TRANSADELAIDE

'TransAdelaide' is a publicly owned corporation which provides suburban train and tram services in Adelaide, South Australia, under contract to the Government of South Australia.
Between 1 July 1994 and 22 April 2000 TransAdelaide also operated local bus services in Adelaide. All metropolitan bus routes have since been transferred to private companies, but TransAdelaide has retained the contract to maintain and operate the rail system until at least April 2010.
TransAdelaide is fully integrated into the Adelaide Metro public transport system. Adelaide Metro is a trading brand of the S.A. Government’s Office of Public Transport, which provides funding, coordination and a central publicity and marketing service for public transport in the city. Adelaide Metro also administers the Metroticket system, which allows unlimited transfers between all buses, trains and trams in the Adelaide metropolitan area within a ticket’s period of validity.

Contents

Operations

Organisation Development

TransAdelaide Railcars and Trams

3000-class

3100 Class

2000 / 2100-class

H-class (Glenelg) Trams

Flexity Trams

See also

External links

Operations

Currently TransAdelaide operates four main rail lines and two branch lines, with a total length of 120 km. In 2006 there are 240 round-trip train journeys on Monday to Fridays (plus an extra two on Fridays), 95 on Saturdays and 88 on Sundays. In the 12 months to 30 June 2005, the train system was used by a total of 11.2 million passengers, while 2.1 million used the Glenelg tram.
Adelaide is the only suburban rail network in mainland Australia which has not been electrified, despite several studies and proposals by governments throughout the 20th century. After retiring the last of the aging Redhen railcars in 1996, TransAdelaide now operates 94 broad-gauge diesel railcars, split into four types - the diesel-hydraulic powered 2000 and 2100 classes and the diesel-electric 3000 and 3100 class. All are maintained by Bombardier at a central depot adjacent to Adelaide station.
The Adelaide–Glenelg tram line is also operated and maintained by TransAdelaide. The tram line is undergoing a major AU$71 million overhaul in 2005–2006 with new Bombardier Flexity light-rail vehicles replacing the aging H-type trams which have been in service since 1929. During 2007, the tram line will be extended from its current city terminus at Victoria Square along King William St. to the railway station. This extension is scheduled to open in 2007.

Organisation Development

TransAdelaide is a corporate body, wholly owned by the Government of South Australia. It was established on 1 July 1994 as a result of the ''Passenger Transport Act 1994''.
This legislation replaced South Australia’s previous government-controlled transit agency, the State Transport Authority (STA) with a new 'Public Transport Board (PTB)', which coordinated and funded the public transport system, and 'TransAdelaide' which actually operated the services. The aims of the change were to bring a more customer-focused approach to public transport, to reverse a long-term trend of falling passenger numbers, and to implement financial efficiencies to control increasing government subsidies required to maintain the system.
When formed, TransAdelaide took over control of the whole former STA bus network in Adelaide, as well as the suburban train system and the single remaining tram line to Glenelg. TransAdelaide ran buses from the seven STA depots at
:
★ Aldgate
:
★ Elizabeth
:
★ Lonsdale
:
★ Mile End
:
★ Morphettville
:
★ Port Adelaide
:
★ St.Agnes
This was an interim arrangement, partly the result of a political deal to get the 1994 Act passed by the S.A. Parliament and partly to allow details of a competitive tendering arrangement to be put into place.
In early 1995, Adelaide’s public transport system was divided into a number of geographical contract areas. In September 1995 the first negotiated contract was awarded to Hills Transit (a wholly owned subsidiary of TransAdelaide) for bus services to Aldgate and Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills.
The first competitively tendered contracts for bus services in the metro area were awarded in January 1996 to Serco for the Outer North of the metro area and to TransAdelaide for the Outer South.
The ''TransAdelaide (Corporate Structure) Act 1998'' came into effect in January 1999 and reformed the management structure of TransAdelaide. These changes provided the State Government with shareholder rights and obligations and gave TransAdelaide the opportunity to operate with a clear business charter under the guidance of a politically independent and commercially astute Board of Directors who have the professional skills and business backgrounds to provide a strong commercial influence on strategic decision-making.
The next round of contract negotiations in 2000 resulted in TransAdelaide losing all its remaining bus services to private operators Serco, Torrens Transit, SouthLink and Transitplus (although Transitplus is actually a joint venture between TransAdelaide and Australian Transit Enterprises).
Since April 2000, TransAdelaide’s main focus has been on operating the rail and tram systems. In April 2005 the Government renewed TransAdelaide’s contracts to operate and maintain the rail/tram system until April 2010.

TransAdelaide Railcars and Trams

3000-class

Main articles: 3000 class railcar



Each 3000-class diesel railcar has driving cabs at both ends and can operate singly, or in multiple with other 3000 and 3100-class units to build up trains of 2, 3 or 4 cars.
TransAdelaide regularly uses single cars on lightly-patronised routes such as the Tonsley and Grange lines, and on the main lines at weekends or in the evening.
When delivered from the builders, all 3000 and 3100-class railcars were painted in an orange and blue State Transport Authority livery. In recent years, most have been repainted into the South Australian State colours of yellow, blue and red which are standard across the Adelaide Metro bus and light rail fleets. Railcars: 3017,3018, 3025, 3026, 3027, 3028, 3029, and 3030 are fitted with hard seats. None of the railcars in the fleet retain the original orange & blue livery and all 3000 and 3100 units have had their ends repainted yellow, dark blue and red.
All 30 cars are still in service.

3100 Class

3100-class railcars are generally similar to the 3000-class, but have only one driving cab per car. They always operate in pairs as two-car sets, or in multiple with other 3000 or 3100-class units to form longer trains. In peak hours two 3100 sets are coupled together to make a 4 car train, or 3100-3100-3000-3000.
Usually, they operate as consecutively numbered pairs (e.g. 3107 with 3108, 3109 with 3110). On rare occasions, depending on maintenance needs, they can be seen in service as non-matched pairs (very rarely), or more commonly a single 3100 joined to a 3000-class car. (Due to differences in the rear couplers, only Clyde-built 3100-class can be coupled with 3000’s in this way). Trains of two 3000's and a 3100 have also been used such as 3027-3003-3118.
Both the 3000 and 3100-class units were built in two batches, by two different manufacturers (see table). Several railcar sets; 3116,3117 and 3131 to 3140 have hard passenger seats like the few 3000 railcars mentioned above. However, the two comeng and clyde batches are virtually identical.
Cars 3017,3018,3116 (but not 3115) and 3117 (but not 3118) had a different type of interior seating when first introduced to service in 1993-1994. The original seats were separate plastic chairs with blue cloth trim similar to Melbourne's Comengs. These seats were replaced with the regular red tartan seats.
All 3100-class railcars are currently in service.

2000 / 2100-class

Main articles: 2000 class railcar


TransAdelaide’s 2000 & 2100-class units are a unique and somewhat unusual series of suburban diesel railcars. They are large, comfortable, air-conditioned cars, which are popular with local rail enthusiasts and regular commuters and have been given the nickname 'Jumbos'.
Jumbos were conceived and designed in the late 1970’s to provide fast, attractive commuter services to Adelaide’s expanding suburbs along the Gawler and Noarlunga rail lines. They perform much the same function today, being used mainly on weekday daytime services and working the busiest express trains in the morning and evening peaks. Off-peak, evening and weekend rail services in Adelaide are usually operated by the more economical 3000 & 3100-class units.
Jumbos come in two distinct varieties – the 2000-class power cars and 2100-class trailers. Each type has a single elevated driver’s cab at one end only, which means they must operate as a minimum 2-car set. Longer trains are built up by adding extra power cars and trailers.
Many of the Jumbos still retain their original orange livery but the fleet is now being progressively refurbished and repainted in the standard Adelaide Metro colour scheme, with silver painted bodies and yellow, dark blue and red ends (South Australia's traditional colours).
The heavy construction and hydraulic transmission means the power cars must be revved hard when starting and accelerating. While the Jumbos are comfortable to ride in, the external engine noise (still relatively quiet), high pitched turbo whine and diesel fumes are much more noticeable than on the newer 3000 and 3100 class, which have diesel-electric transmission and ac drive. From the operator’s point of view, the Jumbos have relatively poor fuel economy and slower acceleration (especially on 3 car sets), which means they struggle to keep to the timetable when operating stopping trains scheduled around the faster 3000/3100 cars. The majority of the 3 car Jumbo services stop and start in the hills on the Noarlunga Line but some run express the whole way, and the Gawler Central line operates mainly 2 car sets, but sometimes 3 cars.
The 2000 class Jumbos are notorious for their wheels to lock up during braking, especially during heavy braking. This causes flatspots on some of the wheels, particularly some of the 2100 trailers but also at the drivers end of one powercar No 2007 (which uses 2111 as its trailer). This noise can be heard from inside the train and is louder on surfaces more prone to vibration such as metal sleepers, particularly from the end of a car. This does not affect the ride comfort.

H-class (Glenelg) Trams

Main articles: Glenelg_Tram



TransAdelaide’s H-class trams have been the mainstay of the Glenelg tram line for 75 years since the line was converted from railway to tramway operation and electrified in 1929.
The cars were specially built for the conversion of the line by local manufacturers A. Pengelley and Sons. They have many of the characteristics of American interurban streetcars of that period and their heritage ambience has been carefully maintained. Although the H-class trams have been through several refurbishment programmes over the years (incorporating more up-to-date features like safety glass, fluorescent lighting and upgraded bogies), they still retain varnished wood and etched glass interiors, a classic Tuscan Red and cream exterior colour scheme and neither heating nor air-conditioning in the passenger saloons.
The H-class regularly run as 2-car coupled sets at busier times. All services are operated by a crew of driver and conductor (driver and two conductors on coupled sets).
Most of the H-class trams are scheduled to be replaced during 2006 by new Bombardier Flexity Classic low floor trams with vigilance control. However five H-class were specially refurbished in 2000, with the intention of retaining these cars for special weekend and holiday operations and are due to be fitted with vigilance control plus electromagentic track brakes.
4 H-class trams were retained in service including the first and last units built. 351,364,374, and 380 were kept in service alongside the newer Flexitys. No 357 was sent to the Sydney Tramway Museum in early July 2007.
All the other units were sent to Tram and rail Meseums around Australia.

H-class Trams
Track Gauge:	Standard Gauge 1435mm (4ft 8½in)
Power Source:	600 V DC overhead wire
Traction:	4x 48 kW (65 hp) traction motors
Number in class (in 2005):	21 (out of original 30) - 15 operational - 5 non-operational - 1 restaurant tram
Unit numbers: (most cars have been re-numbered during their lives. Numbers carried today are not necessarily the number as built)	351 – 380
Introduced:	1929
Built by:	A. Pengelley & Sons, Edwardstown, S.A.
Passenger Seating Capacity:	64
Weight:	23 tonnes

Flexity Trams

In 2006 TransAdelaide began to replace the H-class cars with a fleet of eleven new low floor articulated trams – the Flexity Classics, built by Bombardier in Germany.
The first of the new Flexitys was delivered to the Glengowrie depot in November 2005 and entered public service on 9 January 2006. Delivery continued in small batches through 2006, with new trams operating the Glenelg line side-by-side with the H-class in the interim.
The Flexitys are painted in a standard Adelaide Metro colour scheme of white, with yellow, blue and red ends, very similar to Adelaide’s metropolitan bus fleet.
They have a low floor layout throughout, excpet over the bogies, and are accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs through each of the three sets of doors. The new cars have many features common in modern public transit vehicles which are absent on the H-class – for example, airconditioning, heating, recorded video surveillance and automated audio and visual announcements of the next stop. TransAdelaide continues to operate the Flexitys with roving conductors, although these are not now needed for safe operation of the cars.
Unlike the H-class, Flexitys cannot be coupled into 2-car sets at busy times and always run as a single vehicle. The internal layout is designed to accommodate wheelchairs and large numbers of standing passengers. The relative lack of seating (compared to the H-class), together with other minor teething problems resulted in some adverse comments from commuters and local media when the Flexitys first entered service.
Unit 103 was destroyed during shipping but was rebuilt when two new replacement sections were deleivered and joined to the undamaged end of the tram.

Flexity Trams
Track Gauge:	Standard Gauge 1435mm (4ft 8½in)
Power Source:	600 V DC overhead wire
Traction:
Number in class:	11 (on completion of current order)
Unit numbers:	101 - 111 (103 was destroyed during shipping but now in service)
Introduced:	2006
Built by:	Bombardier Transportation, Germany
Passenger Seating Capacity:	70
Weight:	tonnes

See also

★ List of Adelaide railway stations

★ Adelaide Railway Station

★ List of suburban and commuter rail systems

★ Rail transport in South Australia

★ Railways in Adelaide

★ Adelaide Metro

★ State Transport Authority

★ Glenelg Tram

★ 3000 class railcar

External links

★ South Australia Central

★ Office of Public Transport

★ TransAdelaide

★ Adelaide Metro

★ More on the Glenelg Tram
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