News & Discussion: Adelaide Metro Trains

[ChillyPhilly]

They really should have at least poster advertising at our major train stations to generate more revenue and maybe even fund extra night services.

I've been thinking that for the past decade. At least we have some iiNet ads on trains. ...right?

[Llessur2002]

There are still quite a few ads for the previous Fringe on the trains. Think the decorated tram is still knocking about as well...

[monotonehell]

Back in the late 80's early 90's in suburban Liverpool UK they discovered a cure for graffitti. 2 teenage boys were caught graffitting a suburban station.
They and their father were sentenced by the court to buy their own standard paint and repaint ( every Saturday) any graffitti that appeared on that station for the next 12 months.

So if the Liverpool council cured it, then the fathers and sons didn't have to do anything?

Or if they did have to paint every Saturday, then the graffiti problem wasn't cured?

Please cite your sources.

[Vee]

Interesting to read about proposed NSW driverless trains - on the same day as the international driverless cars conference in Adelaide.

First look at new, driverless trains for Sydney's NW Rail Link

Sydneysiders are getting their first glimpse inside the driverless metro trains that will take to the North West Rail Link once construction is complete.

The (full-scale) model includes the distinctive nose section, where passengers will be able to look directly out the front of the train – the point at which a driver would usually sit.

The carriage has fewer seats than a traditional Sydney train, but the seats it does have are covered in padded fabric, unlike other metro trains overseas which have plastic or stainless steel seats.

The trains will have screen door technology which will keep people and objects away from the tracks and allow trains to get in and out of stations faster.

Sydney Metro says the rail link should be in operation during the first half of 2019.

ABC News:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-05/d ... de/6914786

[rubberman]

Interesting to read about proposed NSW driverless trains - on the same day as the international driverless cars conference in Adelaide.

First look at new, driverless trains for Sydney's NW Rail Link

(Snip)

The carriage has fewer seats than a traditional Sydney train, but the seats it does have are covered in padded fabric, unlike other metro trains overseas which have plastic or stainless steel seats.

The trains will have screen door technology which will keep people and objects away from the tracks and allow trains to get in and out of stations faster.

Sydney Metro says the rail link should be in operation during the first half of 2019.

ABC News:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-05/d ... de/6914786

Which means they haven't seen the London, Paris, Prague or Moscow systems, all of which have padded fabric seats.

But that's ok. Let's just spend billions of taxpayers' dollars without having looked at how the best cities in the world do it. After all, what would London, Prague or Moscow know. LOLOL!

[Patrick_27]

There are still quite a few ads for the previous Fringe on the trains. Think the decorated tram is still knocking about as well...

I've noticed that, absolutely embarrassing. Seemingly, most of the advertising is government funded events or programs.

[I Follow PAFC]

Out of puff: Electrification delays means we’re stuck with already old diesel trains for years yet.

SOME of Adelaide’s ageing ­diesel passenger trains could be almost half a century old before they are retired because of delays in electrifying the state’s train network.

The Transport Department has called a tender to investigate whether it will be safe to extend the life of the 3000 and 3100 series of trains — the mainstay of the rail network — from 30 years to a minimum 45 years.

Documents reveal the department wants a structural assessment of the 70-strong fleet, saying some trains are suffering cracks in their bogies and engine parts and that it may not be safe to extend their lifespan.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 7600296572

[metro]

Pathetic! So no funding from the incompetent Turnbull Govt?? Should be aiming to electrify the whole network and get rid of the old Diesel clunkers instead of wasting precious funding to extend their life. Oh well maybe they'll convert a few A-City trains to Diesel though so won't be too bad I guess

[skyliner]

Very disappointed to read the post 2 back. Adelaide electrification needs completing. This is their 3rd attempt - once I remember in 1973 and much earlier when the old maroon dogboxes were bought for electrification and then ran between the centenary cars in the metro area. Those dogboxes were sideloaders (multiple doors each side) like the old London metro trains.

Time this was done.

ADELAIDE - TOWARDS A GREATER CITY SKYLINE

[Waewick]

Pathetic! So no funding from the incompetent Turnbull Govt?? Should be aiming to electrify the whole network and get rid of the old Diesel clunkers instead of wasting precious funding to extend their life. Oh well maybe they'll convert a few A-City trains to Diesel though so won't be too bad I guess

why is Turnball incompetent?

the only incompetence i see is in this state.

[rubberman]

I don't think for one moment that Turnbull is incompetent. Nor do I think that the State Government is either.

The problem is that Canberra still collects the bulk of revenue, but the states have the bulk of the responsibilities. It's called "vertical fiscal imbalance". Google is your friend.

What that means is that states cannot do anything unless either Canberra provides the money, or they have lots of minimg royalty revenue. Look at what has happened to WA. They've done lots of infrastructure, but they are in a really bad place financially as a result. Is that because the WA Libs are incompetent? Rather, it's because there was no funding.

States have three choices : Build infrastructure and go broke like WA. Build nothing like SA and stay solvent. Raise taxes. That's it!

And the Feds are cutting $80bn from health and education in the future. Which the States simply can't cover without raising taxes. This is what the present hoo-hah about the gst is being fuelled.

Personally, I'd raise land tax to a very high level, some gst increase, maybe 1%, and then demand the Commonwealth lower its tax take to compensate. That way, the states would get more, and the Commonwealth less. This would be much more efficient than the present state of affairs.

However, partisan blaming of one party or another is neither helpful or realistic. Both parties are to blame for where we are.

[rhino]

Personally, I'd raise land tax to a very high level, some gst increase, maybe 1%, and then demand the Commonwealth lower its tax take to compensate. That way, the states would get more, and the Commonwealth less. This would be much more efficient than the present state of affairs.

Personally, I'd rather not see changes to the GST, as any increase hits unfairly when taken as a percentage of income - the less you earn, the higher percentage of your earnings you pay in tax. Interestingly, the Government's own modelling has shown that a Carbon Tax will raise just as much revenue as a 5% GST hike, but cost the average household $24/week less ($11/week vs $35/week)

[Waewick]

I don't think for one moment that Turnbull is incompetent. Nor do I think that the State Government is either.

The problem is that Canberra still collects the bulk of revenue, but the states have the bulk of the responsibilities. It's called "vertical fiscal imbalance". Google is your friend.

What that means is that states cannot do anything unless either Canberra provides the money, or they have lots of minimg royalty revenue. Look at what has happened to WA. They've done lots of infrastructure, but they are in a really bad place financially as a result. Is that because the WA Libs are incompetent? Rather, it's because there was no funding.

States have three choices : Build infrastructure and go broke like WA. Build nothing like SA and stay solvent. Raise taxes. That's it!

And the Feds are cutting $80bn from health and education in the future. Which the States simply can't cover without raising taxes. This is what the present hoo-hah about the gst is being fuelled.

Personally, I'd raise land tax to a very high level, some gst increase, maybe 1%, and then demand the Commonwealth lower its tax take to compensate. That way, the states would get more, and the Commonwealth less. This would be much more efficient than the present state of affairs.

However, partisan blaming of one party or another is neither helpful or realistic. Both parties are to blame for where we are.

i think the problem here is we have had 50 years to do something and haven't.

for me, the $100m on the O-bahn should have gone to the electrification of the trainlines, that is finish something we have already started FFS.

I'm almost certain at next election we are going to get a bucketload of cash from the feds, with a note to say we are a bunch of beggers just to make sure state labor don't get the credit.

[claybro]

Look at what has happened to WA. They've done lots of infrastructure, but they are in a really bad place financially as a result. Is that because the WA Libs are incompetent?

Yes!!!

[crawf]

i think the problem here is we have had 50 years to do something and haven't.

Yep, and as a result Adelaide's train network has fallen well behind every other major Australian city.

Its a disgrace.