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[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 4:11 pm
by Aidan
Eurostar,
The proposed station is Aldinga, not Aldinga Beach. Aldinga Beach is far too big for a single train station to directly serve entirely, so buses would still be required anyway. But there will be a lot of future development at Aldinga.
Why would you want to terminate the line at Aldinga Beach rather than continue south?
PeFe,
Similarly, why would you want to terminate the line at Sellicks Beach rather than continue further south? There is a great opportunity to create more coastal suburbs at the same time as the railway opens, and put the shops right next to the stations there.
BTW having shopping centres away from the train stations isn't just an Adelaide thing — just look at Chadstone (Melbourne) and Roselands (Sydney)
Your assumption that it's only going to get more expensive in the future is dubious, as the rise in infrastructure prices over the last decade has fairly closely tracked the CPI. Demand is a much more sensible basis for deciding what infrastructure to build next.
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 6:51 pm
by Goodsy
Aidan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2019 4:11 pm
Eurostar,
The proposed station is Aldinga, not Aldinga Beach. Aldinga Beach is far too big for a single train station to directly serve entirely, so buses would still be required anyway. But there will be a lot of future development at Aldinga.
Why would you want to terminate the line at Aldinga Beach rather than continue south?
PeFe,
Similarly, why would you want to terminate the line at Sellicks Beach rather than continue further south? There is a great opportunity to create more coastal suburbs at the same time as the railway opens, and put the shops right next to the stations there.
BTW having shopping centres away from the train stations isn't just an Adelaide thing — just look at Chadstone (Melbourne) and Roselands (Sydney)
Your assumption that it's only going to get more expensive in the future is dubious, as the rise in infrastructure prices over the last decade has fairly closely tracked the CPI. Demand is a much more sensible basis for deciding what infrastructure to build next.
a rail line further south from Sellicks would get expensive very quickly, it would need multiple tunnels, Cuttings and bridges to get through the hills to Carrickalinga
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Tue Mar 26, 2019 3:08 pm
by NTRabbit
I think anything further south than Sellicks is waiting for a high speed a tourist line to the KI ferry at Cape Jervis, and waiting a long time for it at that
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Wed May 01, 2019 11:42 am
by 1NEEDS2POST
Eurostar wrote: ↑Mon Jun 11, 2018 1:29 pm
A branch line from the Seaford to Willunga via McLaren Vale should be highly considered too. Imagine posters at Adelaide Railway Station showing vineyards with a purple 4000 train
Why isn't this given priority over Aldinga?
Seaford Railway Station is literally on the same alignment as the old Willunga railway line. The rest of the old railway is now the Coast to Vines Rail Trail. Unlike the Aldinga extension, a Willunga extension would just be relaying the old track. It would have to be much cheaper than $800 million.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willunga_railway_line
Then when we have the money, build the new railway extension to Aldinga or Sellick's Beach and keep Willunga as a branch line. Half of the trains from Adelaide to Seaford could continue to Willunga, the other half to Aldinga/Sellick's Beach.
Both Willunga and Aldinga/Sellicks Beach extensions could be single track to cut down on costs. At this distance from the city, no one expects high frequency service.
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Wed May 01, 2019 10:48 pm
by NTRabbit
The Coast to Vines Rail Trail is now a tourist bike and walking path with parks, trees, and encroaching buildings in the way, it's wishful thinking to expect that change to be undone
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 8:49 am
by shiftaling
Possibly, although the rail service might be sought after by the McLaren Vale community and businesses to the extent that they are willing to support its conversion back to rail?
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 9:45 am
by Norman
Is there enough demand for such a rail service though? Thanks to the urban growth boundary and other restrictive legislation that is in place for our food and wine areas there won't be much development happening here. The community is currently supported by a bus service which runs every 30-60 minutes. There are other areas that would benefit from a rail service more than McLaren Vale and Willunga.
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 11:44 am
by PeFe
Better to have a high frequency train line near the coast (where most of the new development will take place) leaving the wine/agricultural areas intact.
It really is important to keep the McLaren Vale wine region as a functioning grape growing area, not as an area with grapes between the quarter acre blocks.
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 5:44 pm
by 1NEEDS2POST
The point was that it would be cheap to construct since the path is already there. It only needs to be single track because it will be low frequency. It could replace the bus service to those towns.
[PRO] [PRO] Re: [PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Thu May 02, 2019 11:18 pm
by Norman
1NEEDS2POST wrote:The point was that it would be cheap to construct since the path is already there. It only needs to be single track because it will be low frequency. It could replace the bus service to those towns.
Unfortunately an extension won't be cheap to build, it will cost in the order of $800m upwards. The extension to Aldinga alone is costing that much from memory.
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 9:23 am
by shiftaling
Alright, I'm convinced. I initially loved the idea but you all make really valid points!
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 7:40 pm
by NTRabbit
A tourist train to the Barossa makes much more sense, if only because they didn't rip up the line, it's all still there (as far as Nuri anyway). After clearing away the overgrowth and doing the maintenance that hasn't been done, It could probably even start operating before they got around to spending big money updating the stations.
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Fri May 03, 2019 9:54 pm
by ml69
1NEEDS2POST wrote: ↑Thu May 02, 2019 5:44 pm
The point was that it would be cheap to construct since the path is already there. It only needs to be single track because it will be low frequency. It could replace the bus service to those towns.
Why? You’ve said yourself that it’s only likely to be low frequency (presumably because the demand isn’t there), so why rebuild the train line then? Your logic doesn’t make sense.
Unless there is a projected future population of greater than 50,000 people in the catchment area, rail infrastructure could never be justified.
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 6:40 pm
by NTRabbit
Heard on the grape vine last week that the entire Aldinga extension is dead in the water, state and fed not interested in funding it
[PRO] Re: Aldinga Rail Extension | $800m
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 6:54 pm
by SRW
NTRabbit wrote: ↑Wed Jul 24, 2019 6:40 pm
Heard on the grape vine last week that the entire Aldinga extension is dead in the water, state and fed not interested in funding it
Contemptible if true.