Seaford railway line

Seaford Line

A-City at Clarence Park station in February 2014
Overview
Locale Adelaide, South Australia
Termini Adelaide
Seaford
Stations
Services
  • Every 7-8 mins (peak)
  • Every 10-20 mins (weekday)
  • Every 30 mins (weekend)
  • Every 60 mins (night)
Operation
Opened
Events
Re-sleepered (concrete) 2009-2013
Electrified 2014
Technical
Line length 35.9 km (22.3 mi)
No. of tracks Quadruple track to Adelaide Showground
Triple track to Goodwood
Double track to Seaford
Track gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)

The Seaford railway line is a suburban commuter line in Adelaide, South Australia.

History

Map of the Willunga line

Before the extension of the line to Noarlunga Centre in 1978, the Willunga line ran from Hallett Cove station on a different route through Reynella, Morphett Vale and Hackham to Willunga (south-east of Noarlunga). It closed in 1969 and in September 1972 a track-removal train removed the tracks. For six years Noarlunga had no train service.

The South Australian Railways and its successor, the State Transport Authority, extended the railway southwards in stages from Hallett Cove to cater for increasing residential development in the southern area. Opening dates for passenger services were:

Route

The line runs south from Adelaide station paralleling the Belair line as far as Goodwood. It then branches off in a south-west direction through the suburbs of Edwardstown, Oaklands Park and Marion to the coast at Brighton, where it turns south towards Noarlunga Centre in the southern suburbs. The line was known as the Marino and Hallett Cove line when it finished at Hallett Cove. Most trains terminated at Marino, with only about a quarter going to Hallett Cove.

Like the rest of the Adelaide network, the line is broad gauge. Dual gauge sleepers have been laid to allow for the line to be converted to standard gauge at a future date.[1] The line is 35.9 kilometres long and is the second longest of the Adelaide suburban railway lines. The line is double track throughout.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation standard-gauge main line passes over the line just south of Goodwood station. The Tonsley line branches off south of Woodlands Park.

Services

3000 class railcar on the Seaford line before it was electrified

Trains to and from Adelaide operate every 10-20 minutes off-peak on weekdays, and every 30 minutes on weekends. In the late evening, trains run hourly. Previously, some stations are also serviced by trains from Brighton and from the Tonsley branch line on weekdays.[2]

Prior to 2014, most trains were operated by 3000 class railcars augmented at times by 2000 class railcars.Since the electrification of the line, the latter are no longer authorised to operate on the line.[3] Most services are now operated by A-City electric multiple units.

A number of railcars needed for peak-hour services are stabled overnight in secure sidings at Port Stanvac, north of Lonsdale station, & at a much bigger facility adjacent to Seaford Meadows. The last freight trains on the line to and from Port Stanvac Refinery ceased in the late 1990s.

Seaford extension

An artist's impression of the viaduct over the Onkaparinga River

The most recent expansion of the line was a 5.5 kilometres extension to the southern suburb of Seaford. This included a 1.2 kilometre elevated rail bridge over the Onkaparinga River, a rail bridge over Old Honeypot Drive, and railway stations at Seaford Meadows and Seaford. New road bridges were also constructed over the extension at Goldsmith Drive, Seaford Road and Lynton Terrace.[4][5][6][7][8] Construction started in 2011 with the extension opening on 23 February 2014.[9][10]

Funding for the extension

In 2005, the State Government announced the line would be extended. This was cancelled in December 2007 after a study revealed that the extension could not be justified. The government announced that it would retain the corridor to Aldinga for a possible extension further south in the future.[11] In July 2008, a feasibility study was commissioned by the government to extend the line.[12]

This extension was given approval after the Federal Government announced a $291 million investment in the project as part of the 2009/10 Federal Budget.[13]

Re-sleepering and electrification

In 2008, the State Government announced a plan to upgrade and electrify the Seaford line with the Federal Government also to provide funding.[14]

In December 2009, Stage 1 of the Noarlunga line upgrade was completed between Adelaide and Brighton.[15] This work saw the track removed, with the track bed and track renewed. Dual gauge sleepers were laid to allow for the line to be converted to standard gauge at a future date.

Stage 2 commenced in February 2011 with the line closed for six months and continued the upgrade works between Oaklands and Noarlunga.[16] Most stations received a minor upgrade due to the presence of asbestos in many station shelters, necessitating their replacement. These stations included Brighton, Seacliff, Marino, Marino Rocks and Lonsdale.

On 2 January 2013, the line closed to allow for its electrification and extension, with trains being replaced by bus services.[17] Rail services resumed on 1 December 2013.[18] The completed project was opened by the South Australian Transport and Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis on 18 January 2014.[19]

Electric train services commenced in February 2014 after testing was completed on the line.[9][10] At the time only four A-City electric multiple units had entered service, so most services continued to be operated by 3000 class railcars.

Gallery

Seaford Line suburban service

Legend
 Gauge and interchange key 
 Broad gauge
 Standard gauge
 Adelaide Metro commuter trains
 Adelaide Metro trams
 Adelaide Metro buses
 GSR interstate trains
 To Glenelg

0km
0:00
 Adelaide
Montefiore Road
City West

To Gawler, Grange and Port Adelaide

To Port Augusta (ARTC)
West Terrace1
Adelaide Depot
Port Road
To Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Glover Avenue
To Glenelg via Plympton
2.0km
0:04
 Mile End
Sir Donald Bradman Drive
Mile End Goods(closed 1994)
Adelaide Parklands Terminal
Keswick(closed 2013)
Anzac Highway/Greenhill Road /
4.0km
0:06
 Adelaide Showground
Leader Street
5.0km
0:08
 Goodwood
Glenelg Tram
Victoria Street
To Belair
To Bordertown and Melbourne
 East Avenue
6.3km
0:10
 Clarence Park
7.1km
0:12
 Emerson

Cross Road (Level crossing)
South Road (Overpass)
7.9km
0:14
 Edwardstown
 De Laine Avenue
 Angus Avenue
 Raglan Avenue
9.1km
0:16
 Woodlands Park
Sixth Avenue
To Tonsley
10.2km
0:18
 Ascot Park
 Daws Road
 Marion Road
11.4km
0:20
 Marion
 Sturt River
 Old Oaklands(closed 2008)
12.9km
0:22
 Oaklands
Morphett Road
13.7km
0:24
 Warradale
14.6km
0:26
 Hove
Brighton Road
Jetty Road
16.0km
0:28
 Brighton
Edwards Street
 Shoreham Road
 South Brighton(closed 1976)
17.1km
0:30
 Seacliff(To Adelaide only)
Wheatland Street
17.2km
0:30
 Seacliff(To Seaford only)
Maitland Terrace
 Singleton Road
18.3km
0:32
 Marino
18.9km
0:34
 Marino Rocks
21.4km
0:37
 Hallett Cove
 Jervois Terrace
To Willunga
 The Cove Road
22.9km
0:39
 Hallett Cove Beach
Grand Central Avenue
 Meyer Road
 Christie Road
Lonsdale Railcar Depot
26.7km
0:43
 Lonsdale
Dyson Road
O'Sullivan Beach Road
 Flaxmill Road
28.9km
0:45
 Christie Downs
Elizabeth Road
 Old Christie Downs(closed 1978)
 Beach Road
 Hannah Road
30.2km
0:47
 Noarlunga Centre
Goldsmith Drive
 Old Honeypot Road
 Onkaparinga River
34.7km
0:50
 Seaford Meadows
 Seaford Road
 Lynton Terrace
36.0km
0:52
 Seaford

^1 West Terrace tram stop will become
Royal Adelaide Hospital when hospital is constructed

References

  1. ↑ The gauge problems lives on 21 March 2012
  2. ↑ Seaford & Tonsley timetable Adelaide Metro 20 July 2014
  3. ↑ "Limited life for 2000 class Jumbo railcars" Railway Digest January 2015 page 20
  4. ↑ Features & benefits Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure
  5. ↑ Seaford rail extension moves forward as planning contracts awarded Anthony Albanese 12 August 2009
  6. ↑ Work starts on Seaford rail extension Projectlink 4 September 2009
  7. ↑ Seaford Rail Extension Project Adcor Constructions
  8. ↑ Seaford Rail Extension Thiess
  9. 1 2 Rail revitalistaion Seaford rail extension Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure
  10. 1 2 Electrifying opening for the new Seaford line ABC Adelaide 23 February 2014
  11. ↑ No rail service for Seaford ABC News 19 December 2007
  12. ↑ Government looks at extending Noarlunga, Tonsley rail lines Adelaide Advertiser 3 July 2008
  13. ↑ 2009-10 Budget Federal Government May 2009
  14. ↑ 2008/09 State Budget South Australian Department of Treasury & Finance June 2008
  15. ↑ Noarlunga Rail Revitalisation Schedule Department of Transport, Energy & Infrastructure
  16. ↑ Schedule Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure
  17. ↑ Noarlunga & Tonsley lines closed Adelaide Metro
  18. ↑ "Rail services resume on Noarlunga line" Railway Digest January 2014 page 23
  19. ↑ Transport and Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis turns on new electric Noarlunga train lines Adelaide Advertiser 18 January 2014
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