SHOULD ADELAIDE HAVE ANOTHER OBAHN

[littledyl16]

I have found the perfect corridor in adelaide for a new o-bahn. it could go through torrens parklands through flinders park, underdale, lockley and west beach, it could be used for buses to travel from noarlunga, via brighton rd, tapleys hill rd and then the o-bahn. like the obahn in nth east adelaide it could reduce travelling time especially during peak hour traffic. i would like to see more obahns in adelaide, and i prefer it to the train any day, this has been the cities best idea to improve public transport, and currently we need more of these good ideas!

[AtD]

No point, the trains already go to Noarlunga, and they would have a top speed of 160km/h if TransAdelaide actually maintained their tracks rather than letting them rot, and can hold up to 600 seated passengers, then another several hundred standing.

BTW, typing in all-capitals is considered shouting in Internet culture.

[Tom]

The Obahn design is expensive to maintain and the buses are also costly, alot of other citys have bus systems that are of the equal efficency, and they only build a standard road that is for bus only traffic, the whole Obahn experment and the State purchasing the idea is a total white elephant.

[littledyl16]

tom, have you even taken the obahn???i get in the city faster with the obahn, then i do with the train!!! and i would not call it a white elephant, adelaide should be proud of the obahn, its an amazing achievement.

[bdm]

A southern O-Bahn was planned and designed. The cost is $200m, probably more now. The route would have gone from the west parklands, paralled the Noarlunga rail line, replaced the Tonsley branch line and would have had a massive interchange at the end. Buses were to continue onto a dual-carriageway Southern Expressway when built.

It wasn't built because the funds weren't available.

I wrote this article and it should contain any information you need. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Bahn_Busway

[sam]

i get in the city faster with the obahn, then i do with the train!!!

What time do you catch it (and which bus are you comparing it to?

eg: T501 leaving Mawson @ 8:01am gets you to the city at 8:49am - 48minutes.
... Train leaving Mawson @ 7:59am gets you to the city at 8:14am - 15 minutes.

The train is much faster in this case.

[littledyl16]

i catch the t500 into the city, which roughly takes about 30-35mins sometimes a little bit longer, to get into the city. If i catch an express train it will take me about 20 mins to get in the city, but with normal service it takes me about 35-40 minutes, not much difference i know, but still, it is alot more comfortable then the train, and an obahn was a much better idea then a 'modbury freeway'.

[AG]

I personally don't think there is any real noticable difference in comfort between the trains and the buses. If anything, the padding on the seating of the trains is thicker than that on many of the buses, particularly on the 3000 class railcars.

[AtD]

i catch the t500 into the city, which roughly takes about 30-35mins sometimes a little bit longer, to get into the city. If i catch an express train it will take me about 20 mins to get in the city, but with normal service it takes me about 35-40 minutes, not much difference i know, but still, it is alot more comfortable then the train, and an obahn was a much better idea then a 'modbury freeway'.

Reading the timetables on the AdMet website, going from City to Elizabeth takes 69 minutes in peak and 63 minutes in off peak on the T500. On the train it takes as little as 24 minutes in peak and only 34 on an all-stop off-peak train. I take it the times you posted were to Elizabeth... are you sure you're catching the right train? Driving down Main North Road in peak to Elizabeth would take you the better part of an hour.

It's also a far smoother and quieter ride than a bus (unless you're in the power car of a 2000 class or on the Hills line).

[littledyl16]

the times posted were to salisbury and i checked my timetables and the times are correct

[AtD]

No, they're not. If you're going to Salisbury, by train its 20 minutes express and 31 minutes stopping all-stops, by T500 its 46 minutes off-peak and 50 in peak. Not to mention the buses only run every hour during the day, and not at all at nights or on weekends. Are you sure you're reading the right timetables?

[littledyl16]

ah crap, ur rite wrong one!!!yet i still prefer the smooth and safe obahn anyday, but thats what i get for not reading things properly, but still, the metro needs to be further improved

[littledyl16]

and the best improvement we have had in the metro is the obahn

[Tom]

tom, have you even taken the obahn???i get in the city faster with the obahn, then i do with the train!!! and i would not call it a white elephant, adelaide should be proud of the obahn, its an amazing achievement.

Yes i have used the Obahn many times, but the costs of running it outway the benifits and mere bus only road would be cheaper to operate and would still provide equal service to that of the Obahn. Not to mention any bus would be able to use the bus only road not just a specialized fleet

[bdm]

tom, have you even taken the obahn???i get in the city faster with the obahn, then i do with the train!!! and i would not call it a white elephant, adelaide should be proud of the obahn, its an amazing achievement.

Yes i have used the Obahn many times, but the costs of running it outway the benifits and mere bus only road would be cheaper to operate and would still provide equal service to that of the Obahn. Not to mention any bus would be able to use the bus only road not just a specialized fleet

Yes, but a bus only road can't be built in a 6.2m corridor.