After several years of delays and problems, the electrified Gawler Rail Line in South Australia is finally in operation.
Providing a much-improved piece of transport infrastructure for the people of Adelaide’s northern suburbs, the line — which services the northern suburbs including Elizabeth, Salisbury, Smithfield and Mawson Lakes – has been running trains since mid-June, and passengers are back on board.
But it certainly has been a long-time coming. The project was first announced in 2008 under the Labor Government, with the Liberal opposition at the time critical of delays.
It was put off altogether after the Federal Government pulled its share of funding in 2013, citing a need to focus on rail freight and big road projects instead.
However, work started again in 2019 after the Liberals won the state election.
The project was hit with unavoidable setbacks in 2021 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including an inability to bring the required number of highly specialised workers across the border from interstate, and manufacturing shutdowns during extended lockdowns in other states.
When Labor returned to power this year, it prioritised completion of the project as quickly as possible, so that commuters didn’t have to experience any further delays.
The finalisation of the project now delivers an electrified network through Adelaide, from Gawler in the north to Seaford in the south.
South Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Tom Koutsantonis said the new electrified line, together with the progressive introduction of 12 new electric rail cars, was set to provide a cleaner, greener, quieter and faster service for the thousands of passengers who use the line every day.
“We recognise that the prolonged closure of the Gawler rail line was extremely inconvenient, but commuters are now enjoying a smoother, quieter journey,” he said.
“The opening of the Gawler rail line is a game-changer for the people of the northern suburbs who caught substitute buses for almost a year and a half.
“A number of stations along the Gawler rail line have also been refreshed to provide a better experience for commuters using the train services.
“It has been very exciting to see passenger trains running once again. We expect that even more people will now leave their cars at home and embrace public transport to and from the northern suburbs with such a convenient and comfortable option available.”
The $715 million project was delivered as part of an alliance with Acciona (formerly Lendlease Engineering), adhering to the South Australian Industry Participation Policy which supports local jobs and local contractors.
Fourteen stations along the line have been upgraded and refreshed, with improvements ranging from new and refurbished shelters, new seating and bins to LED lighting upgrades, painting and landscaping.
To improve safety for pedestrians, 13 existing pedestrian crossings along the line are being upgraded to active crossings. Active crossings use gates that close automatically when a train is approaching and reopen once the train has passed, and it is safe to cross. Four are complete with the remaining nine to be operational by late 2022/early 2023.
The rail corridor has also been fenced to increase safety.
Passengers at Gawler Central Station are now able to cross the line via the new King Street pedestrian bridge, fabricated entirely in South Australia with a local workforce and using locally sourced materials.
The new structure replaced the old King Street Bridge, which was too low to accommodate the infrastructure required for the electrification of the Gawler rail line.
A new mural has been completed alongside the bridge as part of the volunteer-managed Rail Care program. The artwork, created by street artist Adam Poole-Mottishaw, depicts the Gawler township and local area past and present.
Story boards to be installed in the coming months will also pay homage to the history of the area.
Electrifying the line was a complex project, requiring highly specialised workers from interstate. Detailed planning, together with skilled resources, were required to ensure the project was delivered safely and in accordance with the Rail Safety Act 2012.
The project included constructing a 58-kilometre combined services trench for the installation of new fibre optic communications cabling, installing more than 350 kilometres of conduit and 456 kilometres of signalling cable, and the installation of the 25kV overhead wiring system, concrete foundations and masts which support the overhead wiring network.
Management of vegetation clearance to electrical wires is an integral part of the safe operation of an electrified rail network.
The project team worked closely with the relevant authorities, local councils and interested parties to minimise and manage impacts to vegetation, trees and wildlife habitats.
The opening of the Gawler line had been highly anticipated with business and the community along the line now embracing its reopening and thrilled to have an efficient, easy and modern public transport available to them.
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