July 1 Adelaide Metro Timetable changes

[Eagle Eye]

Interesting that Grange trains will now run from Grange to the City at most times of the day, only a small number of peak services will run as shuttles to Woodville. We nearly have a Go Zone between Woodville and Adelaide, with Outer Harbor trains continuing to run as all-stoppers between Woodville and Adelaide despite Grange trains also servicing those stations. And which diesel trains can run from Grange to East Grange in 1 minute? It takes almost a minute to fully navigate the tight curve at the Grange terminus. Even electrics won't be able to achieve that in 1 minute, talk about realistic timetables!

And since when has the first train from Adelaide at 4:50am (now 4:35am) been an all-stopper!?

[LowRider]

Interesting that Grange trains will now run from Grange to the City at most times of the day, only a small number of peak services will run as shuttles to Woodville. We nearly have a Go Zone between Woodville and Adelaide, with Outer Harbor trains continuing to run as all-stoppers between Woodville and Adelaide despite Grange trains also servicing those stations. And which diesel trains can run from Grange to East Grange in 1 minute? It takes almost a minute to fully navigate the tight curve at the Grange terminus. Even electrics won't be able to achieve that in 1 minute, talk about realistic timetables!

And since when has the first train from Adelaide at 4:50am (now 4:35am) been an all-stopper!?

Also notice that the Outer Harbor trains that were express from Outer Harbor to Adelaide (last two services) now stop all stations?! Leaves Outer Harbor at 1am and stops everywhere to Adelaide!! Who is going to use that?!

[Volvo B12B Driver]

Its good to see that the last Outer Harbour Train leaves the city after midnight now, 7 days a week.

[bigrobbo]

Sign on the bus stop outside the Fire Station on Wakefield St (cannot remember the stop number) states the 241 will no longer be stopping there from July 1st.

It also shows where the 241/245/248 will be going after July 1st and the relevant stops.

Would be handy to advertise 245 and 248 is changing as well in the headlines!

[bigrobbo]

This is where it becomes interesting. The 177 is now in the 178, 179 and 579 timetables and look at the route map and see what can be done to allay the complaints of Athelstone residents loosing there 578.

However, also note the Route 174 joining the league of 541 and 542 to be a lonesome timetable you know my thoughts if you can amalgamate as much timetables as possible who remembers the Green looking glossy timetable of 2005 which joined the 173, 174, 575, 178 and 179 all in one timetable and it was still legible.

It can be done very easily if one thinks about it and saves money in the long term.

Anyone can think of others that shouldn't just have a single timetable for a single route???

Many routes could be merged into to one timetable
- 541, 542, 543, 545 and 548
- 400, 401, 403, 900 and 421
- 411, 415, 430, 404 and 405

The 400/401/402/900/421(DSTO) were one once when the 401 started from Elizabeth on some journeys, and the 402 ran as a hybrid service of the 400/401.

When the 404/405/415/430 Timetable was combined, I found it confusing to use. That could be the reason why they remain seperate.

[howlerbus]

The 541/542 can go together, not with the 543, 545, amd 548, they can remain seperate. 404/405/411 may work in the same timetable, but not 415/430, that was confusing. The 407 can go with the 401 and 900

[Emm Kay Vee]

Interesting that Grange trains will now run from Grange to the City at most times of the day, only a small number of peak services will run as shuttles to Woodville. We nearly have a Go Zone between Woodville and Adelaide, with Outer Harbor trains continuing to run as all-stoppers between Woodville and Adelaide despite Grange trains also servicing those stations. And which diesel trains can run from Grange to East Grange in 1 minute? It takes almost a minute to fully navigate the tight curve at the Grange terminus. Even electrics won't be able to achieve that in 1 minute, talk about realistic timetables!

And since when has the first train from Adelaide at 4:50am (now 4:35am) been an all-stopper!?

Also notice that the Outer Harbor trains that were express from Outer Harbor to Adelaide (last two services) now stop all stations?! Leaves Outer Harbor at 1am and stops everywhere to Adelaide!! Who is going to use that?!

There is certainly more chance of people using it now than before when it didn't stop...

[LowRider]

There is certainly more chance of people using it now than before when it didn't stop...

Basically no one catches it FROM the City to the Harbor, let alone anyone getting it otherwise. No other line runs back at that time of night, not even the Tram runs that late. I could see a case for it on a Friday and Saturday night, but other days of the week I reckon its a total waste of time and money. Now though, by looks you only need two/three more services and the Outer Harbor line would be 24hrs!

Also since nitpicking is the flavour of the day, they technically stopped at Midlunga and Woodville on their way back to Adelaide.

[howlerbus]

I caught the last train to Outer Harbor and back once on a Saturday night and I noticed a few people getting on the train at Draper, Largs, etc. going to Outer Harbor then back to the City, but you wouldnt get that happening on most nights...

[bigrobbo]

I cannot see where someone else has spotted this - apologies if I missed it.

LCB have finally re-numbered my "pet-hate" bus - C2G - to be all C1G.

No difference to the routes and good to have some uniformity!

[jibb]

Yet on the Mega Go-Zone timetable there are C2G's shown in the evening?

[bigrobbo]

Strange hey? The C1/C2 timetable on line shows no C2Gs at all.

[Eagle Eye]

C2Gs are still shown on the Mega Go Zone on weekday evenings only (only 3 services run) but have been changed on weekends (and run all day on weekends).

It seems the 'to the householder' brochures that get distributed to all households haven't been proofread – apparently the C1 now services Salisbury Interchange (never has), the N202 goes to Salisbury Centre (terminates at Ingle Farm), 546X runs from the City to Para Hills (all stops, not express), 546 runs from Para Hills to the City (express, not all stops), N502 terminates at Salisbury Centre (now Salisbury Interchange unlike the old N206), the Mega Go Zone sees a bus every 15 minutes 7 days a week (not true between approx. 9pm-11pm weeknights where buses run to a 23min/7min pattern), a couple spelling errors (Perserverance Rd, Cashell St) and a few inconsistencies.

[tramfan70]

Proof reading, consistency and layout
The new timetable format provides a clear and easy view for most readers.
I personally find the amount of white space on some Route timetables a waste and perhaps some more timing points would be helpful on long routes, more city stops included as timing points or where has the bus come from similar to bus 'Bus continues as route number'. The front cover can be deceiving on some timetables as it appears some routes service all destinations listed.

New 177,178,179,N178 printed timetable.
Cover, it appears that Heading Avenue Campbelltown is a destination of the 178 and 179, the key word is 'linking'.

Timetable pages for 579, lots of room to make notes on the white space. Perhaps the final termination of route 579 is coming soon given there is no morning peak service to Paradise Interchange.

177 - Which services come from 169 and which ones start at Victoria Square U2 in the PM? - Why do you need to know? 177 starting in Victoria Square usually start on time!

Please explain? - Legend code E, I read this as bus will not let people off at stop I2 Royal Adelaide Hospital and only pick up at that stop. All the times indicated with an E in the timetable have come from Kingswood(172) or Urrbrae (170) to commence a 178F or 179F. So is the general public bus user coming from say Duthy Street wishing to go to the RAH expected to get off the stop before and walk to RAH? This is why the number of blogs, complaints and discord is occurring daily. It is not a big issue but it make no common sense. When you look at the 170/172 timetable inbound there is no mention of the pick up only rule, no consistency in publication!

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I could go through every new printed timetable and find countless errors in information published at a subtantial cost to the tax payer. Acceptable? Yes, humans make mistakes, fare increase to pay for printed errors, No.

[Eagle Eye]

Legend code E, I read this as bus will not let people off at stop I2 Royal Adelaide Hospital and only pick up at that stop.

Next to the this part of the timetable the explanations show that 178F and 179F buses do not set down between stop I2 North Tce and stop 17 Payneham Rd. More people would probably read this explanation than try to find what the letter E stands for. The only reason 'E' is shown at I2 is because there are no timed stops between I2 and 17 to show this letter/symbol (as opposed to the M44 which shows the letter at the stop 1 timed stop).

What's worse is there is no mention that stop 17 is not serviced by 178/178F/179/179F buses between 4pm and 6pm, only that the stop 17 timed stop is shown as stop 18.

Perhaps the final termination of route 579 is coming soon given there is no morning peak service to Paradise Interchange.

Ummm, so services departing Athelstone at 6:43am, 7:13am and 7:43am don't count as morning peak services? Plus there are also services departing Athelstone at 8:43am, 9:48am, 10:48am and 11:48am. I'd say the hourly afternoon services on weekdays would be of more concern, although patronage on the 579 is always declining.

[LowRider]

I'd say the hourly afternoon services on weekdays would be of more concern, although patronage on the 579 is always declining.

Well as the old saying goes 'Use it or lose it', and if what you say is true, then clearly the people that live on that route don't seem to want it much any more. May as well can it and put the kilometres some where else where it will get used.

[Mike M]

To me the biggest change in the July 1 timetables is the major improvement to Outer Harbor line train services at the weekend. By Adelaide standards improving the day time frequency from 60 to 30 minutes is a massive & long overdue change.

[runawaybus]

As of July 1st it looks like the Aldinga/Southern Vale Dial and Ride is finishing it will now be a hail and ride according to the areas shaded on the route map.

I know there was some difficulty with the Dial and Ride service down there because people either didn't understand the concpet or they had to phone up I think two hours before they wanted to go somewhere.

I heard a story about the Dial and Ride services introduced I don't know where in Metropolitan Adelaide by the Dunstan government of the 1970s and it was a flop because buses would either arrive too early or too late if they were too early they (the passengers) could actually see a passenger run out of their door with tucking in shirts etc as they were running to board the bus.

In Victoria the Telebus service is apparantly working quite well but no-one actually knows the secret of its success.

However, all I can say Vale Aldinga Southern Vales Dial and Ride and Hello Hail and Ride and I think the Dial and Ride from memory was either introduced in either 2007 or 2008 I can't remember of hand.

[runawaybus]

I found two brochures in my little box of public transport achives and yes it said the following:

"3 Great New Services in the South Service changes Sunday 29 April 2007- two new 15 minute Go-Zones, New Transit Link Express service and New Door to Door Dial a Ride"

Another brochure says this:

Adelaide Metro Timetable changes in the Outer Southern Suburbs Sunday 27 April 2008 Better Connections and New Easy to Use timetables". This was when they suddenly introduced Link Services which meant passengers could check on the one timetable where to get off to go to various places like Chandlers Hill-Marion-City and it was coloured in green. The were various places this was introduced in Adelaide and there were some in the Outer North (check 2009 Gawler Line timetable its amazing it is still mentioned- given there is no 205/206 etc).

I think in 2006 we had also the 15 October changes which had a bright yellow A4 booklet and it said "Will YOUR bus or train service change on Sunday 15 October". It was claimed then that there were some timetables that haven't changed in 10 years. However these changes were more specfically targeted towards the Torrens Transit Contract areas but the geographic areas of South West, Southern (ie. Blackwood), Easter, North Eastern, North West and Western"

Then on 13 January 2008 the Torrens Transit geographic areas of Inner Southern, Southern Hills, Eastern, North Eastertn, Western, North West all went through a change and this was when the O-Bahn commenced arriving in the morning peak in the city every 43 seconds.

So overall we have seen some massive changes in the past but I think this might be the biggest one with 90% of the timetables changing and as I have said before there will be now quarterly changes from now on.

[jibb]

Because of traffic delays caused by the closure of the Seacombe Road Bridge(due to work on duplication of Southern Expressway) and consequent major traffic delays on Marion Road Sturt,Route 734 buses from Sunday July 1st will now detour(until completion of the new bridge) from Marion Centre via Sturt Road,Morphett Road,Seacombe Road, Brighton Road,Ocean Boulevard and Majors Road.

[jibb]

New City Map and Network Map from July 1st are now available on the Adelaide Metro website

[Eagle Eye]

Seeing as though Bus Lanes are the hot topic of the day I'd love to see for the duration of the Seacombe Rd bridge closure bus lanes installed along Sturt Rd between the eastern entrance of Marion Centre Interchange to just east of Sturt Rd heading east, and from Tonsley Station to Marion Centre Interchange heading west. This would make a huge difference to bus routes running horribly late due to the Sturt Rd car park and poor traffic light sequences.

[Eurostar]

I'd say the hourly afternoon services on weekdays would be of more concern, although patronage on the 579 is always declining.

Well as the old saying goes 'Use it or lose it', and if what you say is true, then clearly the people that live on that route don't seem to want it much any more. May as well can it and put the kilometres some where else where it will get used.

Scrap the 579 and use the kilometres to Paradise Interchange. The H21/177 should be changed slightly, i was thinking have one of them continue along Lower North East Road, turn right at Hambledon Road, then turn left at Newton Road.

[runawaybus]

Well said isn't that the old 176 route guys- the one that actually well went there was from the North Eastern Hospital all the way up Clairville Road, Right Hambeldon Road, then left Newton Road, Darley Road and Paradise I/C/

It worked well before the 576/577 was introduced but when it was introduced in 1995 it lost a lot of patronage because of its hourly service in the interpeak and it only carried a small amount in peak period- much of the Clairville Road area is actually a Housing Trust area (you might see some actual old Housing Trust houses there) and the patronage was so low it didn't warrant a service along there but the 177 and H21 along Cresdee Road and Reserve Road is where patronage is quite good and that has always been a boom for operators especially in the peak- these are the passengers who really don't want to park there cars at Paradise.

However, scrapping the 579 I think is not as easy as one thinks with patronage between 79 to 115 per weekday on average I think it is a community service obligation service and it will continue. I think the hardest part about Athelstone especially Quondong Road area is that the residents don't like the buses up there (Quondong Avenue residents especially) but to put it along the old 571 days along Fox Avenue and turning Right onto Gorge Road might be another idea but you guessed it then some Quondong Avenue residents will whinge they don't have a bus- and you guessed it these are the non-whingers and are happy with a bus along Quondong Avenue you might be interested when I drove the 579 in 2010 regularly it was funny I always terminated at Athelstone only to have a resident to come out to check if I switched off the motor of the MAN HOCL Midi and he looked all around my bus if I did.

By the way the Fox Avenue Athelstone used to be called Foxfield (to older members on the board) and yes it had a Telethon Road which had a Telethon House you could win on that road coincidentally. Apparantly in the 1970s Foxfield was a very sort out address but very expensive to live there. I am led to believe that also the bus went down Fox Avenue until they made the Athestone service a small loop service (as we all know like the 176/177/576/577).

[nscaler69]

To reflect the July 1 2012 changes I see that bus stop 44 Military Rd Semaphore has had it's timetable changed over. Again the 150 route timetable has been displayed, pity as it's the 157/333 route bus stop.