The traffic there was horrendous after the 2011 TDU stage with the finish on Willunga Hill, I was cycling home and in Morphett Vale I came upon the whole Liquigas-Cannondale team on their way back to the city, but dawdling along at 15 km/h while waiting for their support car to get out of the traffic queue and catch up!

I am looking forward to the extra cycling opportunities the Seaford extension will allow from starting and finishing further south. I'm currently looking for an alternative ride for Sunday 23 March after BikeSA was forced to change the VeloAdelaide route and funnel a couple of thousand riders onto a narrow path instead of using the SE Freeway for an hour like they did every time the event ran previously.
A government minister pandering to whingy car drivers during an election campaign? Surely it can't be!

The traffic there was horrendous after the 2011 TDU stage with the finish on Willunga Hill, I was cycling home and in Morphett Vale I came upon the whole Liquigas-Cannondale team on their way back to the city, but dawdling along at 15 km/h while waiting for their support car to get out of the traffic queue and catch up!

I am looking forward to the extra cycling opportunities the Seaford extension will allow from starting and finishing further south. I'm currently looking for an alternative ride for Sunday 23 March after BikeSA was forced to change the VeloAdelaide route and funnel a couple of thousand riders onto a narrow path instead of using the SE Freeway for an hour like they did every time the event ran previously.
A government minister pandering to whingy car drivers during an election campaign? Surely it can't be!

I too was planning to do that ride on March 23, but now I think I will be in the smeg hole that is Sydney.

So whats the status with the Lonsdale stabling yard now? I've noticed now that the Seaford extension is public the stabling yard isnt being used anymore will this change when there are an abundance of electrics? Or will the stabling yard be closed?

So whats the status with the Lonsdale stabling yard now? I've noticed now that the Seaford extension is public the stabling yard isnt being used anymore will this change when there are an abundance of electrics? Or will the stabling yard be closed?

Presumably afternoon peak hour extras, and the last two Seaford trains at night, which stable down south, are all now going to Seaford Meadows rather than Port Stanvac / Lonsdale sidings.  

So the Seaford Meadows EMU depot must be housing a few diesel trains overnight & at weekends until the line goes all-electric (or at least almost all electric).

Can anyone confirm this is what's happening?

The Port Stanvac yard has been electrified, so will be interesting to see if the storage capacity is needed once the full 4000-class fleet is here.

The Seaford Meadows and Lonsdale depots together will only be enough to hold 16 of the 22 units according to a post on here last year.  

The remainder will need to be towed to Dry Creek by DEMUs or stable in the platforms at Adelaide Station itself for the few hours between first and last trains. There would of course be one or two at Dry Creek on a maintenance rotation most of the time.

Presumably afternoon peak hour extras, and the last two Seaford trains at night, which stable down south, are all now going to Seaford Meadows rather than Port Stanvac / Lonsdale sidings.

So the Seaford Meadows EMU depot must be housing a few diesel trains overnight & at weekends until the line goes all-electric (or at least almost all electric).

Can anyone confirm this is what's happening?

The Port Stanvac yard has been electrified, so will be interesting to see if the storage capacity is needed once the full 4000-class fleet is here.

EMU's and Diesels are being stabled at Seaford Depot. Nothing at Pt Stanvac Depot. When all 22 sets are here, Pt Stanvac Depot will be used to hold over flow EMU's until electrification to Dry Creek Depot. Effectively, Seaford cannot hold all 22 sets, so Stanvac will still be needed for this. Thats why it has been electrified.

Plus there is a sign on the (Adelaide end of) Pt Stanvac yard rail gate that basically says no DMU allowed.

Plus there is a sign on the (Adelaide end of) Pt Stanvac yard rail gate that basically says no DMU allowed.

Our DMUs can't enter the Seaford Line anyway......

Plus there is a sign on the (Adelaide end of) Pt Stanvac yard rail gate that basically says no DMU allowed.

Have the signs been changed?  They used to say no EMUs.

Alex C

In the rail yard at Adelaide I noticed they have a sign on the Outer Harbor Up line saying no 2000s on the Belair Main Line and also noticed on the Belair Up track (Platform 4) there is another sign saying No EMUs allowed on platform 5.

So I saw a 7:55 Brighton Service in the city this morning. Checked the timetable and its not on there

Contact wire has been strung north of the Hilton Bridges on the UP Belair line.

Contact wire has been strung north of the Hilton Bridges on the UP Belair line.

Could this be the reason diesels were running the Seafords yesterday?  Were the Belairs being switched to the Seaford lines at Wayville?

Alex C

Could this be the reason diesels were running the Seafords yesterday?  Were the Belairs being switched to the Seaford lines at Wayville?

Alex C

No idea Alex, but the return wires etc have gone up during the last week or two, most likely done during night works.

No idea Alex, but the return wires etc have gone up during the last week or two, most likely done during night works.

Thanks for the update.  I haven't been able to get out myself and see what's been happening. Still awaiting my first trip in a 4000.

Alex C

^^ me too

hoping I might get one today. See 6 trains so far today, all diesel...

Probably going to be out of luck there as far as I know they won't be running electrics on weekend till more drivers are qualified to use them.

The NRM has a members electric train running next Sunday I hope. Haven't heard much more yet.

Could the lack of EMUs at weekends be because the contractors are now stringing the catenary on the Belair Mains at weekends, which means the power will need to be switched off on the City side of Ascot Park.

It's a pity there are no electrics this weekend, because it would be great publicity for Adelaide Metro (and SA Labor) to have two or three new EMUs parked up in Adelaide station waiting to carry the departing Clipsal crowds home.  You might get to impress a few non-regular PT users (and undecided voters in marginal electorates) with the new trains.

And even if they were not travelling on the Seaford line, other rail passengers heading for diesel trains on the Port or Gawler lines would get to walk past a shiny new electric or two in Platform 2, 3 or 4.

This is what I would be doing this weekend if I ran the railways

Could the lack of EMUs at weekends be because the contractors are now stringing the catenary on the Belair Mains at weekends, which means the power will need to be switched off on the City side of Ascot Park.

Just to clarify my earlier post, I saw the contact wire had been strung and connected to arms, but NO work was happening, and DMU's were running on both Seaford AND Belair lines, so NO closure today.

It's a pity there are no electrics this weekend, because it would be great publicity for Adelaide Metro (and SA Labor) to have two or three new EMUs parked up in Adelaide station waiting to carry the departing Clipsal crowds home.  You might get to impress a few non-regular PT users (and undecided voters in marginal electorates) with the new trains.

The main part of the problem there is that is has been confirmed there is only a small group of EMU-qualified drivers at this point. They were in action for the publicity runs last Sunday, then for five weekdays in a row when the EMUs are needed to maintain the required capacity in the peaks. If they were running services over both days of this weekend, the next five weekdays would have taken it up to 13 consecutive days for a small group of drivers.

This weekend would also have been a good opportunity for maintenance crews to give the EMUs and the electrical supply systems a good check up to see how they coped with the first week of running scheduled services.

And even if they were not travelling on the Seaford line, other rail passengers heading for diesel trains on the Port or Gawler lines would get to walk past a shiny new electric or two in Platform 2, 3 or 4.

That is something that the Lieberals would have loved, making an obvious point of what the northern lines won't be getting after Labor failed to deliver Gawler electrification and instead decided to re-promise only half of it at the next election!

Contact wire has been strung north of the Hilton Bridges on the UP Belair line.

As of today both belair lines have the contact wire in place and fixed north of the old Keswick station area, but nothing at all through Showgrounds to Goodwood

This weekend would also have been a good opportunity for maintenance crews to give the EMUs and the electrical supply systems a good check up to see how they coped with the first week of running scheduled services.

That is something that the Lieberals would have loved, making an obvious point of what the northern lines won't be getting after Labor failed to deliver Gawler electrification and instead decided to re-promise only half of it at the next election!

I have always thought that the Gawler line should have been finished rather than rebuilding the oval and providing an extra bridge over the Torrens, desirable though both may be.

I ask JustaPassenger, however, just how much provision of proper rail and general public transport infrastructure the Liberals have promised or will undertake despite Mr. Abbott's clear statement that he will not support public transport spending, and how much privatisation of public assets they will undertake in the next four years. They walk away from answering direct questions on the subject.

For the first, I would suggest NIL, and for the second, whatever they can flog off to their mates, using the hoary old pretext of 'paying Labor's debts'. Government debt is NOT the same as private debt, and our debts are very low in comparison with advanced countries which have rail infrastructure which is light years ahead of ours.

Anyone who has the slightest interest in finishing what Labor has belatedly started has, despite mistakes made in their terms in office, only one way to vote, or risk being called a hypocrite in being a member of this group.

I have always thought that the Gawler line should have been finished rather than rebuilding the oval and providing an extra bridge over the Torrens, desirable though both may be.

Anyone who has the slightest interest in finishing what Labor has belatedly started has, despite mistakes made in their terms in office, only one way to vote, or risk being called a hypocrite in being a member of this group.

I did directly ask the premier's office how they could justify spending $50 on a food bridge, when there was no funding to electrify the Gawler line. The foot bridge could be delayed until such time as a design SACA were happy with was worked out. I didn't get a reply, despite the office staffer being interested in the question as well.

Your right though, two choices:
1. Labor, Policy to electrify the Gawler line, expand the tram network, fix Torrens section of Main South Road.
2. Liberals, Policy missing in action. Deputy Leader uses dog ate homework type excuse.

Labor - Ambitious
vs
Liberal - Rubbish not even trying

Go ahead, vote for the greens if you hate the two main parties, but a vote for many of the minor groups just flows to the Liberals anyway. The one party that does deserve the "protest vote" is the Liberals for not even trying, didn't even trot out their usual pet road project this year.

Unless you fill out below the line and put lots of numbers in before labor then lots of numbers then liberals, okay not that simple but you choose where your vote goes.