The Tonsley Rail line and its future

[BroadGauge]

Is there anywhere with a working cross-over for a train to turn back between Woodlands Park & Adelaide? Or couldn't a train come in from the south and turn-back in the stabling yard just before Adelaide Station without having to use any of the platforms?

It is an unimportant line but providing a service running from say Mile End to Tonsley (connecting with other trains to/from Adelaide and also various buses) would be better than nothing at all.

[RAL1981Adelaide]

Although I don't have a problem with the tram going to Port Adelaide and what not, I just feel that a train or tram line to the airport is a better option.

[LowRider]

Is there anywhere with a working cross-over for a train to turn back between Woodlands Park & Adelaide? Or couldn't a train come in from the south and turn-back in the stabling yard just before Adelaide Station without having to use any of the platforms?

It is an unimportant line but providing a service running from say Mile End to Tonsley (connecting with other trains to/from Adelaide and also various buses) would be better than nothing at all.

Easiest would be to run it to Goodwood across to platform 1 and terminate, then turn around at platform 1 and head back to Tonsley.

[witsend]

It's possible that there is a rule in their agreement with the employees, that is prevent it from operating as a shuttle. Probably something to do with facilities.

[Port Adelaide Fan]

Rail modifications for Grange and Tonsley lines from Monday 27 February 2012 to February 2013 (approximately)

[tramfan70]

This has to be a joke surely???

Tonsley_Sub.JPG (31.19 KiB) Viewed 950 times

Drivers are expected to turn right out of Birch Crescent onto to Sturt Road then turn right into Bradley Grove - those two right hand turns in A.M. or P.M peak will be nigh on impossible to maintain running times.

[witsend]

Surely they could have just looped around Lynton Avenue.

[Eagle Eye]

Drivers are expected to turn right out of Birch Crescent onto to Sturt Road then turn right into Bradley Grove - those two right hand turns in A.M. or P.M peak will be nigh on impossible to maintain running times.

Maybe 25km/h speed limits with lollypop men to stop Sturt Rd traffic? Oh no, wait, this is the Tonsley line which gets the least attention possible, 'let the drivers suffer (I mean manage it)' I hear somebody saying......

[witsend]

I ran the proposed route in my car today for the Tonsley Substitute. The two right turns are going to be a pain in peak hours. It took me a few minutes on a Sunday Afternoon. Given the width of the streets, I wouldn't want to take anything bigger than a Midi or a mini bus. I still feel a lap around Lynton Avenue would be preferable then what is published. A bay would need to be created for it though. It also has the Left then Right of the old 241 route from Beaumont St to West Tce along Daws Rd.

[Greasyrhys]

Today's the day, the Tonsley train may never run again once the last one departs Adelaide station at 6:02pm tonight. I'll be riding it both ways.

[Greasyrhys]

Rode the last Tonsley service for 2012 (maybe ever?). Myself and 3 other enthusiasts boarded the 6:02pm to Tonsley on platform 4, with departure at 6:04pm. Poxboxes 3134-3030 had the honour of performing this historic(?) service. Another 'gunzel' joined the party at Clovelly Park. Arrival at Tonsley was at approx. 6:28pm. We got for some photos, then got back on for the return trip. A regular passenger who goes to Uni took a group photo of us at the front of 3134.

Departure was on time, two enthusiasts alighted at Woodlands Park. Arrival back to Adelaide was at 7:05pm, also on platform 4. Possibly into the history books as well.

[Heardy_101]

Even if it doesn't re-open, odds are that the tracks, points and platforms will remain as is for a little while. Imagine sitting on a Noarlunga/Seaford Train in 2016 and hearing the announcement "Change Trains here for Tonsley".....LOL

[Heardy_101]

Nice interesting article in the Sunday Fail about the Tonsley line today. Has 2 letters from a couple of (former) users as well as speculation that it is being deliberately run down by the Government as a long term plan to close it for good.

Opening paragraph: "Commuters fear the State Govt is deliberately running down during it's current closure as part of a long term plan to abandon the service"

"A 1000 signature petition demanding the immediate reinstatement of the line was tabled in State Parliament last week." Never heard about this one.

Residents and commuters that use the Tonsley line are claiming they never received notification of the closure until they read it in the paper or received a bus replacement timetable in the letterbox.

[nscaler69]

The online versions from AdelaideNow:

Angst over Tonsley line closure: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/angst-over-tonsley-line-closure/story-e6frea83-1226295926769
Double train shutdown is an insult : http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/double-train-shutdown-is-an-insult/story-e6frea83-1226295934552

[Heardy_101]

The usual beat up if you ask me but then again in IMHO it's certainly true!

[Newcastle Flyer]

Just a question, before this so called "temporary" (quotes = read permanent) closure of the Tonsley Line, was it a shuttle, or a train service to/from Adelaide Station?

(Edit: The article says it starts from Adelaide Station, so why not just make it a shuttle, or if that is unsuitable, start it from another suitable station that has the facilities to turn back trains? Mile End is stated in the article)

Transport Services Minister Chloe Fox said the Tonsley line was selected because it would "cause the least disruption" to Adelaide commuters as it carried the fewest passengers in the network. No reopening date has been specified.

While Adelaide Now may beat up stories, and if correct, that last part about no opening date should prove that they want to close the line.

[LowRider]

It was a Weekday only service from Adelaide Station to Tonsley. It ran around 20-30min frequency in peak, and hourly in interpeak with the last service of the day leaving Adelaide a shade after 6pm.

[Newcastle Flyer]

Lowrider, I edited my post, as soon as the article made it clear it wasn't just a shuttle service. Also see some other edits in my post before yours.

A Transport Department spokesman said the Tonsley line "will not be closed" and electrification work could not be carried out concurrently with the shutdown. He said it was not possible to specify when the line would reopen.

Are my suspicions correct, in that South Australia also have an "Act of Parliament" that OFFICIALLY closes lines, as opposed to PHYSICALLY closing a train line?

If the SA state government was not planning to permanently close the line, they would have a due date that it would be re-opened.

Anyone can see what the real agenda of the government is, and that is to permanently close the Tonsley Line.

PS: For NSW, does anyone know what the disruption was like, such as how long, when the NSW Riverstone - Richmond section of the Richmond Line got electrified?

[jibb]

The reopening of the line-reinstatement of the 2 closed platforms is dependant of finalization of the extension work for the Adelaide Convention Centre ,so the Government is at the mercy of the contractors,thus they cannot at this stage commit to the reopening on a specific date in 2013!

[Newcastle Flyer]

I still think the issue can be questioned, but that aside, do you (or anyone) know about my question in my previous post if SA has an act of parliament that officially closes lines, similar to NSW?

[BroadGauge]

Are they actually doing any works at all on the line while it's closed? Doesn't sound like they are.

[jibb]

If you read this topic earlier on Port Adelaide Fan has a link to the Adelaide Metro site that answers your question!

[Newcastle Flyer]

Broadgauge,
From what I can make out at both the Adelaide Metro & Adelaide Now sites, is that they are only doing work on just TWO platforms at Adelaide Suburban station. Adelaide has nine platforms, that's seven platforms available for use, for about five or so directions.

PS: Again is this Tonsley Line in a political seat, such as safe seat, or seat not held by current the government?

[BroadGauge]

Broadgauge,
From what I can make out at both the Adelaide Metro & Adelaide Now sites, is that they are only doing work on just TWO platforms at Adelaide Suburban station. Adelaide has nine platforms, that's seven platforms available for use, for about five or so directions.

Yeah I saw that, but it doesn't seem like any works are occuring on the branch line itself while it's being disused by trains? Is it just being let to rot at the moment or are they sending a token train empty down there every so often just so the infraustructure doesn't fall into disuse?

They claim in the media that electrification works cannot occur as of yet, but it doesn't seem like they're even doing any track or station upgrading on the line?

[Newcastle Flyer]

That's what I can't understand, if the state government is not perparing to physically close the line permanetly, then why not complete the electrification, and why does the state government claim that electric works can't start on that line - ESPECIALLY when no trains will run on it?

SOUNDS PERMANENT TO ME.