Mr Conlon this afternoon declared the sort of electric train the government will be purchasing to roll out on the extended and electrfied network would be “rated for over 100km/h”.

“They may not do that (speed) everywhere, but they’re rated to do 100km/h,” he said.

Mr Conlon’s comments came after the four-month closure of the Gawler line between the city and Mawson Lakes received its first real test when morning peak commuters took to substitute buses for their journeys.

About 35 calls had been made to the AdelaideMetro infoline by 12.30pm today in relation to the closure or the substitute bus services but Mr Conlon said the alternative transport services had run relatively smoothly.

“There’s always an inconvience to these things but in the circumstances we think it went about as well as it could’ve done,” he said.

“It’s better to have some inconvenience for four months than inconvience in some places at some times for four years.”

Mr Conlon said lessons had been learned from the closures of the Belair and Outer Harbor lines for upgrades, when some commuters complained of poor passenger comfort, longer travel times and substitute bus timetables that did not match well with train arrival and departure times.

“We learn from every one we do,” he said.

“We try to keep to a timetable but not so strictly that they (buses and trains) don’t match up. We’ll learn from last time and do better this time.”

The first stage of the Gawler Line upgrade involves:

UPGRADING the base layer;

INSTALLING new gauge-convertible concrete sleepers;

IMPROVING stormwater drainage;

REFURBISHING or replacing rail;

CONNECTING the new Dry Creek railcar depot to the Gawler line.

The government will then work on upgrading and extending the Noarlunga Line, before returing to finish work on the Gawler line north.

“What we will have when this is completed – other than the Belair Line, which we can’t electrify for engineering reasons – will be a vast metropolitan network…with some tram additions, that will deliver people comfortably and efficiently to where they want to go,” Mr Conlon said.

“We’re going to go from an under-invested system to, I think, the best public transport system in Australia.”

via AdelaideNow

Track upgrades

The dual section of track between Adelaide and Mawson Lakes will be completely renewed resulting in a faster, safer and smoother ride for travelers. The work includes:

• Base layer
  Upgrade of the surface on which the track is laid.

• Concrete sleepers
  Replacement of old wooden sleepers with new gauge convertible concrete sleepers.
• Drainage
  Improvement of stormwater drainage to reduce track damage and maintenance.
• Rail
  Replacement or refurbishment of old rail lengths.
• Railcar depot
  Connection of the new Dry Creek railcar depot to the rail system.

Station upgrades

Stations at Elizabeth and Munno Para will receive upgrades between 2010 and 2011. Images and additional information can be found here.

Links

• DTEI project page
  The official Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure project page.
• Substitute timetable
  A downloadable (PDF) substitute timetable for the Gawler railway line.
• RailSA Forums
  A thread on our own forums covering the upgrade’s progress. The only up-to-date source of upgrade discussion, information and photographs.

The Gawler Line will be shut down between Adelaide and Mawson Interchange for about four months to facilitate the major upgrade which will pave the way for electrification of the line.

More than 14,500 people on average board Gawler Line trains on weekdays. From Sunday, many will travel on one of 46 substitute buses between Mawson Lakes and the city. The Transport Department has urged commuters to prepare travel plans to ensure they reach their destinations on time.

Georgia Pollard, 19, takes the tram from Goodwood and then the Gawler train to UniSA at Mawson Lakes four times a week. “It already takes me just over an hour to get there, so it’s going to take more like an hour and a half or just over two hours,” she said. “It’s a bit ridiculous.”

The first stage of the upgrade involves:

UPGRADING the base layer;

INSTALLING new gauge-convertible concrete sleepers;

IMPROVING stormwater drainage;

REFURBISHING or replacing rail;

CONNECTING the new Dry Creek railcar depot to the Gawler line.

Train services will continue from the outer suburbs of Gawler and Gawler Central to Mawson Lakes. Buses between Mawson Lakes and the city will leave Mawson Lakes Interchange as soon as seats are taken, immediately after a train has arrived. They will travel directly along Salisbury Highway, Port Wakefield Rd, Churchill Rd and Jeffcott St to Adelaide Railway Station. They will not pick up passengers but may allow passengers off if required.

Five stations between Mawson Lakes and the city will be closed. Other buses from Mawson Lakes will pick up passengers at designated stops on Churchill Rd.

via AdelaideNow

Chief Inspector David O’Donovan said people may have become complacent during the layoff.

“I am concerned … that the community, especially young children, have become unaccustomed to the dangers that trains pose,” he said.

“I would encourage parents to speak to their children, especially those who either catch trains but also those who may cross the rail line going to or from school, to reinforce the need for safety.”

Chief Insp O’Donovan said police, including plain-clothed officers and bike patrols, would monitor stations and pedestrian crossings during peak times after the service resumed to reinforce the safety message.

He said they would focus on known hot spots where near misses and collisions have occurred, either at or adjacent to rail crossings.

These included Jenkins St, Birkenhead, and near Glanville, Ethelton, Taperoo and Midlunga Railway Stations.

There were 19 near misses involving pedestrians at level crossings at Woodville and eight at Glanville in the six months prior to the Outer Harbor line closure, he said.

Chief Insp O’Donovan said as trains travelled at a maximum speed of 90km/h it was very difficult for people, especially children, to judge their speed.

Up to 40 passenger trains will use the line daily when the service resumes after a track upgrade on Sunday, May 9.

“Most people are used to judging safe crossing distances where cars are concerned and these are usually travelling at 60km/h.

“A train travelling at 90km/h needs about 420m to stop, so even if the driver is able to see someone close to the track it would certainly be too late for them to stop the train and avoid impact.”

The first city bound train departs Outer Harbor at 7.57am, while the first service leaving Adelaide departs at 7.10am on May 9.

The H1 bus replacement service will run until the last service on Saturday May 8.

via Portside Messenger

The upgrade is expected to get underway this year, but when exactly is yet to be determined.

During the first stage of the upgrade, the Adelaide Railway Station to Mawson Interchange section of the line will be closed and replaced with bus services, similar to what occured during stage one of the Noarlunga line upgrade late last year.

For further information, please visit the DTEI website. You can also keep up-to-date with the latest rail revitalisation developments and more on the forums.