The State Government says the project will reduce traffic on Park Tce, improve train services and be a feature of its 2200-home Bowden Urban Village project.

A spokesman for Transport Minister Pat Conlon said the works had been costed at about $418 million and would need funding from the state and federal governments to go ahead.

Department of Trade, Energy and Infrastructure head Rod Hook said the project, which had no timeframe, would be programmed after “the Commonwealth comes to the party and puts their share on the table”.

Mr Hook said the tunnel would begin in the parklands about 500m southeast of Park Tce and travel under the freight line to reduce track and road congestion.

He said the tunnel would end immediately after Chief St and include an underground train station in the heart of the Bowden development.

“If we get the Commonwealth funds … there’s no point in bringing the Outer Harbor line half way up to Park Tce,” Mr Hook said.

“You might as well take it under Park Tce to take the crossing out and if you’re going under Park Tce, you might as well stay down and build the Bowden Station underground.

“It takes the delays associated with the level crossing out.”

The State Government will develop the Bowden Urban Village, planned for the former Clipsal and Origin Energy sites between Chief St and Park Tce, over the next 10-12 years, with shops, offices and 2400 homes.

It is the first of 14 transit oriented developments (TODs) planned across Adelaide, with some residents expected to move in by early 2013.

The $418 million pricetag on the works dwarfs the $264 million the government plans to spend on the TOD over the next decade. Mr Hook said tunnelling the passenger line through the 16 ha site would improve the development’s appearance.

He said separating the passenger and freight lines was already on Infrastructure Australia’s National Priority List of future projects.

“It becomes entirely a matter for the Commonwealth Government as to the timing,” Mr Hook said.

A spokesman for Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese did not shed any light on when the project was likely to be funded.

“The Government has consistently said that when additional infrastructure funding becomes available in future budgets, the National Priority List will help guide our investment decisions,” he said.

Mr Conlon’s spokesman said works at the Bowden Urban Village could proceed for about five years before the trainline was put underground.

“In the unlikely event that no Federal funding is secured in that timeframe, the LMC (Land Management Corporation) is confident they will be able to adjust the planning for future stages of the Bowden Urban Village,” the spokesman said.

via Messenger News

The Australian Rail Track Corporation is trialling the Advanced Train Management System (ATMS) between Crystal Brook and Port Augusta as part of a $500 million plan to enable longer trains to run closer together on the same track.

It is being developed by Lockheed Martin, one of the world’s largest defence contractors, and incorporates Telstra’s 3G network.

The corporation has spent more than $90 million so far on the trial, which is about two-thirds complete.

The system uses trackside transmitters and GPS transmitters on the front and rear of trains, which are up to 2km long. The transmitters send data about a train’s exact location through the 3G network and satellites. An operator at a network control centre would monitor the train and communicate with the driver via voice and data.

ARTC spokesman Brad Emery said freight trains running on the same line must be kept between 10km to 15km apart because their exact location was only known within a general area.

“If we can shrink that gap and safety margin down to 2km, we would obviously get more trains on the track and this system will allow us to do that,” Mr Emery said. “It’s about getting more trains and more freight on the north-south and east-west tracks.”

The new system would allow a train to be remotely slowed or stopped in an emergency situation.

Mr Emery said the technology was being developed at Lockheed Martin’s Colorado base and tested in South Australia because of the terrain.

Tram, Bus and Rail Union secretary Ashley Waddell said it was not known if rail companies would try to introduce driver-only trains if the ATMS trial were successful.

“There are other things like fatigue management impediments that must be taken into account, so ATMS doesn’t automatically mean driver-only trains,” he said.

Mr Waddell said the union would be closely monitoring the situation.

If the trial is successful the system will be used on the ARTC’s 10,000km national rail network.

via AdelaideNow

A Transport Department spokeswoman confirmed work in the area where the remains were found on February 17 had been halted, but overall progress on the 5.7km extension had not been affected.

Archaeologists at the site – on the corner of Lovelock Dr and Honeypot Rd, Noarlunga Downs – are examining the remains prior to their reburial.

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The commission supported the plan at a hearing last month but the recommendation was withdrawn when more than 30 people, who had lodged written submissions, were mistakenly not given a chance to speak.

Under the plan, lodged by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), the maximum train length would stretch from 1.5km to 1.8km.

But the 2km-long loop, which would allow trains to pass and overtake each other, must be approved by Planning Minister John Rau before it can be built.

Greens MLC Mark Parnell, who voiced his objection at a rescheduled hearing last week, believed it was highly unlikely the commission would change its stance.

“My expectation is that they will make exactly the same decision they made previously and support the loop,” he said.

The plan is part of a $76 million federal government project to build seven crossing loops between Adelaide and Melbourne to allow longer trains and double rail capacity.

Mr Parnell, who lodged a written submission against the proposal, said plans for a northern bypass would render the loop “redundant” and a “waste of money”.

He also said the commission apologised for failing to notify him of the initial hearing.

“I have a right to have my say and they denied me of my right,” he said.

Former Mitcham Rail Freight Committee chair and Mitcham councillor Mark Ward said the plan was “short-sighted” and “must be stopped”.

“Any approvals by the DAC on this issue and any progression by the State Government is a complete waste of taxpayers’ money,” he said.

“What’s going to be needed in 15 years time is a bypass and you’ve got to start planning it now … not focusing on short-term solutions.”

ARTC communications manager Brad Emery said the loop was “far from a waste of money”.

“Even if a northern bypass was ticked off tomorrow, it would still take 10 to 15 years to plan and build,” he said.

A DAC spokeswoman said the commission was preparing a recommendation for the minister but could not say when it would be finalised.

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Onkaparinga Council’s tram plan is part of its 30 year Transit Orientated Development (TOD) plan, which would see 10,000 people living and working around Noarlunga Centre.

The first detailed plans for the TOD are expected later this year.

Onkaparinga city development manager Terry Sutcliffe said a tram could link in with rail and bus interchanges at Noarlunga and bring “significant spin off benefits” for Beach Rd traders.

“For those future residents (at Noarlunga Centre) we want them to have good access to the facilities on Beach Rd and the beach itself as a major recreation centre,” Mr Sutcliffe said last week.

He said detailed plans for the tram proposal were still some way off and would hinge on a state government commitment.

Christies Beach Business and Tourism Association president Mike Kennedy, who owns Innuendo Lingerie, said a tram was a “sensational idea”.

“I think it would be the start of turning us into a road like Jetty Rd at Glenelg,” Mr Kennedy said.

“It would draw people to the area and mean more small businesses could survive.

“I’d also like to see things like a jetty or a marina – I see no reason why these things can’t happen, it’s just a matter of the dollars being available.”

CJ’s Bakery owner Andrew Sutton said a tram could make Beach Rd more of a “hub”.

“Look at what’s going on down at the Glenelg foreshore … they’ve got the tram and a water park – something like that is going to draw a crowd,” he said.

Blu C Cafe owner Danny Burns said a tram would be “awesome” but the area needed more attractions first.

“There needs to be something that attracts people – like a pier or something … after that maybe look at a train line,” he said.

Candy Magic owner Doreen Stone supported a tram and also wanted to see a hotel and more clothing shops for the strip.

Meantime, traders have recently re-formed the Christies Beach Business and Tourism Association to boost business in the area.

via Messenger News