Outer Harbor railway line, Adelaide

TransAdelaideRailLine
line_name=Outer Harbor Line
colour=#a100ff

---

start=Adelaide
terminus=Outer Harbor
majorstops=Woodville
Port Adelaide
Glanville
length=21.9
track=Double Track to Midlunga
Single Track to Outer Harbor
peakfreq=Every 20-30 Mins
weekdayfreq=Every 30 Mins
weekendfreq=Every 60 Mins
nightfreq=Every 60 Mins
2000-class=No
3000-class=Yes
opened=1856 (To Port Adelaide)
1908 (To Outer Harbor)
re-sleepered=2002
electrified=2013
closed=N/A

Outer Harbor Railway Line is a rail route in Adelaide, South Australia, that travels from the Adelaide Railway Station to the Outer Harbor of Port Adelaide. Its route encompasses many suburban railway station, and shares part of its run with the Grange line.

History

The section between Adelaide and Port Adelaide Junction is the oldest railway in Adelaide and the first government owned railway in the British Empire. It was opened in 1856 and celebrated its 150th birthday in 2006.

Electrification

When delivering the 2008 South Australian State Budget, Treasurer Kevin Foley announced a $83 million dollar plan to electrify the Outer Harbor line as part of the Governments 10 year $2 billion plan to revitalise Adelaide's public transport network. [cite web |url=http://www.treasury.sa.gov.au/dtf/budget/publications_and_downloads/current_budget.jsp? |title=2008 State Budget|accessdate=2008-06-06 |date=2008-06-05 |publisher=South Australian Department of Treasury and Finance]

An additional plan would see the current Outer Harbor line become the centrepiece of Adelaide's new 'rail' system. Along with plans to extend the Glenelg tramline to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre and converting the line to standard gauge, the line would then become a hybrid heavy/light rail line, with tram traffic sharing the same rails for at least part of the journey with heavy electric trains. This would see trams servicing AAMI Stadium at West Lakes, Port Adelaide and Semaphore, with heavy rail still serving most of the current route. The time frame for electrification is for a 2012/13 completion, while further upgrades are due to be completed within the 10 year target of the Budget plan. [cite web |url=http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23815166-5017206,00.html |title=SA State Budget 08 - tram extended in public transport overhaul|accessdate=2008-06-06 |date=2008-06-05 |publisher=The Advertiser]

This was in addition to the electrification of the Noarlunga and Gawler rail corridors.

Route

The line is duplicated from Adelaide station until Midlunga station, where the line becomes single for the final 3 kilometre journey to Outer Harbor. The northern section of the line runs along the middle of the narrow Lefevre Peninsula with stations spaced at regular intervals. The line is broad gauge (1600mm) for its entire length, the same as the rest of the Adelaide network, however the line between Port Adelaide Junction and Glanville is dual (standard) gauge.

Timetables

Unlike Adelaide's Gawler Central and Noarlunga Centre lines, timetables on the Outer Harbor line are relatively simple. Weekday off-peak services run every 30 minutes, with most services running express between Adelaide and Woodville station. Weekday peak services run every 20-30 minutes, with the majority also running express between Adelaide and Woodville station. However two services in the morning and one in the evening run express between Adelaide and Ethelton station. There are also three services that terminate at Glanville station during peak times to supplement these expresses. Weekend and evening/night services run every hour, calling at all stations but because there is no railcar depot on the line, the last two railcars at night run express back to Adelaide from Outer Harbour.

Services are similar for Grange line services, that run on the same section between Adelaide and Woodville, where the Grange line diverges south west. Grange trains stop at all stations. Passengers wishing to board or alight between the City and Woodville simply catch the Grange line train.

All services are operated by 3100/3000 class railcars. 2100/2000 class railcars ("Jumbos") are apparently banned from the line by operator TransAdelaide. The ageing fleet is apparently unable to keep to scheduled timetables due to short distances between the majority of stations.

Line guide

References

* "Rails Through Swamp and Sand – A History of the Port Adelaide Railway". M. Thompson pub. Port Dock Station Railway Museum (1988) ISBN 0-9595073-6-1