[COM] Oaklands Crossing | $174m

[AG]

The way the new Oaklands Station has been designed makes any sort of future changes challenging to follow through with, particularly with buses using the new bays for connecting buses on Morphett Road on the south side of the crossing. Immediately I can see one way for a grade separation to occur, by creating a Y-shaped bridge, with approaches on Morphett Road from the south, and Morphett and Diagonal Roads from the north, with an intersection on the bridge above the rail lines, and access to the platforms via the bridge and the bus bays also on the bridge.

[SRW]

The way the new Oaklands Station has been designed makes any sort of future changes challenging to follow through with, particularly with buses using the new bays for connecting buses on Morphett Road on the south side of the crossing. Immediately I can see one way for a grade separation to occur, by creating a Y-shaped bridge, with approaches on Morphett Road from the south, and Morphett and Diagonal Roads from the north, with an intersection on the bridge above the rail lines, and access to the platforms via the bridge and the bus bays also on the bridge.

Indeed, they've sort of shot themselves in the foot insofar as improving neighbouring traffic goes. It annoys me especially, because it's my understanding that this project initially was envisaged as including grade separation (as well an actual interchange), but the government chose the immediately cheap option (more expensive in the long-run, however).

Is it possible at all now to have rail overpass/viaduct, or is the station to close to the road for an acceptable gradient? It's my opinion that they are usually the best option.

[AG]

Is it possible at all now to have rail overpass/viaduct, or is the station to close to the road for an acceptable gradient? It's my opinion that they are usually the best option.

The station is almost right next to the crossing, so any sort of change in the elevation in the rail line would require the station to be relocated or rebuilt, which is not what anyone wants particularly if it has just been constructed! IMO, the best bet would be to alter the road approaches to the crossing by elevating the roads rather than the rail lines. That would still require alterations to what has just been constructed at the western end of the station though, but not the main station structures themselves.

[Shuz]

Having a look at Google Maps, I strongly believe that the idea of constructing two underpasses is the most effective solution to eliminating the level crossing that exists at Oaklands. Morphett Road North would divert into Diagonal Road South (eastern underpass), as would Morphett Road South divert into Diagonal Road North (western underpass). In between these two roads, the possibility exists for a bus interchange where southbound buses would use the western underpass to collect commuters, and northbound buses use the eastern underpass. The central platfrom would allow a singular access point into the interchange from the train platform above, with the entrance from the north (where there is more room). The only obstacle to this solution would be to compulsorily acquire the four properties whose backyards front onto Diagonal Road South, to make way for the eastern underpass to be constructed. The concept could be a little squeezed for room, so if required additional properties could be acquired adjacent the southern T-interesection of Morphett & Diagonal roads up to the train line to make more room for the western underpass to be built, and thus more room for the central bus interchange. Guesstimated cost: $140m.

[Norman]

Update from today. The security guards are quite strict these days, so I didn't get as many shots as I wanted.

Walkway from Upper Carpark to Platforms


Is this the new Bus Interchange?


New signage up


Ticket Office


New seating is now in place

[SRW]

Appreciate the photos, Norman.

Looking good, though I would have preferred wooden or a least painted benches to contrast with the rest of all that steel (I guess it would be a vandalism risk, but it's perhaps better than the slightly prison-esque appearance).

[Norman]

Apparently this station will open in mid-June (13-16).

[Will409]

Found this on Railpage courtesy of dribbler.

An update on the old and new station. Last night while walking through Oaklands Railway station, I notice numerous posters/signs.

Please do not get me wrong, I am all for the new railway station.

Sign 1:

The underpass will be closed from June 10.

Sign 2:
I took a photo of this one for future reference.
"The ticket sale office, passenger information, shelters and toilets will be removed from this platform on Saturday 30 May. Trains will continue to use this station until Tuesday 10 June when new platforms, car park and pedestrian crossings will open. Ticket sales facilities will be available in late June from the new Interchange"


Based on these dates, passengers using Oaklands Railway station between 30 May and 9 June, will be without shelter on the platform. This is the beginning of winter. Surely, TransAdelaide in it's wisdom (sorry, didn't mean to use those 2 words in the same sentence) would not remove anything off the existing platform, until the new platform is up and running.

This does not surprise me in the least.

I'll hopefully be able to go down to Oaklands during the various stages of it's demolition if I can get a face mask from Mitre10/Bunnings.

[Bulldozer]

I saw this a couple of weeks ago when in town. I'm not impressed by it at all. Too many missed opportunities to have done something really great there. For what it is, it has taken far too long to build. Hell, in the time it's taken to build that a 15 storey office block has gone up around the corner from here!

You'd think that for $7 million they could have at least fully enclosed the station and put in a proper pedestrian over/under pass. And what's with the orange labels? I thought that blue was the colour for the Noarlunga line?

[Düsseldorfer]

I saw this station today and it is really not anything amazing, Mawson Lakes still is probably the best station on the Suburban Network. they have just converted it from an island platform to two side platforms with better sheltering and ugly orange colours...but still an improvement.

I think that upgrading the old station with a new modern building and shelter would have made a bit more sense, would have also taken less time to build.

[muzzamo]

I've attached the latest community newsletter for the interchange.

Some highlights:

Normal rail services on the Noarlunga line are scheduled to resume from first service on the morning of Tuesday 10 June 2008 with an increased number of services stopping at the Interchange.

At this stage, timetables are not being reprinted, as there are minimal changes to train running times but more services will be stopping at Oaklands. More bus connections to Marion Shopping Centre also will be provided from the new Oaklands Interchange at stop 29.

Sounds like oaklands is the first confirmation that that Noarlunga will be getting "high frequency stations" similar to the gawler line.

[muzzamo]

details on the extra trains are here

http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/routes/oaklands.html

[muzzamo]

it looks like all trains now stop at oaklands now except the express to noarlunga train

[Norman]

So who will join me for the opening day at 5.47am?

[Norman]

Sounds like oaklands is the first confirmation that that Noarlunga will be getting "high frequency stations" similar to the gawler line.

If so, the following will be HFS:
Goodwood
Woodlands Park
Oaklands
Brighton
(Marino?)
Hallet Cove Beach
(Lonsdale?)
Noarlunga Centre