Semaphore railway line, Adelaide

Semaphore railway line was a railway in the north-west of Adelaide servicing the suburb of Semaphore and Exeter. It serviced two stations: Semaphore and Exeter. The line opened in 1882 and closed in 1971.

Description and remains

The line branched off at Glanville station and ran along the centre of Semaphore Road, until it terminated right next to the Esplanade. Semaphore station was located east of Esplanade Road. Exeter station was located to the east side of where Swan Terrace and Woolnough Road intersect. The stations have been demolished and no evidence of the stations remain; also, the track has since been dismantled. The large median strip along Semaphore road remains as a result of the line. In 2006, the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council made a proposal for a light rail network to be constructed in the North West suburbs, which included a branch along the route of the former Semaphore Line. [Kleining, Xanthe. "Port vision for $260m city-beach tramline", "The Advertiser", 19 January 2006.] The state government in the 2008 state budget announced that a light rail network would be constructed, and that a light rail branch was expected to be constructed to Semaphore in 2018. [ Lauren Novak, "Tram Extended in Public Transport Overhaul", The Advertiser, 5 June 2008 ]

History

The line was extended from the port on January 7th, 1882 by South Australian Railways to serve the new overseas shipping jetty at Semaphore. In 1917 when the Semaphore to Rosewater and Albert Park tram line was opened there was an unresolved dispute over the tramline crossing the railway line near Exeter station. The Railway commissioner disallowed trams to cross over the railway line. Trams continued to operate with one isolated tram service between the crossing and Largs, with passengers having to walk across the railway line to use the remaining tramline. After a short period of time the M.T.T continued full service along the line regardless of not having the rail commissioner’s consent. In response to this rail workers threatened to cut the tramline off by dumping a load of sleepers on the tramway tracks. An agreement was eventually made to allow trams to cross the line on the condition that a signal cabin be installed and a signal man was to cut off power to trams when a train approached preventing trams from proceeding over the railway tracks. [ Port Adelaide News, June 1 1917 ] This system nearly caused a disaster when a tram happened to be using the crossing when power was cut off. The tram was nearly stranded on the railway line and an accident was barely avoided. [ The Advertiser, August 22 1917 ] The switches for cutting of power was then removed and replaced by a system of traffic lights. The line closed on the 29th of October 1978. This was partly because traders on the north side of Semaphore road claims of losing business. [ [http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11338653-0-asc-s0.htm Railpage Forum: Walk down memory lane (aka Semaphore Road)] accessed 23 February 2008]

Stations

Semaphore railway station was 14.9km from Adelaide Railway Station and on the end of the Semaphore line. The station was located in the middle of Semaphore Road, and next to the Esplanade, and the station platform was level with the northern part of the road. The station closed with the rest of the line in 1978. [ [http://www.natrailmuseum.org.au/exhibitions/railcars/ S Thompson, "Semaphore Station last day operation", National Railway Museum] 29/10/1978 ]

See also

*Railways in Adelaide
*List of Adelaide railway stations
*List of closed Adelaide railway stations

Notes

References

*Thomas Wilson, "The Relationship Between a Transport Link and Land Use Development between Adelaide and Port Adelaide South Australia", Adelaide, 1965
*J.C. Radcliff. C.J.M. Steele, "Adelaide Road Passenger Transport 1836 - 1958", Libraries Board of South Australia, Adelaide, 1974