Grange railway line, Adelaide
Encyclopedia
The Grange railway line is a suburban branch line in the city of Adelaide
, South Australia
.
The railway line between Woodville
and Grange opened in September 1882. This was a private railway
, constructed by the Grange Railway and Investment Company. The early railway was not a financial success and was bought out by the government-owned South Australian Railways
in 1893.
Modifications to the track layout at Woodville station
in 1909 enabled trains from the Grange branch to travel beyond Woodville. into Adelaide
In November 1940 the Hendon branch line was opened diverging from the Grange line at Albert Park and running 1.1 km (¾ mile) to the Hendon
munitions works. After the end of World War II
, the Hendon trains operated only at industrial
shift-change times. In spite of low passenger numbers, the Hendon branch continued operation until 1 February 1980, after which the line was closed and removed.
The terminus at Grange was rebuilt in the late 1980s on the eastern side of Military Rd to eliminate a level crossing
. The old station was formerly a stop on the Henley Beach line, an extension of the Grange line which closed in 1957.
A station named Holdens, located between Woodville and Albert Park stations adjacent to what is now the SA Manufacturing Park, was closed in 1992 and subsequently demolished.
to the seaside suburb of Grange
. The route follows the same alignment as the Outer Harbor Line as far as Woodville station
, where it diverges south west and across Port Road
. The route then travels past Albert Park and bisects the Royal Adelaide Golf Club
between Seaton
Park and East Grange stations.
The line is single track
from Woodville to Grange with no passing loop
s over its entire length. All stations on the line are unattended and have only very basic passenger waiting facilities. The line is 5.5 km long and broad gauge
(1600mm).
Once every two years services are temporarily cut back to Seaton Park station for approximately two weeks for the running of the Jacob's Creek Open golf tournament. Rail replacement buses are used to transport passengers for the remainder of the route.
Until 1996, Grange line services previously operated as a shuttle from Woodville station
at night and on weekends
, connecting with Outer Harbor line services.
The vast majority of services are operated by 3000/3100 class railcars
. 2000 class railcar
s have not operated on the line since 2006, but on 24/8/2009 a 2 car set consisting of cars 2008–2117 was spotted working a Grange service at about 9:39am. Jumbos of both 2 and 3 cars have since returned to the Grange line for peak hour services.
and AAMI Stadium
, which would provide a major patronage boost for the line, which is little used outside of rush hour
. It has also been proposed to convert the line to light rail
.
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
History
Woodville railway station, Adelaide
Woodville station is on the suburban rail routes from Adelaide to Grange and Outer Harbor, 7.5 km from Adelaide. It is the junction station for the Grange branch and is one of the busiest stations on the Outer Harbour and Grange Lines. It has auto pedestrian gates and lights, the only location...
and Grange opened in September 1882. This was a private railway
Private railway
A private railroad is a railroad run by a private corporation, as opposed to a railroad run by a public sector.-Japan:In Japan, refers to a railway line owned and operated by private sector. Although Japan Railways Group companies are private entities, they are not considered private railways...
, constructed by the Grange Railway and Investment Company. The early railway was not a financial success and was bought out by the government-owned South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...
in 1893.
Modifications to the track layout at Woodville station
Woodville railway station, Adelaide
Woodville station is on the suburban rail routes from Adelaide to Grange and Outer Harbor, 7.5 km from Adelaide. It is the junction station for the Grange branch and is one of the busiest stations on the Outer Harbour and Grange Lines. It has auto pedestrian gates and lights, the only location...
in 1909 enabled trains from the Grange branch to travel beyond Woodville. into Adelaide
Adelaide Railway Station
Adelaide Railway Station is the central terminus of the Adelaide Metro railway system. It is at on the north side of North Terrace, west of Parliament House. The Adelaide Casino is in part of the building that is no longer required for the station....
In November 1940 the Hendon branch line was opened diverging from the Grange line at Albert Park and running 1.1 km (¾ mile) to the Hendon
Hendon, South Australia
Hendon is an industrial suburb of Adelaide, located in the City of Charles Sturt local government area. It is around 11 km northwest of the city centre, and was the location of a sewage works and a Philips PCB factory. The Philips PCB factory is now home to Hendon Semiconductors....
munitions works. After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Hendon trains operated only at industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
shift-change times. In spite of low passenger numbers, the Hendon branch continued operation until 1 February 1980, after which the line was closed and removed.
The terminus at Grange was rebuilt in the late 1980s on the eastern side of Military Rd to eliminate a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
. The old station was formerly a stop on the Henley Beach line, an extension of the Grange line which closed in 1957.
A station named Holdens, located between Woodville and Albert Park stations adjacent to what is now the SA Manufacturing Park, was closed in 1992 and subsequently demolished.
Route
The line runs from the Adelaide Railway StationAdelaide Railway Station
Adelaide Railway Station is the central terminus of the Adelaide Metro railway system. It is at on the north side of North Terrace, west of Parliament House. The Adelaide Casino is in part of the building that is no longer required for the station....
to the seaside suburb of Grange
Grange, South Australia
Grange is a coastal suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.-History:Originally called The Grange, the suburb is named after Captain Charles Sturt's cottage, which stood on of farmland...
. The route follows the same alignment as the Outer Harbor Line as far as Woodville station
Woodville railway station, Adelaide
Woodville station is on the suburban rail routes from Adelaide to Grange and Outer Harbor, 7.5 km from Adelaide. It is the junction station for the Grange branch and is one of the busiest stations on the Outer Harbour and Grange Lines. It has auto pedestrian gates and lights, the only location...
, where it diverges south west and across Port Road
Port Road, Adelaide
Port Road is a major road in Adelaide, South Australia connecting the central business district with Port Adelaide. It is 12 km long and exceptionally wide, approximately 70 m. When first conceived upon the establishment of Adelaide, it was designed to be able to accommodate a standard road, a...
. The route then travels past Albert Park and bisects the Royal Adelaide Golf Club
Royal Adelaide Golf Club
The Royal Adelaide Golf Club is a private golf club in Adelaide, South Australia. It is widely acknowledged as ranking with the best in Australia, and has a world ranking that fluctuates around 50....
between Seaton
Seaton, South Australia
Seaton is a suburb in Adelaide, South Australia. It is located as one of western suburbs near West Lakes and Royal Park.-History:The first Seaton Post Office opened on 1 September 1965, renamed from Seaton Park; in 1991 it closed and was replaced by the second office renamed from Seaton...
Park and East Grange stations.
The line is single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
from Woodville to Grange with no passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
s over its entire length. All stations on the line are unattended and have only very basic passenger waiting facilities. The line is 5.5 km long and broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
(1600mm).
Services
Services operate in tandem with Outer Harbor line trains. Weekday off-peak services run every 30 minutes, Weekday peak services run every 20–30 minutes with hourly services on Weekends, Evenings and Night. All services call at all stations along the route.Once every two years services are temporarily cut back to Seaton Park station for approximately two weeks for the running of the Jacob's Creek Open golf tournament. Rail replacement buses are used to transport passengers for the remainder of the route.
Until 1996, Grange line services previously operated as a shuttle from Woodville station
Woodville railway station, Adelaide
Woodville station is on the suburban rail routes from Adelaide to Grange and Outer Harbor, 7.5 km from Adelaide. It is the junction station for the Grange branch and is one of the busiest stations on the Outer Harbour and Grange Lines. It has auto pedestrian gates and lights, the only location...
at night and on weekends
Workweek
The workweek and weekend are those complementary parts of the week devoted to labour and rest respectively. The legal working week , or workweek , is the part of the seven-day week devoted to labor. In most Western countries it is Monday to Friday. The weekend comprises the two traditionally...
, connecting with Outer Harbor line services.
The vast majority of services are operated by 3000/3100 class railcars
3000 class railcar
The "3000" class railcar is the main workhorse of TransAdelaide's suburban passenger operations in Adelaide, South Australia. There are two variants: 3000 series, featuring a cab at each end, and 3100 series with one cab....
. 2000 class railcar
2000 class railcar
The "2000" class railcars are self-propelled diesel railcars which are used by TransAdelaide on the Adelaide metropolitan rail network. The body shell design was based on the Budd SPV2000, Metroliner and Amfleet cars but the 2000 class railcars have a slightly different curve to the Amfleet. They...
s have not operated on the line since 2006, but on 24/8/2009 a 2 car set consisting of cars 2008–2117 was spotted working a Grange service at about 9:39am. Jumbos of both 2 and 3 cars have since returned to the Grange line for peak hour services.
Proposed extension
It has been proposed to divert the line from Albert Park along a new alignment to service Westfield West LakesWestfield West Lakes
Westfield West Lakes is a large South Australian shopping centre in the north-western Adelaide suburb of West Lakes, developed in the late 1970s. It contains approximately 231 stores, with anchor tenants Kmart, Coles Supermarket, Woolworths, David Jones, Reading Cinemas, Harris Scarfe and Go-Lo...
and AAMI Stadium
AAMI Stadium
Football Park is an Australian rules football stadium located in West Lakes, a western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia...
, which would provide a major patronage boost for the line, which is little used outside of rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
. It has also been proposed to convert the line to light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
.
Line guide