2025 SA Transport observations

[The Phonj]

A New Year is upon us; Congratulations!! We all made it through the old one

Reviewing 2024.....
The Port Dock line and Port Dock interchange opened in August. All bus services to Port Adelaide were rerouted to service the new interchange.
The Flinders Medical Centre interchange in front of the Hospital was closed, and relocated onto Flinders Drive. Arrangements for buses servicing the interchange were changed as "U-Turns" were no longer provided for at the new facility.
South Rd and Flagstaff Rd buses had a major timetable revamp as a result. 'F' buses removed from both corridors with all day 'T' buses on South Rd and peak hour limited stop 'X" buses on Goodwood Rd (effectively 'T' buses). Route 720 was rerouted onto Anzac Hwy and 248/245 services were rerouted onto South Rd/Sir Donald Bradman Dr.
Introduction of a major service revamp to Mt. Barker, including a freeway express 'Go-Zone' to Mt. Barker. Scania hybrid buses were transferred from Torrens Transit and Busways to Southlink to allow the increase in service, with the Railway Terrace meal area being set up as a depot for Southlink.
A Yutong electric bus, numbered 7032 underwent two month trials at Busways, Torrens Transit and Link SA (Murray Bridge).
Bustech have had some financial difficulties, resulting in negligible deliveries from them. A small number of Volgren Scania hybrids are making their way to Southlink - which will allow the return of some of their borrowed buses back to their rightful custodians.

Please post your South Australian transport observations here that wouldn't seem to warrant their own thread.

I hope that all have a prosperous and happy new year for this 2025!

[Lt. Commander Data]

3505 Scania Hybrid with a Volgren Optimus body was delivered to Aldgate on the 2nd of January, and 3508 on the 3rd. 3506 and 3507 still at Scania

Presumably they will enter service soon, I’d say at the very latest it will be the start of the school term.

[Route 506]

Was a very nice surprise to see the last surviving O-Bahn Merc 1542 out in service today. I thought it had been retired

[gunzel42]

Was a very nice surprise to see the last surviving O-Bahn Merc 1542 out in service today. I thought it had been retired

Yes, was good to hear it powering up Murrell Road this afternoon, as opposed to struggling up like the Scania's and MAN's seem to do.

[busrider]

5707 has been returned to Torrens and 5720 (K320HB with Bustech body) is now in service with Torrens.

[Lt. Commander Data]

3501 and 3502 were swapped with 2860 and 2865 today. The two artics are now numbered 3369 and 3382 respectively, and I presume the ex-Hills hybrids will soon be renumbered into the Busways range.

[Tim Williams]

Has anyone seen 3402 (the Bustech CDI) in service recently?? - I live just off Glen Osmond Road and see the other double decker on a regular basis, in fact, I rode on it last week.

[Lt. Commander Data]

Has anyone seen 3402 (the Bustech CDI) in service recently?? - I live just off Glen Osmond Road and see the other double decker on a regular basis, in fact, I rode on it last week.

It is current off the road with engine issues.

[Tim Williams]

Thanks for the post!!

[The Phonj]

South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas announced today (Sunday 16 March 2025) that they're reserving rail corridors to cater for future housing developments. These corridors are from Seaford to Sellicks Beach, Gawler to Roseworthy and Gawler Central to Concordia. See https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AUqgUSZ7z/

The Gawler to Roseworthy and Gawler Central to Concordia corridors are both existing rail corridors and would need substantial work done to them to accommodate passenger trains. The Seaford to Sellicks Beach corridor would be a 'new' corridor, and was previously announced by the government as being reserved for a extension of the Seaford railway line. As to WHEN services commence on any of these routes, that remains to be seen.

[Admet75]

Now those of us who are still waiting for the line to Mount Barker or beyond I think we should look at the reality.

They did a feasibility study which is summarised in the full Mount Barker and Adelaide Hills Transport Study by DIT. The cost would be substantially high and it requires a journey time of less than 60 minutes to be favourable to the locals. This is where it becomes intereting if you can find somewher the old BITRE report in 1980s about the Belair-Bridgewater line they also looked at extending that line to Mount Barker juntion/Mount Barker itself and the problem was as some of you are aware back then and today (to a certain extent) the bus can arrive into the heart of the city quicker than the train would- given the location of ARS.

The reality is that Mount Barker is around 35 kilometres by road to the CBD but rail is around 55 kilometres.

Yes I know some people out there want road no matter what but when you consider that the Mount Barker Go Zone is the first Go-Zone that has limited stops as well as operates frequently and carried before the Go-Zone started:
Average Weekday- May 2024:- boardings- 980 (T840), Saturday 335(864)- Sunday 410 (864F).
After Go Zone to Mount Barker implemented-
Weekdays- 2,000 boardings (T800) 110 (T863), 400 boardings (T801), Saturdays- 630 (T800), 30 (T801), Sundays- 375 (T800).
Please note the T801 is the all stops from Mount Barker and Aldgate and Glen Osmond then limited stops between Glen Osmond and the City.

Source: www.data.sa.gov.au

I will leave these statistics for your intepretation but I have heard that the majority (a very high percentage) during the weekday travel in the peak however intepreak is moderaltely used and on Saturdays and Sundays I have observed that a lot of trips carry only the driver up and down the freeway from Glen Osmond to up beyond the Bridgwater exit.

Question remains those who want rail have they actually done their research to see that the fastest curves on the Adelaide Hills Line is 55 kph other than that they are quite low in various places.

These are my thoughts what do you think?

[Lt. Commander Data]

Now those of us who are still waiting for the line to Mount Barker or beyond I think we should look at the reality.

The reality of one of the fastest growing regions in the country, and what will be SA’s second city in the not too distant future.

Yes I know some people out there want road no matter what but when you consider that the Mount Barker Go Zone is the first Go-Zone that has limited stops as well as operates frequently and carried before the Go-Zone started:
Average Weekday- May 2024:- boardings- 980 (T840), Saturday 335(864)- Sunday 410 (864F).
After Go Zone to Mount Barker implemented-
Weekdays- 2,000 boardings (T800) 110 (T863), 400 boardings (T801), Saturdays- 630 (T800), 30 (T801), Sundays- 375 (T800).
Please note the T801 is the all stops from Mount Barker and Aldgate and Glen Osmond then limited stops between Glen Osmond and the City.

Source: www.data.sa.gov.au

I will leave these statistics for your intepretation but I have heard that the majority (a very high percentage) during the weekday travel in the peak however intepreak is moderaltely used and on Saturdays and Sundays I have observed that a lot of trips carry only the driver up and down the freeway from Glen Osmond to up beyond the Bridgwater exit.

Question remains those who want rail have they actually done their research to see that the fastest curves on the Adelaide Hills Line is 55 kph other than that they are quite low in various places.

These are my thoughts what do you think?

You haven’t quoted 840X patronage so your comparison is meaningless. You also didn’t state which month of T800 patronage you are comparing it with. And if you’re using Sunday 864Fs why not Saturday too? Considering the 801 on weekends has replaced the 861, 864F, and T843 I’d have hoped you added data from all of them together before making comparisons.

My anecdote vs yours is that almost every weekend T800 between 9-6 carries 20+ people consistently. As I regularly see and experience T800s every day (not just sporadically) I consider myself quite qualified to state my anecdotes. Of course out of hours is quieter, but I’d say there has been a healthy growth in patro age nonetheless. Weekdays are fairly similar too, coupled with often crush loads at peak hours. DIT obviously see this too, you’ll note the addition of 2 artics to the hills fleet last month.

[Admet75]

Sorry my mistake I was comparing may 2024 vs October 2024 but excluding school holiday days and public holidays

[Admet75]

Now those of us who are still waiting for the line to Mount Barker or beyond I think we should look at the reality.

The reality of one of the fastest growing regions in the country, and what will be SA’s second city in the not too distant future.

Yes I know some people out there want road no matter what but when you consider that the Mount Barker Go Zone is the first Go-Zone that has limited stops as well as operates frequently and carried before the Go-Zone started:
Average Weekday- May 2024:- boardings- 980 (T840), Saturday 335(864)- Sunday 410 (864F).
After Go Zone to Mount Barker implemented-
Weekdays- 2,000 boardings (T800) 110 (T863), 400 boardings (T801), Saturdays- 630 (T800), 30 (T801), Sundays- 375 (T800).
Please note the T801 is the all stops from Mount Barker and Aldgate and Glen Osmond then limited stops between Glen Osmond and the City.

Source: www.data.sa.gov.au

I will leave these statistics for your intepretation but I have heard that the majority (a very high percentage) during the weekday travel in the peak however intepreak is moderaltely used and on Saturdays and Sundays I have observed that a lot of trips carry only the driver up and down the freeway from Glen Osmond to up beyond the Bridgwater exit.

Question remains those who want rail have they actually done their research to see that the fastest curves on the Adelaide Hills Line is 55 kph other than that they are quite low in various places.

These are my thoughts what do you think?

You haven’t quoted 840X patronage so your comparison is meaningless. You also didn’t state which month of T800 patronage you are comparing it with. And if you’re using Sunday 864Fs why not Saturday too? Considering the 801 on weekends has replaced the 861, 864F, and T843 I’d have hoped you added data from all of them together before making comparisons.

My anecdote vs yours is that almost every weekend T800 between 9-6 carries 20+ people consistently. As I regularly see and experience T800s every day (not just sporadically) I consider myself quite qualified to state my anecdotes. Of course out of hours is quieter, but I’d say there has been a healthy growth in patro age nonetheless. Weekdays are fairly similar too, coupled with often crush loads at peak hours. DIT obviously see this too, you’ll note the addition of 2 artics to the hills fleet last month.

Sorry my mistake I was comparing may 2024 vs October 2024 but excluding school holiday days and public holidays.
840X weekdays around 440 (May 2024),
864F- weekday 650 (May 2024), Sat- 350, Sun- 110

[Lt. Commander Data]

3509/3510 delivered to Aldgate, 5712/5715 returned to Morphettville.

[Linto63]

Noticed that the Port Dock line has been built with dual gauge sleepers. Is there still a long term plan to convert the whole Adelaide Metro network to standard gauge? Thought it had quietly dropped off the agenda, it being 15-20 years ago that the rest of the network was converted.

[The Phonj]

Most likely built using spare sleeper stock that was lying around.

The bridge immediately on the Adelaide side of Mawson Lakes station was rebuilt during the Gawler line electrification shutdown, and single gauge sleepers were used on that project.

[PD2/20]

Noticed that the Port Dock line has been built with dual gauge sleepers. Is there still a long term plan to convert the whole Adelaide Metro network to standard gauge? Thought it had quietly dropped off the agenda, it being 15-20 years ago that the rest of the network was converted.

I figure it was dropped towards the end of the revitalisation program around 2012-13. The main justification for the BG/SG conversion had been the extension of trams out from the City along the rail line to serve Footy Park. In the earlier stages of the track renewal, pointwork was installed on new timber sleepers. However in 2013 the new crossovers between Leader St and Showgrounds were installed on modern concrete sleepering where some of the junction sleepers had precast track fixings, others were drilled in situ to hold chairs and the remainder were normal pattern sleepers. The points at the south end of the Millswood loop are similar and can be viewed from the pedestrian crossing.

At the beginning of the track renewal program a large number of convertible sleepers were purchased and a stockpile established beside the freight line (at that time dual gauge) at Taperoo. When the track renewal was completed in 2014 a substantial number of convertible sleepers remained and were relocated to the permanent way depot on Churchill Road North. These have been used subsequently to replace timber sleepers at a number of locations such as Warradale station and the Grange branch at Woodville. Some of the sleepers were transported to Port Adelaide prior to the deferral of the Port Dock construction in 2018, relocated back to Dry Creek and then eventually used for the Port Dock project!

[PD2/20]

Most likely built using spare sleeper stock that was lying around.

The bridge immediately on the Adelaide side of Mawson Lakes station was rebuilt during the Gawler line electrification shutdown, and single gauge sleepers were used on that project.

See my previous post about the stock of sleepers from the revitalisation program.

When the bridge over Dry Creek at Mawson Lakes was rebuilt, I noted the use of the single gauge sleepers but only on the up track. The down line over the bridge was re-laid with the convertible sleepers. As the single gauge sleepers were of lesser height than the convertible type, I surmised that this was to accommodate an east-west dip in the creek bed and bridge deck under the track.

[nscaler69]

According to channel 7 news tonight Adelaide Metro are getting 60 new electric buses. Pity they showed a Hybrid bus.
https://x.com/7NewsAdelaide/status/1905899689427546266

[tonyp]

https://thedriven.io/2025/03/31/austral ... transport/

This article mentions Volgren in Melbourne as the bodybuilder, but, surely with Volgren opening up in Adelaide, they will be built there?

This Scania chassis, based on the N series, being low floor, I wonder if Volgren will apply its sensible skills to putting a low-floor body in it, rather than a low-entry (high floor at the back) which I believe the bumblers at Bustech did on the first chassis (5801?). I haven't seen an interior photo of 5801, but I heard this is what Bustech did. Is it still operating OK?

[Linto63]

Volgren has its headquarters in Victoria, article doesn't specifically say they will be built there. Although the first examples may well be built in Dandenong, before production transfers to Adelaide.

[1whoknows]

I doubt the buses will be fully built in Adelaide. The announcement of the facility mentions that Volgren’s Adelaide facility will offer a comprehensive range of service, support and fleet maintenance for both new and existing customers. So that sounds more like warranty, after sales service, repairs etc. Perhaps some final fitout of new buses may be done there, but I guess we'll all find out for sure by mid year.

[busrider]

18.280 1501 is back in Adelaide, and 1275 appears to have been written off following its accident with a BusTech last year. Also 1359 is retired.

[1whoknows]

The Yutong electric that did the rounds in Adelaide then Murray Bridge is currently with Dysons in Melbourne. Still had the rear fleet no.