unchanged during the revitalisation and Seaford electrification. I believe the signalling installation dates back to the late 1980s. The Seaford line signalling and associated communications links beyond Port Rd were completely renewed at electrification. As part of the Torrens Jn and T2t works the signalling out to Croydon and North Adelaide have been replaced.

The Signal and Operations Control Centre has certainly been envisaged for a number of years and building provision was made when Dry Creek Depot was built in 2011. The exisitng signalling installation must have been considered serviceable at the time of the Seaford electrification and its upgrade may have been planned to occur when the (subsequently delayed) Gawler electrification took place.

The Yard itself is ready to go for Gawler Electrification. All lines have overhead wires and the Gawler line has a few gantries in place ready for wire

In Adelaide Yard only the Seaford and Belair lines into Platforms 1-4 currently have overhead .

[Nowlistencarefully]

Whilst the Gawler Line Electrification is happening they should close some stations, it will speed up train services and reduce station maintenance costs.

Stations that should be closed
Dudley Park
Kilburn
Greenfields
Parafield Gardens
Chidda
Broadmeadows

Agree that stations that do not directly service a high traffic retail or services areas, or are not suitable for accommodating a bus interchange so that local buses can feed into them should be closed. These small little suburban whistle stops, might be convenient to the couple of hundred people in the immediate few blocks, but as you say, they add huge cost and time constraints on the system as a whole. Not particularly familiar with the Gawler Line, but if these stations are in low density areas, they should be closed.

Could they move Dudley Park to either side of Pym St i.e southbound south and northbound north of intersection and scrap Islington? Make Ovingham high frequency instead.

[claybro]

There's no way Islington would be scrapped, it services an expanding retail and soon to commence high density housing precinct. If anything Dudley Park could be scrapped, it is in a low density suburb, has no provision for bus connections, is not highly visible from any main road and serves no shpping or service precinct. So it is typical of many Adelaide suburban stations and demonstrates many of the problems with the current train system.

[ChillyPhilly]

There's no way Islington would be scrapped, it services an expanding retail and soon to commence high density housing precinct. If anything Dudley Park could be scrapped, it is in a low density suburb, has no provision for bus connections, is not highly visible from any main road and serves no shpping or service precinct. So it is typical of many Adelaide suburban stations and demonstrates many of the problems with the current train system.

From a practical point of view, both Dudley Park and Ovingham should be scrapped. The plot twist? They equally shouldn't be, as both stations help facilitate efforts to densify the area, especially along Churchill Road. There are no immediate bus connections, but again Churchill Road is literally a stone's throw away.

Islington just needs an urgent upgrade, including improvement of pedestrian connections in all directions. The rail siding just to the east of the platforms should be removed also.

[1NEEDS2POST]

The January 2013 month-long closure saw the erection of the overhead gantries over the immediate approaches to all 9 platforms from east of Nairne Junction (where the Seaford/Belair and Port/Gawler lines diverge.

One thing I've been curious about for a while. Do you know why it's called "Nairne Junction" even though it's not in Nairne?

Could they move Dudley Park to either side of Pym St i.e southbound south and northbound north of intersection and scrap Islington? Make Ovingham high frequency instead.

Islington station should have a good bus connection on Regency Rd. Unfortunately the only route that serves it is route 300, which is low frequency. If we eventually get a grid for our public transport network, Islington Station-Regency Rd will be a good connection point.

[Llessur2002]

One thing I've been curious about for a while. Do you know why it's called "Nairne Junction" even though it's not in Nairne?

Some interesting information here: https://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11379953.htm