South Australian transport and infrastructure minister Stephen Mullighan has called for expressions of interest for the $238 million project to remove a level crossing, and separate the freight and passenger rail lines at the busy Torrens Junction just north of the Adelaide CBD.
The official opening of the EoIs period follows the state’s green-lighting of the grade separation project in May.
The winning bidder for the significant contract will be charged with building a rail underpass to remove the level crossings at Park Terrace and Gibson Street, which intersect with the rail corridor just to the north-west of Adelaide’s CBD.
The contract includes separating the freight and passenger lines on the corridor.
The state government expects the project to have knock-on effects at the nearby Torrens Road and Park Terrace crossings.
Once complete, the project will enable 1800-metre freight trains to operate between Adelaide and Melbourne, an increase to maximum length of around 20%.
Mullighan says removing the level crossing on Park Terrace will improve traffic flow for almost 50,000 vehicles using the Inner Ring Route each day, and will also eliminate the need for freight trains to slow down through the level crossings.
“This project will deliver vast benefits across the economy, from productivity gains for the rail freight industry to the road improvements for commuters, transport operators and people who derive an income from our roads, such as couriers and delivery drivers,” the minister said.
“About 160 passenger trains pass through the Torrens Road and Park Terrace level crossing every day amounting to regular and substantial delays.
“This project is expected to cut the time motorists spend waiting at these level crossings by more than half.”
The SA Government’s Transport Plan proposes to replace the Port Adelaide Railway with a tramline that will use Port Road between the City and Bowden. When that happens, this proposed Torrens Junction and Park Terrace grade-separation will no longer be required (as that portion of the railway will be closed), so any money spent on this project will be wasted.
It is reported that Minister Mullighan has received two different reports – one favoring Trams (low passenger capacity, long transit times, using standard gauge and having low floor carriages) and another favoring Trains (large passenger numbers per trainset, faster transit times with broad gauge and high floor carriages).
http://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/torrens-rail-junction
This seems to show that the tram idea is not going ahead.
“Traffic delays at a number of existing rail crossings in the area will be eliminated or reduced. The existing rail crossings will be grade separated at Park Terrace and Gibson Street; and closed at East Street (adjacent to the Bowden Urban Village development). The project will also allow freight trains to safely maintain speed through the Torrens Road and Hawker Street level crossings, reducing delays for on the road network.”
The Goglin Street rail-road Level crossing seems to be retained.
Trains can travel faster when there are no level crossings (rail-rail, road-rail and pedestrian-rail level crossings) The Osborne and Grange Train will be able to travel at higher speed from Coglin Street in Bowden to Adelaide Railway Station as a result of these changes.
“The existing Bowden rail station will be relocated southeast of Gibson Street to provide improved connectivity with the Bowden Urban Village, the Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Park Lands, local businesses and sporting clubs. A new shared path for pedestrians and cyclists will run adjacent and across the rail corridor, linking to the rail station, Bowden Urban Village and Adelaide Park Lands (via a dedicated shared path under Park Terrace).”
“Absolute grade-separation” is the only way we can get low trips times for Adelaide’s mass-transit system and return Adelaide to being a “30 minute city”.