Let's hope that Adelaide will avoid what has happened to Melbourne and still more to Sydney which I also know very well. It's a human failure that we all share, but many Adelaideans don't know when they are well off.Brian, it was interesting to read your observations. Unfortunately I have to agree with you on your reflections on Melbourne - in the time that I've been living here we have added an extra million people and for some reason that's considered a wonderful outcome. Our PT system, once the best in Australia, is groaning under the weight of these added people to the extent that I often can't physically get on at my local train station during the peaks. I've tried telling my local member about this but he's just not interested; it's as if our good fortune in maintaining our tram network and excellent train system is being progressively eroded by the sheer weight of numbers, for some reason determined to overtake Sydney as Australia's answer to Mexico City or Bangkok.
Adelaide people often have a chip on their shoulder about the fact that its not growing in the same manner as the other four mainland capitals but I've come to view this as a comparative advantage over places like Perth and Melbourne. The reconstruction of the rail system was an important missing link - fair enough that it doesn't cover all the metro area and PT use is less than in other cities but hopefully it has the affect of increasing amenity for those who live within its catchment and in the future it may also be supplemented by expanded light rail/trams which can complement the heavy rail system.
My only regret with electrification was that they didn't make the effort to turn Goodwood into a proper interchange with the tram - I know from when I was living in the inner south that it would have been much more convenient and it would have also allowed interoperability and access to the south of the city for those not wishing to go all the way to North Terrace. They might tackle this in the future as with grade separations?
To those who are unhappy with the current timetable; I understand why you're not happy but the system is still in transition and that because of those delays with Bombardier a fully operational line won't happen for (apparently) another six months. At that time hopefully there'll be a better range of stopping/express services and they can also fix the frequency issues.