Tonsley railway line
| Tonsley Line | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Termini |
Adelaide Tonsley |
| Stations | Goodwood |
| Services |
|
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1 July 1966 |
| Events | |
| Re-sleepered (concrete) | 2013/14 |
| Electrified | 2014 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 13.0 km (8.1 mi) |
| No. of tracks |
Quadruple track to Keswick Triple track to Goodwood Double track to Mitchell Park Single track to Tonsley |
| Track gauge | 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) |
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The Tonsley railway line is a suburban commuter line in Adelaide, South Australia that stems off the Seaford line to end in Mitchell Park opposite Science Park and close to the Flinders University and the Flinders Medical Centre. There have been many proposals to extend the line so that it ends closer to the Flinders Campus, but nothing has eventuated. The line was constructed in 1965/66 to serve the former Chrysler/Mitsubishi plant at Clovelly Park, which closed in March 2008.[1]
The Tonsley railway line was closed between Woodlands Park and Tonsley from February 2012 to May 2014. During this time the line was duplicated between Tonsley Junction and Mitchell Park station, the track re-sleepered with dual gauge sleepers to allow for the line to be converted to standard gauge at a future date, and the entire line electrified.[2]
The line is single track for most of its length, from Celtic Avenue near Mitchell Park station to the terminus at Tonsley, with two intermediate stations. Services operate every 30 minutes on weekdays with no trains operating at night or on the weekend.
Services
Services operate between 06.30 and 19.30 on weekdays only.[3] Services were only extended to operate during weekday off-peak periods in 2004. Stations between Adelaide and Woodlands Park are also serviced by the Seaford line, and stations between Adelaide and Goodwood are also serviced by the Belair line.
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.[4] Once the full fleet is delivered, services will be operated by A-City electric multiple units.
Possible extension
In July 2008, a feasibility study was commissioned by the government to extend the line to the Flinders Medical Centre.[5]
2012–2014 line closure and electrification
From 27 February 2012, the line was closed for a year.[6][7]
The closure was extended until September, 2013, for electrification of the line along with the Noarlunga Centre line.[8] In late 2013, a plan was announced to duplicate the route. This was to be funded through joint State and Federal initiatives, but the incoming Federal government announced it would be changing their focus to roads, and pulled the funding. Accordingly, the future of the line was unclear, with $18 million spent on the project.[9] It eventually reopened on 5 May 2014, more than two years after closure.[2]
References
- ↑ "Mitsubishi could announce Adelaide closure today". Australian Car Advice. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
- 1 2 Rail revitalisation Tonsley line Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure
- ↑ Seaford & Tonsley timetable Adelaide Metro 20 July 2014
- ↑ "Limited life for 2000 class Jumbo railcars" Railway Digest January 2015 page 20
- ↑ Government looks at extending Noarlunga, Tonsley rail lines Adelaide Advertiser 3 July 2008
- ↑ Two Adelaide rail lines facing disruption ABC News 3 February 2012
- ↑ Travellers shunted from Tonsley and Grange train lines Adelaide Advertiser 3 February 2012
- ↑ Rail Network Closures 2013 Adelaide Metro
- ↑ Marion Council lobbies for state and federal governments to put Tonsley rail upgrade ahead of politics Guardian Messenger 3 October 2013
