COM: Glenelg Tramline Upgrade

[Ben]

Would be cool if they had Christmas trams like in Melbourne.

[tommy_M]

wouldnt mind a pakistani tram like melbourne...

[BillD]

I saw a number of Flexitys trigger their own green signal on the down track at South Tce this afternoon so it looks like the transponders are working ok. I haven't seen the controls in the drivers cab yet.

A friend told me that the City-West system is also working.

Operations from tomorrow morning should give it a good workout.

Bill.

[Ben]

From Adelaide Now:

Another tram breakdown as Conlon faces no-confidence motion



MICHAEL OWEN, POLITICAL REPORTER

November 13, 2007 12:15pm

ON the day Transport Minister Patrick Conlon is to face a no-confidence motion in Parliament, a tram has broken down yet again in the city.

The tram broke down outside the Hyatt, between the City West and Railway Station stops, late this morning. There was apparently a problem with one of the wheels.

The tram was stuck between stops for about 20 minutes - but when Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith arrived to do a press conference criticising the Government's handling of transport matters, TransAdelaide workers moved the tram to the City West stop while they continued maintenance work.

Mr Conlon is today preparing to announce a major overhaul of the way troubled transport operator TransAdelaide is governed.

[AG]

The tram involved in this incident is Flexity 111, the same tram that derailed last Tuesday. I suspect the issue related to the breakdown might be related to the derailment last Tuesday. I was surprised that 111 got back into service so quickly after last Tuesday's incident.

[frank1]

Hopefully this latest breakdown will prompt the government to announce a serious public transport overhaul plan. On the news it sounded like they want to vote pat out. I hope this doesn't happen as he is really enthusiastic about future tram projects and i would hate to see them stop if he is voted out.

[Ben]

On the news it sounded like they want to vote pat out. I hope this doesn't happen as he is really enthusiastic about future tram projects and i would hate to see them stop if he is voted out.

I'm sure they could find someone far more competant who is just as enthusiastic.

[rhino]

On the news it sounded like they want to vote pat out. I hope this doesn't happen as he is really enthusiastic about future tram projects and i would hate to see them stop if he is voted out.

I'm sure they could find someone far more competant who is just as enthusiastic.

You think? I can't remember the last minister for transport who was as enthusiastic or as competant as Pat Conlon. Can you? Please don't say Di Laidlaw, I will slap you. Unfortunately for Pat, the buck stops with him when realistically he's not an engineer, and is taking advice from those who are supposed to get it right.

[Ben]

On the news it sounded like they want to vote pat out. I hope this doesn't happen as he is really enthusiastic about future tram projects and i would hate to see them stop if he is voted out.

I'm sure they could find someone far more competant who is just as enthusiastic.

You think? I can't remember the last minister for transport who was as enthusiastic or as competant as Pat Conlon. Can you? Please don't say Di Laidlaw, I will slap you. Unfortunately for Pat, the buck stops with him when realistically he's not an engineer, and is taking advice from those who are supposed to get it right.

Where is his planning and vision? He has come up with nothing. yes your are absolutley correct in saying the previous ministers have been a disgrace. That is why SA has no infrastructure because they are ALL short sighted especially Pat Conlon. What are his plans for the rail in this state or the roads or south road? An underpass here and a conversion to light rail for the outer harbour line - what a joke!

[rhino]

An underpass here and a conversion to light rail for the outer harbour line - what a joke!

South Road underpasses at 1)Port Road - Grange Road - Outer Harbour Railway Line
2)Anzac Highway, inc a tramline bridge over South Road
3)Sturt Road
4)Grade seperation at Cormack Road - South Tce - Dry Creek-Port Adelaide railway. This was announced by the Federal Labor Party, but don't you think the idea came from Pat's Dept?

Northern Expressway: Apart from the published plan, an extension beginning approx 2014 linking the end at Port Wakefield Road to the Port River Expressway via a new route through the area near the Salt Evaporation Pans.

Grand Junction Road: Underpass at Gepps Cross, allowing freight traffic from the southeast & Victoria smoother access to the Port.

Henley Beach Road: (almost completed) demolition of the accident-causing Bakewell Bridge and replacement with a tunnel under the railway lines and James Congdon Drive.

Outer Harbor Railway: (completed) re-sleepering project, re-sleepering with gauge-convertable concrete sleepers allowing us to change our rollingstock to standard gauge when all the lines have been completed.

Noarlunga line: A similar re-sleepering project has been announced. You can see that this won't be the last - they'll all ge done eventually, and then we can get new rollingstock and/or switch to light rail.

Tramline extension: The new extension is a spectacular success, and has paved the way for it to be extended in a loop around the City West, rejuvenating that part of the city. More will follow, there is no doubt about that.

Exactly how many projects do you want announced, and how far into the future?

[Will]

On the news it sounded like they want to vote pat out. I hope this doesn't happen as he is really enthusiastic about future tram projects and i would hate to see them stop if he is voted out.

I'm sure they could find someone far more competant who is just as enthusiastic.

You think? I can't remember the last minister for transport who was as enthusiastic or as competant as Pat Conlon. Can you? Please don't say Di Laidlaw, I will slap you. Unfortunately for Pat, the buck stops with him when realistically he's not an engineer, and is taking advice from those who are supposed to get it right.

Yes I agree with your opinion. People on this forum seem to forget that we are all 'economic conservatives' now, and as much as we would like the government to go on a wild spending spree, such actions are confined to history.

[Ben]

An underpass here and a conversion to light rail for the outer harbour line - what a joke!

South Road underpasses at

1)Port Road - Grange Road - Outer Harbour Railway Line

No timeline or specific detials hves been set for this

2)Anzac Highway, inc a tramline bridge over South Road

Construction has commenced on a 2 lane underpass in each direction (this is not good enough. No future planning has been put into this at all. Basically at time of completion it will already need upgrading to three or four lanes each direction.

3)Sturt Road

Once again no timeline or specific detials.

4)Grade seperation at Cormack Road - South Tce - Dry Creek-Port Adelaide railway. This was announced by the Federal Labor Party, but don't you think the idea came from Pat's Dept?

Exactly right announced as part of the Fedral government election campaign - nothing further to be said.

Northern Expressway: Apart from the published plan, an extension beginning approx 2014 linking the end at Port Wakefield Road to the Port River Expressway via a new route through the area near the Salt Evaporation Pans.

So this will start in 7 years time? So this is totally dependant on labour staying in power for another two terms.

Grand Junction Road: Underpass at Gepps Cross, allowing freight traffic from the southeast & Victoria smoother access to the Port.

Part of the federal labour party election campaign.

Henley Beach Road: (almost completed) demolition of the accident-causing Bakewell Bridge and replacement with a tunnel under the railway lines and James Congdon Drive.

This bridge was taken out by trucks that many times the government did not have a choice. they didn't just woke up one day and decide it would be a good idea to upgrade this intersection... it was literally falling apart.

Outer Harbor Railway: (completed) re-sleepering project, re-sleepering with gauge-convertable concrete sleepers allowing us to change our rollingstock to standard gauge when all the lines have been completed.

Noarlunga line: A similar re-sleepering project has been announced. You can see that this won't be the last - they'll all ge done eventually, and then we can get new rollingstock and/or switch to light rail.

I would hope that they would replace the sleepers as they become almost unusable...

Tramline extension: The new extension is a spectacular success, and has paved the way for it to be extended in a loop around the City West, rejuvenating that part of the city. More will follow, there is no doubt about that.

This is a great start but it is tiny and there have been no details of any further tramline extension projects they are all pie in the sky ideas at this point in time. Nothing concrete.

Exactly how many projects do you want announced, and how far into the future?

How about a north/ south free way, what about a conversion to electric for our rail, what about new rail and tram routes and extensions, what about increased and improved public transport, what about a freeway to victor harbour, the above projects are crucial maintenace issues that any governement in power would HAVE to do. there is no fore thought involved at all. I am surprised you think so highly of our Transoport Minister.

[rhino]

Wow! So you want timelines and details for everything? When was the last time that was done anywhere? If it has been done (remember you have asked for details on a shitload of projects), was it stuck to, or did it change over the course of the project's life, and a load of people had a good old whinge that the plans had changed?

Honestly, there is no pleasing some people - you start a heap of projects and they want more or it's not enough. There is a breath of fresh air blowing through the infrastructure of this state - if you refuse to breathe it it's your problem.

As Metal Monster said in another thread, there is a lot more planned than is made available to the general public, because of exactly your whinging attitude. If you want to find out exactly what the plan is, this is not the place to ask, Pat's office is. Have you written to him?

[frank1]

Just remember that this state has just come out of a recession and doesn't have money coming out of its ass yet. These projects you describe as 'maintenance' projects are significant as the state is just catching up. When the state has a bit more money, I'm sure that detailed infrastructure plans will come out.

[skyliner]

Agreed! The money flow has not really happened as far as I can see - definitely there however - and like in other states (but with the advantage of learning from their mistakes) the finances will come online in a big way. Plans should be in place NOW in readiness for this.However, I wonder about the desal plant concerning the concept alluded to above.

ADELAIDE - CITY ON THE MOVE