News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[[Shuz]]

Parafield Gardens seems pretty well utilized compared to the other three.

[Eurostar]

I can just imagine the journey time from Gawler to City, thus how attractive it would be. Just did a quick calculation based on 42km distance at 90kmh speed = 28 minutes, even once you add on slowing down in Adelaide yard its still only a little more.

[ml69]

The Gawler Line can be made more efficient by culling several stations: Kudla, Nurlutta, Parafield Gardens and Greenfields can all be removed.

Agree. We should then have a 15 minute daytime all stops service (like Seaford) for the remaining stations.

Afterwards, all stations should be upgraded to reasonable standard with lighting and CCTV (I know some stations are pretty good already).

Does any one know whether station upgrades are part of the Gawler electrification project?

[Spotto]

The Gawler Line can be made more efficient by culling several stations: Kudla, Nurlutta, Parafield Gardens and Greenfields can all be removed.

If we go down the road of cutting stations we MUST at the same time expand park'n'ride and bus facilties at the next-nearest stations which will hopefully allow commuters who used the closed stations change their route slightly but still use the train.

Actually we should be expanding expand park'n'ride and bus facilties at stations right now regardless of what happens to going about improving services.

[ml69]

Why do we have so many buses that go from the CBD to the outer northern suburbs? Should just have one bus that goes from CBD up Main North Rd that terminates in Elizabeth. All other outer North buses should be feeder routes to the nearest train station.

This will of course be even more effective once we have through running trains under the CBD which also stop at Hindmarsh and Victoria Sq.

Look to Perth to see how they do it on their Joondalup and Mandurah lines. Same low density as Adelaide. But it works really well.

[NTRabbit]

Inbound trains were 2 cars, and people were being left behind at Mawson Lakes (granted, the bogans crowding around the door and not moving down the train weren't helping).

This is a big problem in football season too, and requires an attitude change from passengers that comes about before I shout into the train and bulldoze people into the middle so that the people on the platform behind me can get on. Everyone who thinks they're either entitled to a seat, or entitled to stand near the doors because they got on first, or entitled to a foot of personal space around them at all times, needs to learn otherwise.

[Eurostar]

Why do we have so many buses that go from the CBD to the outer northern suburbs? Should just have one bus that goes from CBD up Main North Rd that terminates in Elizabeth. All other outer North buses should be feeder routes to the nearest train station.

This will of course be even more effective once we have through running trains under the CBD which also stop at Hindmarsh and Victoria Sq.

Look to Perth to see how they do it on their Joondalup and Mandurah lines. Same low density as Adelaide. But it works really well.

The trains is run by a public sector company whereas the buses is run by a private sector company, so in theory Southlink don't want passengers to catch the train they want them to catch their bus.

[PeFe]

The trains is run by a public sector company whereas the buses is run by a private sector company, so in theory Southlink don't want passengers to catch the train they want them to catch their bus.

The fare revenue goes to the SA government, the private operator is paid on the grounds of providing a "regular bus service" so even if there were no bus passengers then the private operator is still paid.

Routes and schedules are determined by the state government.

[SBD]

Why do we have so many buses that go from the CBD to the outer northern suburbs? Should just have one bus that goes from CBD up Main North Rd that terminates in Elizabeth. All other outer North buses should be feeder routes to the nearest train station.

This will of course be even more effective once we have through running trains under the CBD which also stop at Hindmarsh and Victoria Sq.

Look to Perth to see how they do it on their Joondalup and Mandurah lines. Same low density as Adelaide. But it works really well.

The trains is run by a public sector company whereas the buses is run by a private sector company, so in theory Southlink don't want passengers to catch the train they want them to catch their bus.

This could be a reason to hire out the running of the trains and trams, to the same operators as the buses. If the contract structure includes payments for increasing the total net passenger kilometres, the operators will want to use the most efficient methods available (net km = distance between the journey endpoints, not how far the bus actually travelled along a route).

[adelaide transport]

The trains is run by a public sector company whereas the buses is run by a private sector company, so in theory Southlink don't want passengers to catch the train they want them to catch their bus.

The fare revenue goes to the SA government, the private operator is paid on the grounds of providing a "regular bus service" so even if there were no bus passengers then the private operator is still paid.

Routes and schedules are determined by the state government.
Maybe when new bus contracts begin in July(announcement of successful contractors will be announced next month) an overhaul of routes might see this change?

[SBD]

The trains is run by a public sector company whereas the buses is run by a private sector company, so in theory Southlink don't want passengers to catch the train they want them to catch their bus.

The fare revenue goes to the SA government, the private operator is paid on the grounds of providing a "regular bus service" so even if there were no bus passengers then the private operator is still paid.

Routes and schedules are determined by the state government.
Maybe when new bus contracts begin in July(announcement of successful contractors will be announced next month) an overhaul of routes might see this change?

Ideally, the contract would include a base rate for providing basic service availability (eg 5/10/15 minute frequency at specified sets of stops and 30 minutes at others), but also provide incentives for increased patronage so that the operator has flexibility to buy better buses, manipulate routes and times to make better connections, reward friendly drivers, etc.

"Better" buses could be to either improve the rider experience (wifi, quieter, more space) or operational expenses (more fuel-efficient, different kind of fuel, reduced service costs).

[Joelmark]

Major construction has begun on the Gawler line electrification project with late night closures having begun to allow the installation of concrete footings for the gantries and wires. At the moment they are working from Adelaide station to Dry Creek.

[RetroGamer87]

Now that Gawler is expanding its a pity we don't have a third track which will allow trains to be express between Gawler and Adelaide.

I assume you meant express with stops only at Elizabeth, Salisbury and Mawson Lakes.

[Spotto]

Major construction has begun on the Gawler line electrification project with late night closures having begun to allow the installation of concrete footings for the gantries and wires. At the moment they are working from Adelaide station to Dry Creek.

Thank goodness the Torrens Junction project had the foresight to put in the footings from the get-go. It’s only small but it’s one less section to worry about.

[[Shuz]]

Now that Gawler is expanding its a pity we don't have a third track which will allow trains to be express between Gawler and Adelaide.

I assume you meant express with stops only at Elizabeth, Salisbury and Mawson Lakes.

No, he meant a third track. You can't run an express behind an all stopper.

Trains can't overtake like cars can. They're stuck on those rails / in that lane. It's like someone going 100kph then suddenly gets stuck behind someone doing 60kph and stopping every 1km. Hence, third track for express.