[U/C] Port Adelaide Dock Spur Line

[I Follow PAFC]

A new Outer Harbor train timetable, as well as updates to timetables for several bus routes will be available from mid-July 2024.
Several bus routes and timetables will also be updated to extend services through to the new bus interchange on Lipson Street. Bus routes will still service the stops on Commercial Road to ensure convenient walking access to the shopping centres.
https://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/about- ... ilway-line

[Llessur2002]

It looks like all Outer Harbor services will be made express to/from Woodville and the Adelaide-Woodville stations serviced every 30 minutes by the Port Dock trains instead. Fair enough.

Not sure what's going on with Cheltenham station - the Adelaide Metro link above states that:

On weekdays inbound services will stop at all stops between Outer Harbor and Alberton. Then will skip Cheltenham, but service St Clair and Woodville, and then express to Adelaide Railway Station (except for the last trip of the day which stops at all stops). Currently all stopping service all days.

So does that mean that after these changes Cheltenham will be in operation on weekends only for Adelaide-bound travel?


As per:

Train testing is now underway on the new spur rail line into Port Dock following a $51 million rebuild.

The newly established spur line, which runs from the existing Outer Harbor line at Grand Junction Road, will provide rail services for those who already call the area home and the many more set to live, work and visit Port Adelaide into the future.

As part of the project, a new Port Dock Railway Station and plaza at Baker Street, and bus interchange at the existing Lipson Street car park has also been established.

Testing of the rail signalling system is a vital part of the project to return trains along the re-established line to Port Dock Railway Station.

Services are expected to be operational from Sunday 25 August 2024.

A new Outer Harbor train timetable, as well as updates to timetables for several bus routes will be available from mid-July 2024.

Several bus routes and timetables will also be updated to extend services through to the new bus interchange on Lipson Street. Bus routes will still service the stops on Commercial Road to ensure convenient walking access to the shopping centres.

Port Dock
Port Dock services will operate every 30 minutes on weekdays and weekends. These trips will stop at all stops from Port Dock to/from Adelaide.

Outer Harbor
Outer Harbor services will continue to operate every 30 minutes across the current operating span of hours. Services will be changed as follows:

Outbound services (Adelaide to Outer Harbor):

Express service between Adelaide and Woodville only, then stopping at all stops to Outer Harbor. 7 days a week (excluding the first trip of the day, which will stop at all stops). Currently all stopping service all days.
Peak periods will be supplemented by additional services between Adelaide and Osborne.

Inbound services (Outer Harbor to Adelaide):

On weekdays inbound services will stop at all stops between Outer Harbor and Alberton. Then will skip Cheltenham, but service St Clair and Woodville, and then express to Adelaide Railway Station (except for the last trip of the day which stops at all stops). Currently all stopping service all days.

On weekends inbound services will stop at all stops between Outer Harbor and Woodville, then express to Adelaide (except for the last trip of the day which stops at all stops). Currently all stopping service all days.
Peak periods will be supplemented by additional services between Osborne and Adelaide.

Frequency:
Service frequency will change between Woodville and Adelaide on weekdays and weekends. Please refer to new timetables which will be available from mid-July 2024.

Grange
Grange services will operate every 30 minutes then every 60 minutes from approximately 8:00 pm on weekdays and every 60 minutes on weekends across the same current operating span of hours. These trips will stop at all stops from Port Dock to/from Adelaide.

[[Shuz]]

Cheltenham gets serviced for outbound OH trips, but not for OH city bound trips. Basically those using Cheltenham station at morning peak hour will need to use the PD service.

[Nathan]

So effectively the existing Outer Harbour service becomes the Port Dock service (every half an hour, but alternating with the Grange line so effectively 15mins between trains between Adelaide & Woodville), and then Outer Habour gets replaced by a new express service?

[Llessur2002]

Cheltenham gets serviced for outbound OH trips, but not for OH city bound trips. Basically those using Cheltenham station at morning peak hour will need to use the PD service.

Yep, I see this now - was mixing up the Grange and Port Dock lines when thinking it through. Must have been having a slow 5 minutes.

[Llessur2002]

So effectively the existing Outer Harbour service becomes the Port Dock service (every half an hour, but alternating with the Grange line so effectively 15mins between trains between Adelaide & Woodville), and then Outer Habour gets replaced by a new express service?

That's how I read it - so no real change for the Adelaide-Woodville stations other than perhaps timings and some signage here and there.

Makes sense to make OH express only, although being a Croydon station user I was secretly hoping to get a sub-15 minute interval from the change. At least the frequency hasn't gone down.

[Nathan]

So effectively the existing Outer Harbour service becomes the Port Dock service (every half an hour, but alternating with the Grange line so effectively 15mins between trains between Adelaide & Woodville), and then Outer Habour gets replaced by a new express service?

That's how I read it - so no real change for the Adelaide-Woodville stations other than perhaps timings and some signage here and there.

Makes sense to make OH express only, although being a Croydon station user I was secretly hoping to get a sub-15 minute interval from the change. At least the frequency hasn't gone down.

What are the stops with the highest patronage between Woodville and Adelaide? There's probably an argument that an "express" can still stop at one or two key stops (say Croydon, or maybe Bowden given its access to Entertainment Centre and Coopers Stadium) without compromising the travel time much. It was also give people an extra chance to transfer between the express and local/all-stops services.

[Spotto]

There's probably an argument that an "express" can still stop at one or two key stops (say Croydon, or maybe Bowden given its access to Entertainment Centre and Coopers Stadium) without compromising the travel time much.

Stopping the express trains at Bowden gives savvy people the chance to ride for free and finish their journey into Adelaide on the tram to bypass the ticket barriers at Adelaide Railway Station.

[Nathan]

There's probably an argument that an "express" can still stop at one or two key stops (say Croydon, or maybe Bowden given its access to Entertainment Centre and Coopers Stadium) without compromising the travel time much.

Stopping the express trains at Bowden gives savvy people the chance to ride for free and finish their journey into Adelaide on the tram to bypass the ticket barriers at Adelaide Railway Station.

If people want to spend an extra 15-20mins transferring to the tram, waiting for it to leave and then the slower journey in, just to save a few bucks then all the power to them.

[rhino]

There's probably an argument that an "express" can still stop at one or two key stops (say Croydon, or maybe Bowden given its access to Entertainment Centre and Coopers Stadium) without compromising the travel time much.

Stopping the express trains at Bowden gives savvy people the chance to ride for free and finish their journey into Adelaide on the tram to bypass the ticket barriers at Adelaide Railway Station.

I live in the hills, so all my public transport is by buss, and all fares are the same, regardless of distance travelled. Is this not so for the trains?

[Llessur2002]

There's probably an argument that an "express" can still stop at one or two key stops (say Croydon, or maybe Bowden given its access to Entertainment Centre and Coopers Stadium) without compromising the travel time much.

Stopping the express trains at Bowden gives savvy people the chance to ride for free and finish their journey into Adelaide on the tram to bypass the ticket barriers at Adelaide Railway Station.

I live in the hills, so all my public transport is by buss, and all fares are the same, regardless of distance travelled. Is this not so for the trains?

It is, but if you wanted to fare-dodge then you could technically travel as far as Bowden without tapping on (assuming no ticket inspectors on the train), get off one stop before Adelaide and then transfer to the tram to complete the journey for free.

Lots of people with bikes seem to get off at Bowden in the mornings so I can only assume this is sometimes their plan - either to avoid paying the extra peak hour fare for their bike, or to avoid the fare completely.

[ChillyPhilly]

Bowden allows for connections to cycling paths etc.

[1NEEDS2POST]

30 minute frequency is terrible, but it means the platform can be used by a train to Dry Creek.

Transferring to the tram at Bowden is usually the fastest way to get to the RAH. That connection is not widely known and there should be signage to show how to get from the train station to the tram stop and vice versa.

[Spotto]

30 minute frequency is terrible, but it means the platform can be used by a train to Dry Creek.

There’s no longer a broad gauge connection along the line between Port Adelaide and Dry Creek, the dual gauge track was pulled out some time ago.

[SBD]

30 minute frequency is terrible, but it means the platform can be used by a train to Dry Creek.

There’s no longer a broad gauge connection along the line between Port Adelaide and Dry Creek, the dual gauge track was pulled out some time ago.

Surely if a commuter train is to be reintroduced on that line, it should be standard gauge from Salisbury or Mawson Lakes to Osborne (ASC/BAeA) and service worker time needs.