By Jennifer Perry
Despite the worldwide financial crisis, the State Government and the Commonwealth are rolling out infrastructure projects while others are shutting shop, said South Australias Road Safety Minister, Tom Koutsantonis.
South Australian Treasurer Kevin Foley, reportedly said that in this budget alone, the South Australian Government is spending $648.4 million over the next four years to rebuild rail and light rail infrastructure.
The Rann Governments $2 billion pledge over the next decade to revitalise the States transport system includes the electrification of the major northern and southern rail lines tramline to Westlakes, Port Adelaide and Semaphore new trams and electric trains, and a modern ticketing system.
South Australias Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure is currently undertaking four rail related projects:
.Rail revitalisation project (Belair line)
.Glenelg tram overpass
.Coast to coast light rail project
.The rail depot relocation
South Australia is also among the first States to secure an early component of the Federal Governments $42 billion Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan. It recently received a $30 million commitment to upgrade the States road and rail infrastructure including $13.6 million for boom gates and safety measures at 34 level crossings.
The stimulus funding is a further boost to the Rann Governments massive infrastructure plans which focus strongly on road and rail improvements, said Koutsantonis.
Funded by the Federal Governments Stimulus Package announced in December 2008 and at a cost of $99 million, the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is planning to enable the operation of 1800m trains throughout its South Australia network. The current average train length is 1200m in the rail corridor between Melbourne and Adelaide.
The ARTCs general manager East/West, Angelo Demertzis, who is speaking on the future of South Australias rail network infrastructure at the upcoming South Australian Transport Infrastructure conference on May 13th-14th, said that enabling 1800m trains is a significant productivity improvement for rail transport.
For this to occur, Demertzis said that the ARTC is building seven loops (new or extending existing loops) between Adelaide and Bordertown, with the addition of 11 other loops to the network, north and west of Adelaide, to provide future additional rail capacity.
Demertzis said that design work has also commenced on seven loops on the South Australia-Victoria border, which he anticipates will be completed by March 2011.
South Australian freight transport infrastructure is growing steadily to meet increasing demand, with the developments at Port Bonython, Olympic Dam and the Flinders Ports inner and outer harbour. 
However Neil Murphy, general manager of the South Australian Freight Council (SAFC), said that the State faces a variety of infrastructure challenges that will require increased levels of investment.
From a rail perspective there are looming capacity issues associated with the Adelaide-Melbourne rail line, the Port Augusta to Tarcoola section of track.
The regions grain lines are in relatively poor state with recent underinvestment driven by the competitiveness of the road sector, the reticence of the grain industry to commit forward volumes to the rail network, and the volume uncertainties created by the extended drought, Murphy said.
According to Murphy, recent rail freight infrastructure works completed or near completion include:
.Upgrade of the Eyre Peninsula narrow gauge network
.The LeFevre Peninsula Rail Upgrade, including the connection to the new road and rail crossing of the Port River (the Port River Expressway Project)
.The new 3.5km rail loop (2400t per hour rail intake) at the soon to be commissioned Outer Hbr Grain terminal (connected to the LeFevre Peninsula Upgrade and the Prexy bridges)
.Rail siding associated with the Oxiana/Oz Minerals Prominent Hill mine
South Australian Transport Infrastructure Summit
May 13-14th, 2009 Hyatt Regency Adelaide PLACES STILL AVAILABLE Attend the two-day summit and find out about financing and managing current and future major transport infrastructure projects in SA, and how it can grow to meet the needs of both freight and public transport customers.
For more information email: registration@informa.com.au or click here.
 
 
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