It will be interesting tomorrow to see how the Noarlunga line copes with the last service departing at 7:00pm, only an hour after the cricket finishes on the biggest day of the match with lots of families attending. I hope it's four cars with an extra consist on standby to follow ten minutes after if the load is unexpectedly high.

Hey JAP.
There is an extra service on the Friday (Tonight) just for the Ashes:
http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/Announcements/Service-updates/Extra-services-for-Ashes-test-match
Leaves ARS at 8:00pm and I believe that there is also one at 7:30pm as well.
So by my reading of the temporary timetable services will leave ARS at 18:03, 18:15, 18:30, 18:45, 19:00, 19:30 & 20:00.

Other times pulled from the temporary timetable that includes the bustitutes
Noarlunga Temporary Timetable

I am aware of the extra tonight, I was referring to tomorrow when the last one is at 7.

If they are trying to get 45,000 football fans to use public transport next year, a fiasco on Family Day at the cricket will not help that cause!

I am aware of the extra tonight, I was referring to tomorrow when the last one is at 7.

If they are trying to get 45,000 football fans to use public transport next year, a fiasco on Family Day at the cricket will not help that cause!

Well I dare say that night and weekends now will be used to finish off work that is still needed, but if they are running trains then some work cannot be done. Stringing wire for the overhead is not something that can be done between train services. So weekends or early closures are to be expected to get some work done at least. Just saying not trying to start something.

The 6:30pm train to Noarlunga was just horrible no standing room for a mother and her kids to get on they had to wait for the next train. I had never seen a train so packed before.

I saw a Grange service - (558pm Adelaide to Grange) as I was waiting at the Park Tce crossing in traffic. It was a single car 3000 car, it looked rather full being the end of peak hour, it would seem that the reopening of the Noarlunga has cut carriages to the bare minimum on other lines.

1755 left on time and got to HCB close to time. Good running from Brighton to HC.

There was plenty of room on that train which made me glad we left the cricket a few minutes early.

Ian

Observing the evening peak service at Clarence Pk and Emerson on Tuesday and today showed most services were running reasonably close to timetable, but couple of skip stop services stopped at both CP and E!  Whether trains encounter yellow aspects seems to depend on whether the route is set in advance at the absolute signals.  The down signal at Emerson today cleared to green automatically on most occasions after the previous train (an effective headway of c. 3mins).  Only one down train, which stopped at Emerson, was in the platform before the signal cleared to yellow.  However all up trains encountered yellow at Emerson due to the Clarence Pk signal only being cleared on arrival there.

The signals on the Seaford extension are now all lit and facing in the correct directions.  The crossovers at Seaford have had clamps removed.  

The contact wire has been run out on both lines in the short section between Hove and Warradale.

Alex C

I too have noticed that most if not all the Grange services, peak and off peak, are now single railcars with the NC services running again.
Are there any 3 car sets running on any NC services yet? I haven't seen any so far (I stand to be corrected). With the NC peak services being so packed, I'm surprised that they're not running 3 car sets.
I was on the 4:46 too Blackwood this afternoon and we caught up with an NC service just past Mile End and it looked that packed the passengers looked like they were going to fall through the windows.

The 5:25pm to Noarlunga I was on the other day was a 4 car set I still can't figure out how the driver managed to deal with Oaklands station as I was in the front carriage

The 5:25pm to Noarlunga I was on the other day was a 4 car set I still can't figure out how the driver managed to deal with Oaklands station as I was in the front carriage

The platforms at Oaklands are 120 metres, a 4x 3000 consist is about 100 metres long so it shouldn't have been a problem.

The problem with Oaklands is that a 2x A-City consist is 150 metres long, which would require the last two cars to be locked by SDO. For the sake of passing on information, this is likely to get simplified down to "passengers for Oaklands please travel in the front three carriages" for addition to all the other audio graffiti at stations.

...
Are there any 3 car sets running on any NC services yet? I haven't seen any so far (I stand to be corrected). With the NC peak services being so packed, I'm surprised that they're not running 3 car sets.
I was on the 4:46 too Blackwood this afternoon and we caught up with an NC service just past Mile End and it looked that packed the passengers looked like they were going to fall through the windows.

The 5.10, 5.18, 5.25 and 5.33 to NC seem to be rostered for 3 car sets.

Alex C

I've seen nothing around Adelaide yard that would require a big shutdown. All the structural supports for the overhead appear to be in place, that includes brackets on the underside of Morphett Street bridge, and in the roof space of the platforms themselves. Would be cantilever arms that still need to be installed, but those aren't hard to put in place.

Catenary wire has been run on the up seaford line from the Adelaide signal box (there is a tensioning system out the front), out to gaol loop and around the corner, I didn't go see where the wire runs out. Same for the two conductors for the feed and return. Shouldn't take long to get the up line done, which then leaves just the platforms and some of the yard to wire. That would be the minimum to get Adelaide yard electrified, given they have till February next year, doing all 4 lines to keswick is do able.

There is no reason to do a full shutdown to put up a few wires, politics has nothing to do with it.

Conveniently, you've missed the biggest concern in sparking Adelaide yard...

I have been busy 'cycling the boards' out at the Velodrome Friday and today, but I did find the time Friday to to be told of an Adelaide yard shutdown. Today, I have had it all but confirmed, whether the government says or realises otherwise, shutdown at least of tracks surrounding platforms 1 through 4, possibly full shutdown of Adelaide yard. Duration 2 days to 1 week, timetabled 'sometime between Christmas and (obviously) EMUs first running'.

I reaped the benefits of the Goodwood Underpass for the first time. This morning we cruised beneath a  northbound SCT freighter.

Two trains moving briskly to their respective destinations.

First express on NC line this morning.

Due to problems with the drive of one unit (3104) of the two car train this train ran express from Hallett Cove.

I caught the train at HCB and it was already late, I hadn't realised it was the train before the one I expected until somebody responded to my Facebook entry. The acceleration away from HCB was very slow and we came to a stop before HC. The on train announcement said the train would terminate at HC however the checking driver came though and said the train was to run express to Adelaide. We made to HC and some pax left so they could get to intermediate stations.

For the rest of us we enjoyed a non stop run to Adelaide, not at scorching speed, but enough to open the mouths of those waiting at other stations as we passed. Trip duration about 25 mins from HC.

I was aware of the drive failure because the engine sound was not altering as the train attempted to accelerate. I spoke to the checking driver who confirmed that the blue circuit breakers had tripped. He asked if I was an engineer and as I walked away I heard him say to the driver, "that blokes and engineer".

Ian.

Return trip from ARS today was pretty much on time at HCB. It was a good trip with no dawdling.

From what I could see of up front there were few if any yellows or reds; control must be doing something.

Does any in person know if there has been a policy change regarding signals held at red for level crossings?

Ian

It might just be that everything is sort of settling now and controllers etc know where problems lie now and so anticipate it a bit more. Just a thought but it would take a bit to get used it again after all that time even with a full test run of the timetable. Also passengers are now getting used to the service as well, like anything new it just takes a bit of time to get used to it!

The 6:30pm train to Noarlunga was just horrible no standing room for a mother and her kids to get on they had to wait for the next train. I had never seen a train so packed before.

Come to Melbourne, you'll see what a packed train is all about !

It didn't take long for people to get back into the swing of their train service returning obviously -

Come to Melbourne, you'll see what a packed train is all about !

It didn't take long for people to get back into the swing of their train service returning obviously -

G'evenging All,

Visited my mother today at Marino Rocks, she is so pleased to have the trains running again. She went to Noarlunga Centre last Friday to go shopping with my sister, and on the return journey she forgot how much quicker the train journey is compared to the meandering substitute bus that before she knew it she had overshot Marino Rocks station and was at Seaclift. She got off and had to wait for a return train.

Senor moment!

Regards,

First express on NC line this morning.

Due to problems with the drive of one unit (3104) of the two car train this train ran express from Hallett Cove.


I was aware of the drive failure because the engine sound was not altering as the train attempted to accelerate. I spoke to the checking driver who confirmed that the blue circuit breakers had tripped. He asked if I was an engineer and as I walked away I heard him say to the driver, "that blokes and engineer".

Ian.

I can clarify for you. What they would be referring to is a blue CCU light fault. Called such as there are two CCU fault lights, one blue coloured (does not usually affect performance) and one white coloured (pretty well always affects performance). CCU is the computer brain of the 3000/3100. If a reset of the circuit breakers don't fix it, it needs to be seen by the fitters. Usually a white CCU is what will cause lack of drive.

And as for the signals at stop at level crossings, a lot of the previous Permissive Signals that would work in conjunction with Level crossings to be either in Express or Stopping mode as a matter of preprogramming. Alot of these signals have changed to Absolutes (partly for this reason and partly for ATP), because as an Absolute the controller can activate the crossing easily independent to stopping pattern.

So what you will see is some services will experience Stop aspects whilst others will have Clear or Caution aspects when both stop at the station, depending on time of day. Pretty well similar to signal 2072 at Salisbury Station on the up (during peak it is held rather than automatically changing to allow free flow of traffic).

I can clarify for you. What they would be referring to is a blue CCU light fault. Called such as there are two CCU fault lights, one blue coloured (does not usually affect performance) and one white coloured (pretty well always affects performance). CCU is the computer brain of the 3000/3100. If a reset of the circuit breakers don't fix it, it needs to be seen by the fitters. Usually a white CCU is what will cause lack of drive.

And as for the signals at stop at level crossings, a lot of the previous Permissive Signals that would work in conjunction with Level crossings to be either in Express or Stopping mode as a matter of preprogramming. Alot of these signals have changed to Absolutes (partly for this reason and partly for ATP), because as an Absolute the controller can activate the crossing easily independent to stopping pattern.

So what you will see is some services will experience Stop aspects whilst others will have Clear or Caution aspects when both stop at the station, depending on time of day. Pretty well similar to signal 2072 at Salisbury Station on the up (during peak it is held rather than automatically changing to allow free flow of traffic).

A white CCU light used to always be straight out of service, that no longer seems to be the case, and the powers that be seem to push white CCU faulted cars to complete the current service before stabling to DC.

I couldn't find any announcement on the Adelaide Metro website about the January closure - presumably this is still going to happen so they can complete the wires into Adelaide station?  Also, does anyone know what's happening with the wires, are they still progressing and what stage are they up to?  I'd be interested to see if they have completed past Edwardstown/Emerson now.

Don

They were working at Clarence Park and in the Underpass last night.

Things seem to be close to complete at Emerson crossing.

Ian

Thanks for that, Ian.  Will they return to weekend closures now the Ashes have been concluded in Adelaide?

Yep. Happy Bustitutes everyone who foolishly wants to travel at a weekend!

My earlier complaints about the electrification progress still stand.

Power lines I supervised the erection of were never so slow. I think they are making it up as they go along.