Additional rail and bus services and enhanced timetables will come into effect from tomorrow, Sunday 25 August 2024, in one of the biggest enhancements of public transport capacity the state has seen in years.
For the first time in over 40 years, trains will again run into the heart of Port Adelaide when the Port Dock spur line and station opens tomorrow.
The $51 million project has re-established the 1km line and train station, which were previously decommissioned in 1981. It will provide rail services for those who already call the area home and the many more set to live, work and visit Port Adelaide into the future.
It will also serve as an important destination station for visitors to the Port's tourist attractions and commercial centre.
In addition to the new rail line and station, the completed project includes:
a new plaza at Baker Street
a bus interchange at the existing Lipson Street car park, and
landscaping around the station, plaza and along the rail corridor, including improved connection to the Outer Harbor Greenway for pedestrians and cyclists.
Port Dock services will operate every 30 minutes on weekdays and weekends, stopping at all stops from Adelaide Railway Station.
Several bus routes and timetables have been updated to extend services through to the new bus interchange on Lipson Street, adjacent to Port Dock station.
It comes as additional bus services across Adelaide and the Hills also hit the road from tomorrow.
An additional 384 weekly services will commence between the Adelaide Hills and the city, which – in conjunction with extra services that started earlier this year - will provide commuters with a total of 104 extra services each weekday, 22 on Saturdays and 48 on Sundays.
This means 590 more trips each week in total – a 42 per cent increase in trips between the city and the Hills.
Delivering on an election commitment by the Malinauskas Labor Government, the new services are a centrepiece of improvements that complete a $19 million expansion of public transport to support bustling Hills communities, from Crafers to Mount Barker.
A new Go Zone from Mount Barker will see express buses running via the freeway at least every 15 minutes from 7am to 7pm on weekdays, including every six minutes in peak periods, and half-hourly at night and on weekends.
Weekend services will also increase, with buses travelling between Crafers Park 'n' Ride, Glen Osmond Road and the city approximately every 15 minutes between 7.30am and 7pm on weekends.
These service improvements will not only provide additional capacity at peak times, including around school times, but will also run more often both early in the morning and late at night, seven days a week.
As part of the improvements, 24 new drivers have been recruited and a new fleet of hybrid-diesel buses is being progressively rolled out offering a safer, quieter and more comfortable ride.
Tomorrow will also see the revamp of multiple bus routes that travel through the Flinders Precinct, including services on Main South Road, South Road and Goodwood Road.
Additional early morning and late night trips will be added to improve access and connectivity across the network with significant increases on routes 720 and 733.
These changes anticipate the relocation of the Flinders Medical Centre bus interchange as part of a major redevelopment of the hospital.
The hospital upgrade will see a new building constructed at the existing main entrance of FMC, meaning that the current bus interchange will be relocated to Flinders Drive – about 60 metres from its current location.
As part of the interchange relocation, three new bus stops will be built on Flinders Drive – two on the eastern (hospital) side and one on the western side. The new bus stops are expected to be completed later this year, with the third scheduled to open with the new hospital building.
Two new pedestrian crossings will also be established across Flinders Drive to allow passengers to move safely between the bus stops and hospital.
Passengers are encouraged to visit www.adelaidemetro.com.au to check the updated timetables and plan their trip with Adelaide Metro's journey planner.
A community event was today held at the new Port Dock Station to celebrate the official opening, and to thank the local community for their patience during construction.
The project was funded by the South Australian Government in line with a 2022 state election commitment, and supported 100 jobs during construction.
With the new services coming online, updated train timetables will come into operation. For more information on new train and bus timetables, visit the Adelaide Metro website.
https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/media-releases/news-items/next-stop-port-dock-as-new-services-launch
