Seaford railway line

History

Before the extension of the line to Noarlunga Centre in 1978, the Willunga line ran from Hallett Cove station on a different route through Reynella, Morphett Vale and Hackham to Willunga (south-east of Noarlunga). It closed in 1969 and in September 1972 a track-removal train removed the tracks. For six years Noarlunga had no train service.

The South Australian Railways and its successor, the State Transport Authority, extended the railway southwards in stages from Hallett Cove to cater for increasing residential development in the southern area. Opening dates for passenger services were:

Route

The line runs south from Adelaide station paralleling the Belair line as far as Goodwood. It then branches off in a south-west direction through the suburbs of Edwardstown, Oaklands Park and Marion to the coast at Brighton, where it turns south towards Noarlunga Centre in the southern suburbs. The line was known as the Marino and Hallett Cove line when it finished at Hallett Cove. Most trains terminated at Marino, with only about a quarter going to Hallett Cove.

Like the rest of the Adelaide network, the line is broad gauge. Dual gauge sleepers have been laid to allow for the line to be converted to standard gauge at a future date. The line is 35.9 kilometres long and is the second longest of the Adelaide suburban railway lines. The line is double track throughout.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation standard-gauge main line passes over the line just south of Goodwood station. The Tonsley line branches off south of Woodlands Park.

Seaford extension

The most recent expansion of the line was a 5.5 kilometre extension to the southern suburb of Seaford. This included a 1.2 kilometre elevated rail bridge over the Onkaparinga River, a rail bridge over Old Honeypot Drive, and railway stations at Seaford Meadows and Seaford. New road bridges were also constructed over the extension at Goldsmith Drive, Seaford Road and Lynton Terrace. Construction started in 2011 with the extension opening on 23 February 2014.

Funding for the extension

In 2005, the State Government announced the line would be extended. The plan was cancelled in December 2007 after a study concluded that the extension could not be justified. The government announced that it would retain the corridor to Aldinga for a possible extension further south in the future.

In July 2008, a feasibility study was commissioned by the government into extending the line. This extension was given approval after the Federal Government announced a $291 million investment in the project as part of the 2009/10 Federal Budget.

Services

Trains to and from Adelaide operate every 10-20 minutes off-peak on weekdays, and every 30 minutes on weekends. In the late evening, trains run hourly. Previously, some stations are also serviced by trains from Brighton and from the Tonsley branch line on weekdays.

Prior to 2014, most trains were operated by 3000 class railcars augmented at times by 2000 class railcars. Since the electrification of the line, the latter are no longer authorised to operate on the line. Most services are now operated by A-City electric multiple units.

A number of railcars needed for peak-hour services are stabled overnight in secure sidings at Port Stanvac, north of Lonsdale station, and at a much bigger facility adjacent to Seaford Meadows. The last freight trains on the line, to and from Port Stanvac Refinery, ceased in the late 1990s.

Re-sleepering and electrification

In 2008, the State Government announced a plan to upgrade and electrify the Seaford line with the Federal Government also to provide funding.

In December 2009, Stage 1 of the Noarlunga line upgrade was completed between Adelaide and Brighton. This work saw the track removed, with the track bed and track renewed. Dual gauge sleepers were laid to allow for the line to be converted to standard gauge at a future date.

Stage 2 commenced in February 2011 with the line closed for six months and continued the upgrade works between Oaklands and Noarlunga. Most stations received a minor upgrade due to the presence of asbestos in many station shelters, necessitating their replacement. These stations included Brighton, Seacliff, Marino, Marino Rocks and Lonsdale.

On 2 January 2013, the line closed to allow for its electrification and extension, with trains being replaced by bus services. Rail services resumed on 1 December 2013. The completed project was opened by the South Australian Transport and Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis on 18 January 2014.

Electric train services commenced in February 2014 after testing was completed on the line. At the time only four A-City electric multiple units had entered service, so most services continued to be operated by 3000 class railcars.