Noarlunga train line issues - newspaper article

[Jessica Berry]

The attached article is in todays Sunday Mail and I thought it might be of interest to people when considering where to live, if you are going to be commuting into the CBD for work. Of course if you are new to Adelaide and have not been used to catching the express trains, then you won't know any different! I know a few of you have expressed your frustrations previously on this forum with the lack of express trains since the upgrade.

 

We live fairly close to the CBD and our transport issues are in reverse, the buses have become unreliable and the train is now the better option into the CBD for us.

 

[NicF]

I feel quite lucky to live in an area well serviced by public transport. There are two bus routes that run near my house and each has regular buses in the morning and after work. The buses do occasionally run late but have usually caught up by the time they get to the city. And very rarely my normal bus doesn't turn up but I just get on the next one that comes 7 minutes later. I would hate to be in a position where the public transport was poor as driving in to the city is difficult and parking is expensive. My OH has got the best idea - he cycles to work so it doesn't cost him anything. Downhill on the way in and it's quicker than the bus from where we are.

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

I feel quite lucky to live in an area well serviced by public transport. There are two bus routes that run near my house and each has regular buses in the morning and after work. The buses do occasionally run late but have usually caught up by the time they get to the city. And very rarely my normal bus doesn't turn up but I just get on the next one that comes 7 minutes later. I would hate to be in a position where the public transport was poor as driving in to the city is difficult and parking is expensive. My OH has got the best idea - he cycles to work so it doesn't cost him anything. Downhill on the way in and it's quicker than the bus from where we are.

 

Oh yuc!.....that means up hill on the way home!

[sidestep]

One of the main issues re late running buses is that the Noarlunga train line having a service every 7 or so minutes means the level crossings have become bottlenecks for road transport. From the south the crossings at Hove and Oaklands are ridiculous and it's even worse at Emerson if you don't use the flyover. Would have been far better imho to have upgraded the line and kept to the old timetable.

 

As to late running buses, they are at the mercy of other road users and bad planning. Also the bus lane at the bottom of the expressway has been done away with and the "B" light removed and the "B" light at Panalatinga Rd is no longer a bus priority light - all it does is give buses a regular slot in which to proceed. Hardly aiding the passage of buses. Seems no-one in Govt is interested in improving things, sadly.

[Jessica Berry]

When both of us worked in the city we used to drive into the CBD and it worked out cheaper to park in a car park on their early bird special than for both of us to pay for public transport (obviously not including car costs, petrol etc). A couple of times a week we used to catch public transport into the city and then walk home, took about an hour, it was a great way of incorporating exercise into our day. I have a few friends that live in the CBD or the surrounding suburbs that walk to work.

[sidestep]

When both of us worked in the city we used to drive into the CBD and it worked out cheaper to park in a car park on their early bird special than for both of us to pay for public transport (obviously not including car costs, petrol etc).

So it actually wasn't cheaper then.

[wubbledoos]

I think the train network is fantastic, regular running trains, ease of use, clean, cool on the hot days.

 

Makes getting to work easy, and the free tram is great for us lazy folk who can't be bothered to walk from Adelaide station to the south of the city.

[zebedee]

The southern rail upgrade wasn't well thought out - some extra investment in more passing places, a re-evaluation of the stations (for example Marino and Marino Rocks are within spitting distance of each other) and their usage levels and a clear outcome of what was trying to achieve would have helped. I tolerate it from Seaford, but have pushed for working from home as many days as I can. I am due to meet the transport minister this Friday, along with Sarah from the article above, to discuss some of the concerns. On the plus side, there are now more electric trains and I think the service is improving and the inner city is better served now.