The 3000s must have been pushed fairly hard once the Seaford extension opened and there must be a backlog of maintenance.

If there was a maintenance backlog on the DEMUs that was becoming problematic and causing failures, they would surely take steps to reduce that backlog by running EMUs on weekends and in the evenings when only 2-4 units would be required, allowing routine maintenance on the DEMUs to be conducted instead of working them hard to meet fictional all-stop timetables.

It is starting to look like the same people at DPTI who don't advertise the reopening of closed roads (because that might mean people would use them!) are also trying to protect the shiny new trains from coming into contact with the public. It's amateur hour all round.

It is starting to look like the same people at DPTI who don't advertise the reopening of closed roads (because that might mean people would use them!) are also trying to protect the shiny new trains from coming into contact with the public. It's amateur hour all round.

Justapax you are so hard but so true.

I once sat at  a table of DPTI people at a symposium on solutions to traffic problems in Adelaide. When I suggested putting an extra lane on South Road the response I got was "Then people might use it". Der!

Maintenance is cheaper done during normal hours not the back shifts.

Just curious, has patronage improved at all on the Tonsley line with the opening of the Park and Ride? What's it like during inter peak?

Just curious, has patronage improved at all on the Tonsley line with the opening of the Park and Ride? What's it like during inter peak?

The parking is full every weekday according to the LED signs on Sturt Road, but I don't know how much of that is used by train commuters vs Tonsley Park workers.

I don't think the Department would have any solid figures on train patronage or the usage of the parking. A good start to that would be finding out the number of parking spaces on offer, according to the official brochure they only know that to an accuracy of ±47%.

It's a while since I last went past Tonsley station, I don't know if the CONSTRUCTION SITE — DO NOT ENTER signs are still there at the station entrances as they were in July. That's got to be affecting patronage, both by potential users being warned off accessing dangerous building sites (and there only being a small chance of ever seeing a train there to suggest otherwise) and by those who start wondering whether competence is aspirational in the difficult tasks too.

Their  has been a swop around of sets in the last couple of Days 2004 now back running as a 3 car set saw one of the trailer cars its 2118 missed the other one while arriving into Adelaide it went behind a post still a orange one ,

2001 has lost one of its trailers now spotted as part of one of the two 4 car Jumbos sets 2001/2103/2117/2012 .

As I went past the DC depot, I saw 4 orange trailers at the southern end.

Their has been a swop around of sets in the last couple of Days 2004 now back running as a 3 car set saw one of the trailer cars its 2118 missed the other one while arriving into Adelaide it went behind a post still a orange one ,

2001 has lost one of its trailers now spotted as part of one of the two 4 car Jumbos sets 2001/2103/2117/2012 .

Interesting to hear. Haven't heard of 2001 leading a train for over a decade. What condition is it in mechanically? 2008 didn't sound that good when I went on it last.

2008 Has not been out in traffic for weeks now.

Since surrendering its normal trailer 2117 it sits on its own outside of one of the Sheds for the last week or so.Storage??

Thanks to the photographer (English Electric I think?) who has been posting those recent pictures of the Jumbos on the O/H line - perhaps the only place they'll be allowed to run soon?

Thanks to the photographer (English Electric I think?) who has been posting those recent pictures of the Jumbos on the O/H line - perhaps the only place they'll be allowed to run soon?

The electrification to Salisbury will rule them out of further service on even the Outer Harbour line, once there is no way into Adelaide and no access in/out of the Dry Creek depot which doesn't have 25kV knitting. But that work is not coming soon by any conventional definition of the word 'soon' – it's scheduled for 2017-18 by which time the Jumbos will be well and truly gone..

As has been pointed out many times, the number of A-City EMUs ordered for the Seaford line is 22, which is enough to replace all the Jumbos (10), cascade DEMUs off the Seaford/Tonsley line to increase capacity elsewhere (4), extend service to Seaford (2) and have six left over. If two of the six remaining are in the shop for preventative maintenance (a new concept for Adelaide Retro) at any time, that leaves four left over to double up consists on the premier peak trains or (from 2018) operate Adelaide-Salisbury stoppers.

The electrification to Salisbury will rule them out of further service on even the Outer Harbour line, once there is no way into Adelaide and no access in/out of the Dry Creek depot which doesn't have 25kV knitting. But that work is not coming soon by any conventional definition of the word 'soon' – it's scheduled for 2017-18 by which time the Jumbos will be well and truly gone..

One other factor in the "when will the Jumbos be retired" equation is timing of the next big shutdown on the rail system.

"What big shutdown" you ask?

The Torrens-to-Torrens part of the South Road upgrade includes building a new rail overpass at Croydon.
The various DPTI websites don't mention specific dates, but recent editions of the industry publication "Construction Industry News" refer to mid-2015 as when the serious construction phase of the project will begin.
I'd suggest building the rail overpass will be one of the first parts to be tackled.

Given DPTI's past record in closing rail lines and running substitute buses at any opportunity, from winter next year we may well see:-
- Outer Harbor and Grange lines closed between Adelaide and Woodville.
- Trains running only from Woodville to OH and Grange.
- Bus shuttles between Woodville & City.
- Rosewater Loop back in use for empty trips to and from Dry Creek.

With a few more 4000-class EMUs delivered to the Seaford line and reduced demand for railcars for Outer Harbor and Grange trains until 2016, the South Road Upgrade may be what eventually kills off the Jumbos.

The rail overpass at Croydon has now been put back too as the overhead station at Croydon has got the flick, so it might need a complete re think on the South Road crossing now. Might be a lot easier to simply put a road bridge over the existing rail line really! It could be done! This is all it really needs plus South Road widened as well at this point and through to Torrens Road at the moment. All these grand schemes of late seem to be pie in the sky a lot!

The rail overpass at Croydon has now been put back too as the overhead station at Croydon has got the flick, so it might need a complete re think on the South Road crossing now.

My understanding is the original Taj Mahal scheme of a long rail overpass crossing above South Road & Queen St Croydon, plus a new elevated Croydon station has been knocked on the head, but they're still going for a shorter overpass above South Road itself.

This might mean a pretty stiff gradient between ground level at the Queen Street LC and the overpass above South Road, but that'll give us all something to speculate on, like some people did with the Goodwood Underpass (OMG, will 3000-class DMUs be able to climb the gradient?).

Pity they can't do all the potential Port Line projects in one hit (South Rd Overpass, Torrens Jct Underpass, Park Tce Underpass and sunken station at Bowden). But real-world economics and resource constraints come into play, plus a Federal Government regarding any projects like this as an extreme anathema.

Oops - getting a bit off the Retiring Jumbos topic here!

It has already been confirmed in the Project Impact Report that the track will only close for short intervals, a temporary track will be established during the bridge build.

Don't forget the Port River bridge will need rebuilding or removing. though putting in big tubes and removing the bridge would be a lot less disruptive

...
If two of the six remaining are in the shop for preventative maintenance (a new concept for Adelaide Retro) at any time,  ...

Since the introduction of EMUs it has been the practice to have operating on a given day on regular timetable one less EMU than the number of units available for service.

Alex C

It has already been confirmed in the Project Impact Report that the track will only close for short intervals, a temporary track will be established during the bridge build.

South Road tram had a three day weekend to link to the temp track and the same to link to the new, with the station closed for several months

It has already been confirmed in the Project Impact Report that the track will only close for short intervals, a temporary track will be established during the bridge build.

I have noticed quite a few silo test bore holes have been done in the streets each side of the line between South Road and Queen St.

Hi all,

This is just a rumour I've heard but hoping someone in the know might be able to confirm/deny.

Allegedly the Jumbos will officially see the end of their revenue service next month (October). I hope this is only a rumor as I would love to get over to Adelaide for one last ride in normal service - only wish I could also get one last drive too

As I said this is only a rumor I've heard and I'm looking to see if anyone knows for certain. Thanks in advance.

A former STA driver I know told me that they'll be retired by February next year. Hopefully it's not next month.

Hi all,

This is just a rumour I've heard but hoping someone in the know might be able to confirm/deny.

Allegedly the Jumbos will officially see the end of their revenue service next month (October). I hope this is only a rumor as I would love to get over to Adelaide for one last ride in normal service - only wish I could also get one last drive too

As I said this is only a rumor I've heard and I'm looking to see if anyone knows for certain. Thanks in advance.

There just isn't enough 4000's in operation yet to allow the withdrawal of the Jumbos

Given that football has finished there probably isn't any need for their use on weekends anymore, which leaves normal weekday use and even that should reduce in the coming months as more electric trains are delivered and commissioned. I would assume their next non normal use would be this years Christmas pageant on November 8th, so the retired by February next year is more likely.

Does any one know how many 4000 sets are being delivered next month.

Given that football has finished there probably isn't any need for their use on weekends anymore, which leaves normal weekday use and even that should reduce in the coming months as more electric trains are delivered and commissioned. I would assume their next non normal use would be this years Christmas pageant on November 8th, so the retired by February next year is more likely.

Does any one know how many 4000 sets are being delivered next month.

64 million dollar question.

It's frustrating when there seems to be an excess of rail vehicles but we can't have a 30 minute week night and weekend frequency on all the lines.  
Summer is coming so people want to go places like Belair and beaches on the weekend.
Hourly services during the day are a joke - wake up Adelaide metro.  
Only retire the 2000's when you give people a basic service.

It's frustrating when there seems to be an excess of rail vehicles but we can't have a 30 minute week night and weekend frequency on all the lines.  
Summer is coming so people want to go places like Belair and beaches on the weekend.
Hourly services during the day are a joke - wake up Adelaide metro.  
Only retire the 2000's when you give people a basic service.

Retiring the Jumbos won't have any impact on the ability to run two trains an hour at nights and on weekends, the DEMU fleet alone would be more than enough to cover that on a non-football day even without any help from the A-City EMUs.

Two more A-City EMUs in service would allow the Jumbos to be retired completely, based upon requiring two to extend Noarlunga trains to Seaford (both in service) and ten to replace the Jumbos (eight of the ten in service).