Adelaide's New $51 Million Train Line: Just 1 km Long with 1 Station - Port Dock Railway line

[@MarkHenstridge]

I was on one of the last trains to Port Dock in Sept 1981. At the time I was living out at Pooraka and I could catch a train from North field to Dry Creek then transfer to a train to Port Dock. I can remember catching a set of 55class Brills to Port Dock from Adelaide Station with my mother way back in the early 60s when I was a small child. I am happy the Port Dock line has re opened and I pray to the Train Gods that the Semaphore line is resurrected in the very near future. Nice presentation Job well done , looking forward to watching future content of yours.

[@TheTctoocold]

How would the semaphore line be ressurected semaphore road cannot fit a train in the middle

[@JohnHF1957]

Unfortunately, the changes to Semaphore Road won't accommodate this. I can remember many short trips on the Semaphore line, including getting to my job selling newspapers at one of the pubs on Semaphore Road and getting to the Semaphore Palais for high school socials.

[@Didz]

@@TheTctoocold Easy remove all that awful traffic calming and the redundant bicycle lanes (3 each side is too many) and make the lanes straight and simple again like before.

[@birgittabirgersdatter8082]

If you think that’s appalling you should have seen the wonderful electric tram system Adelaide had prior to the end of WW2. Nothing left now but roads constantly need upgrading due to increasing amounts of car traffic.

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

indeed

[@Gopferteckel]

You can thank General Motors for that.

[@Thethriftyflyer]

Awesome review Rory!! That train line had a lots of spur lines in the 70’s. My Grandma lived near Exeter station which was another spur line between Glanville and Semaphore. My childhood was spent traveling on lines to Victor Harbor, Peterborough and Port Augusta. Hope SA restores more redundant train lines! Take care

[@jamesaustralian9829]

Wouldn't it be great if trains ran from Adelaide to victor and port Augusta again.

[@CaptainsChannel58]

Good to see you're doing ok Rory

[@DouglasDC10.30]

His eye has fully recovered now!

[@rasferrastfarian739]

We want/need the railway line to Mt Gambier to be re-introduced! Rex charge a fortune; the only other means of transport (other than the 5 hour drive) is Bus (8 hours!)

[@DouglasDC10.30]

The thing is that it got ripped up and replaced with a bike track. Well at least the last few kilometers.

[@DouglasDC10.30]

Also I took a bus for a group trip and it took 13 HOURS!

[@Bejeodiehrubridjehfoekdjriwknr]

Whilst I want it, the cost would be astronomical. AFAIK it's the wrong gauge so they would pretty much have to start fresh. And considering how little the Adelaide to Melbourne line gets used (sadly) it probably wouldn't get enough use to justify the cost.

[@darkangel2347]

To take a train from Adelaide to punt Gambier requires the use of the Adelaide Hills line of which we know is slow and uses a line built in the 1880’s. Stateliner offers two ways to do this on their busses. They are “inland” and “coastal” with the costal service having a meal break stop very close to “Larry the light lobster” at Kingston SE.

[@kerrymuller7389]

I'm so excited to see this video. I am hoping to arrive by ship in November(outer harbour). and my plan was to catch the train to Port Adelaide just to visit all of the museums there, There are so many museums to see in Port Adelaide. I can't wait. I love all of your videos Rory as well.

[@GlenMorrowConsulting]

Hi Rory, really enjoy your videos, it is great to see a line reopened, though that’s a lot of money for a 1km un-electrified track. They’ve also used the same voiceover guy to do the announcements as Yarra Trams has! I do hope they start to reopen and introduce trains back to regional SA. Anyway keep up the great work and i look forward to your next video adventure.

[@michaelhall8586]

It’s so good to hear your voice again Rory

[@JZ2445]

Extremely detailed and very well presented! Thanks Rory.

[@JakeMartin94]

Much needed station due to all the industrial facilities being transformed into a new residential area around the port dock. Adelaide lacks in PT infrastructure but looks like it once had a good one and glad its slowly coming back. They should be looking at the Gawler line and extending it to the Barossa Valley and also a breakaway link on the Gawler line out towards Riverlea and Two Wells alongside existing freight and Ghan line

[@laok]

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Minister for Energy and Mining is the same person we spent 15B on one road its going to be a long time

[@mce_AU]

Great work Rory, very informative & well-researched.

[@HappyfoxBiz]

if you're wondering where the old Port Adelaide railway station once stood... that would be the cop shop, the fountain outside shows it

[@Craig-dr7gl]

Thanks for the vid Rory - Port Dock will soon be my local station so was keen to see how it turned out.

[@inkletblot]

Great video, I've lived in Adelaide for many years and knew very little of its railway history.

[@HawkBird]

My only displeasure with this upgrade, was they didn't prepare the line for future upgrades, in particular, having electrification on the new spur

[@laok]

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Minister for Energy and Mining is the same guy there are no future upgrades

[@melglobus]

Great video. I really loved the old maps and the photo of the train destination board from last century you put in the video.

[@MysticOblong]

Thank you for the video. I appreciated the historical information you provided while showing us the new Port Dock line. Well done.

[@fordimension]

They need a second line out South that actually goes through the suburbs East of Main South Rd. The Seaford line wastes a lot of time going through nothing and industrial areas. Same with North Eastern suburbs. They have the O'Bahn, but that part of Adelaide along North East Rd is more densely populated than the Gawler line, again where you have the line running along empty space, industrial, airport land. They also need a line near Sir Donald Bradman Dr that services the airport and more of the Western suburbs as there's nothing between Anzac Hwy and Grange.

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

correct sir

[@stevecrisp2582]

Agree, I have lived in Happy Valley my whole life and never caught a train. Too long to get to Belair/Flinders/Seaford lines

[@Gopferteckel]

Convert the O-Bahn track to a rail line. More suburbs could be serviced in the outer Northeast.

[@bernadmanny]

I truly hope this is just the beginning of more rail expansion in South Australia.

[@Planetrainguy]

Our railway system is so embarrassing 😔. We used to be one of the best in Australia, now we get hyped over a 1km diesel extension while everyone else is building massive electric tunnels and extensions.

[@lachlanlandreth9069]

It is still a step in the right direction of creating new lines/connections.

[@Planetrainguy]

@@lachlanlandreth9069 I feel like it’s more of an excuse. “We promised in the election to extend rail, let’s build the tiniest extension possible.”

[@lachlanlandreth9069]

@@Planetrainguy they have also secured more land for the Aldinga extension, are doing a round of station upgrades and rebuilds, hybrid fleet conversion of the diesel railcars and this gov did ppen the Gawler line.

[@Planetrainguy]

@@lachlanlandreth9069 Still nothing compared to what they're putting into roads

[@solarlaw887]

South Australia only has 10 representative seats in federal parliament, there's no political incentive to build anything in SA as we make very little difference. the only reason we ended up electrified was to meet federal emission targets. you're right, the only reason we got this extra stop was because state gov couldn't back out so they did the bare minimum instead.

[@scottietheshark]

BTW that picture of the old departures was mesmerising. I found myself reading it all

[@KikuAkachan92]

Really informative, interesting and consice video! Good job, thanks for taking the time to make it! ☺️

[@MrErnieNelson]

Love your videos, Rory. Keep up the good work, mate. Did the coppers ever catch the scumbag who tried to roll you at Southern Cross. I've worked for 13 years as a driver, and you all types. I'm glad it hasn't dulled your enthusiasm. Well done, mate, and keep the vids coming. Cheers.

[@FishplateFilms]

Nice presentation Rory! What a shame we still live different gauges in Australia! I wonder if Adelaide will ever convert to SG ?? I was luck to get the BlueBird railcar to the Barossa back in the late 80's , and it was a great trip. Thanks for posting. Gregg.

[@TMOC1977]

Excellent video Rory!!!

[@darkangel2347]

I arrived in Adelaide from Whyalla in July 1982, just one year the original Port Dock line closed in 1981. So on August 25 and August 27, I finally made this journey after a wait of just over 42 years. A Uranus half-return is the time for Uranus to do half an orbit around the Sun which is 42.005 years.

[@loverrbboy2000]

was surprised to see that there used to be a connection between dry creek and the outer harbour line! we need more connecting trains that dont just go to and from town

[@Jordaw]

Awesome video man!

[@theadventurer247]

Great review!

[@DouglasDC10.30]

Sydney gets a futuristic driverless electric metro while we get a short branch line that still uses 1980s diesel railcars. Absolutely appalling. 😡😡

[@axan50transportproductions]

It is still appalling that Adelaide suburban railway is mostly still unelectrified with only Seaford/Tonsley, Flinders and Gawler lines being electric.

[@Craig-dr7gl]

Sydney has almost 5x the population of Adelaide spread across double the area. The diesel cars are fine, and do the job for a generally under patronised service. Did you notice how few passengers there were on the train? Yeh let’s spend billions upgrading it to electric for the 5 people who catch it each day. There are much bigger cities than Adelaide around the world that still have extensive diesel train networks.

[@mjcats2011]

​@Craig-dr7gl People do not catch it because the service is reportedly shite. Perth is of similar size and they have 4x the Patronage. Cities that are much bigger operate with diesel, name them.

[@adrianpalladino3388]

​​@@mjcats2011 Perth is not a similar size to Adelaide. Perth 2.3 million and Adelaide 1.4 million. Please get facts before commenting.

[@DouglasDC10.30]

@@mjcats2011 Toronto, Los Angeles, Birmingham and Salt Lake City

[@anitapresnell6403]

Interesting and informative video, thanks Rory😊

[@FC-BS]

Kinda makes sense why I didn't hear about this, I don't live in port Adelaide. I mean I live in the port Adelaide Enfield council area so I should have still heard about this

[@jase1438]

Thanks for the Great Video! Personally, I'd like to see the line near the Bridgeway Hotel reopen, and then extended. However I don't think this will be possible anymore. There is a skate park at the end on Bridge Road where the terminating station was.

[@geoffreyhansen8543]

I:d love to see a rail service return to Semaphore perhaps using tramtrains.

[@VoyagersType]

Good video, they should now reopen Mount Barker, Roseworthy and Barossa lines. Perhaps electrify the Outer Harbor and grange lines and retire the 3000s and replace them with new regional trains.

[@CF4429yt]

Little bit hard

[@dd07871]

Outer Harbour line now express between Woodville and Adelaide. Great!

[@gt-lv3zo]

Great - it will certainly beat walking from Port Adelaide station down to the museums and waterside. BTW both the Railway & Maritime museums are very good. Haven't been to the Aviation Museum. (Have you got a video coming up from WA ?)

[@WilmerAriza]

Has anyone considered that this route could be used by schools visiting the nearby museums, especially the National Train Museum?

[@timothyteo4602]

Could’ve done one up with the Red Hen, IF the tracks weren’t cut

[@tomhenry6440]

You should do the Melbourne Metro tunnel when it opens next year

[@tonyg5597]

Great video....but I have to say as a South Australian I am quite embarrassed that SA thought this was something to celebrate given it was a 1km line extension, with a new stop that was walking distance of another on the existing line....seems more like a political stunt (pork barrelling) than an actual improvement to the states transport infrastructure

[@jasetheace5954]

Awesome job Rory! Just put this on our day trip list. Thank you very much

[@adrianpalladino3388]

Those complaining the new Port Dock line is a waste of money, do remember Rory was travelling off peak hence few passengers, plus it's a short line. Furthermore, Port Dock is being redeveloped so more apartments are being built with people moving into the area. So the infrastructure was built ahead of time which makes Port Dock more appealing. The new line will gradually see more & more passengers.

[@bigmart932]

Port Adelaide station is within walking distance. If they’d wanted to terminate trains they could have put a crossover at the Adelaide end of Port Adelaide, maybe a bay platform if we’re feeling fancy, and it wouldn’t have cost 50 mil

[@dreemwalka]

Yesss another Rory vid😤

[@byraxius]

nice video, you should do the ellenbrook line in wa when it opens

[@artistjoh]

So easy to close rail lines, so expensive to reopen them. I do not understand the mentality that says 'we have declining passenger numbers so let's reduce services to make it even less inviting to use rail.' The correct answer to declining passenger numbers is to open more lines, electrify lines, increase frequency of services, and generally do everything to make people want to use rail because it is the best and most convenient option.

[@SCRRoleplay]

To Be Honest,I Like The Adelaide Rail Network!😂

[@craigeaton5619]

Can you use credit or debit card for train tap on like the bus?

[@michaelfreeze2949]

At least you can walk around Adelaide railway station in the morning without getting robbed by teenagers

[@Philbyyyy]

unfortunately there's still a risk

[@Lupi33z]

its not great around there to be honest, especially in the evenings there's often trouble

[@snoleopard]

cool video rory

[@ianfox6106]

I wish I had known you were coming to Adelaide- I would have bought you a beer at The Guardsman

[@michaelfreeze2949]

He lives in Adelaide

[@stacey41747]

It's music to my ears to hear the name of the line called on the train.

[@ericaschmidt1966]

I was one of those that thought why build this. But then you have to remember that governments should be looking into the future as well as dealing with the present. There are big plans and dreams for Port Adelaide - to make it the tourist hub that it should be. There are already lots of museums there and they are all concentrated over near St Vincent Street which is close to where this line terminates so much more tourist friendly. Also, there is more housing being built over that side of Port Adelaide, and if you make the services easier to use people will use them - so less traffic on the roads.

[@mw-cf5dr]

Museum? Looks like a shed!

[@quarringtonz231]

what's the point of having this line and this station? I thought Port Adeleide station is enough for demands

[@davidmilledge221]

Trains travelling back to our regional areas i wish but will never happen sadly , prove me wrong government

[@HiddenPreservatives]

Port Adelaide you gunna get mugged.

[@scottietheshark]

What is it with SA and building one station train lines that cost millions?🤑🤔

[@tonyg5597]

Yes, seems like someone is in on the rort....$50 million for 1 kilometre of rail...there is no way SA will ever expand its railway system with prices like that

[@samc3769]

Look up how much the new hospital cost 🤑🤑🤑🤑

[@BaileyStephens_2002]

How’s your eye going after your attack from 15th June?

[@eggcow919]

everyday i check youtube just for rory great videos but the government should spend money on a better service on the overland 12 hours is ridiculous

[@adrianpalladino3388]

Spend & waste tax payers money for a twice weekly service when most people fly the Melb-Adel route.

[@timallardyce1216]

@@adrianpalladino3388 Maybe they wouldn't fly if the train was better

[@mjcats2011]

The Service is owned by Journey Beyond. I suspect that JB would like to get rid of the Overland, but for that to happen both the Vic and/or SA government must take it over.

[@mjcats2011]

@@timallardyce1216 Tim the infrastructure would not allow any better than 12 hours. It should be a night train 7 days a week.

[@petergraham2229]

Thanks Rory

[@laok]

the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Minister for Energy and Mining is the same guy he made this new train line to poniot at and say look no one is using our new station there's no interest in rail

[@tangiers365]

51$ million for 600m of track they also opened? Must be the biggest thing to happen to trains in adelaide in 20 years

[@nevillemartin2593]

I had the same thought. You don’t seem to get much for $51m. Would be interesting to see a breakdown of the cost. In

[@SacredKeepTarot]

They should have spent the money on extending the tramline to the port not a train line that only goes one stop beyond what we already have 😢

[@rajagupta6772]

That would have competed with the train line (assuming it went up Port Rd) so i dont think thats wise. Better to contribute to electrification and/or upgrade the existing station

[@Lupi33z]

I think there were a lot politics and favours involved in this project and none of them had anything to do with providing a better public transport service to the public.

[@SacredKeepTarot]

​@@Lupi33zI agree

[@peterbreis5407]

Why did Adelaide not finish its line electrification? Hardly a difficult project. Nor go fully tap on-tap off.

[@Lupi33z]

it took 10 years to electrify one line is why

[@peterbreis5407]

@@Lupi33z They should be proud!

[@Snoop_Dugg]

The roads are terrible enough. The tram is a farce and the u-bahn is a gimmick. It's the perfect opportunity to add more useful rail.

[@Mr500music]

Another great video. Can you please tell me what Mike you use for your voice overs? It sounds great. 5:59 6:01

[@SOBIESKI_freedom]

No regional rail for SA?? Why?? What happened?

[@VoyagersType]

As roads and cars approved in the 1980s, south australias regional rail services were scrapped with the last ever regional passenger train running to mount gambier on 31 december 1990.

[@SOBIESKI_freedom]

@@VoyagersType Such a pity about the regional rail. :(

[@Abnerbandanovotempoinscrito1mi]

Bom dia rosy que legal 1:48 trem boa viagem

[@callybarbs]

51m is a joke for what we got for it

[@SirAdelaide]

$50 million for 1 km, and there were already buses running that route. Such a waste of money, and inconvenience changing the timetables.

[@MeaHeaR]

Correction: Adelaide Does not be have any trains to Goolwa Just F.Y.I.

[@oufukubinta]

Does everyone in Adelaide talk like this?

[@Lupi33z]

yes

[@FC-BS]

😂

[@user-ib3hv6ee8v]

Were you there at 3:50pm today? Adelaide station.

[@rafanhossain4314]

Hey Rory would you please fly with: Turkish Airlines Melbourne to Singapore Saudia Boeing 747 Dhaka to jeddah Biman Bangladesh Airlines Dhaka to chattogram

[@SaltBushCity]

South Australians prefer to spend 15 BILLION to make an existing road wider for 10 kms..

[@Lupi33z]

I hear this trope a lot, but what people who say this don't seem to take into account is this will remove several intersections along that route which create traffic jams

[@Planetrainguy]

I dont want it!!!!

[@SirAdelaide]

It could get cheaper now that cfmeu corruption is reducing. A portion of the cost of each large project used to be grift.

[@mjcats2011]

@@Lupi33z So $15 Billion for 10kms of road is aok, but the completion of Electrification which would cost a fraction is too expensive?

[@Melbournelost66]

Isn't it an old line reopened?

[@Lupi33z]

yes

[@SirAdelaide]

The 50 precast concrete slabs making up the platform cost $1mill each. The track and corridor were already there.

[@Paradoxical124]

Great respect that you blur out peoples faces.

[@electro_sykes]

What is the point of this line? Money well spent lol

[@SirAdelaide]

I guess it's the nearby housing developments lobbying the government because their town houses will sell better if next to a station. It doesn't help the general public, just lines the pockets of a few rich people.

[@CF4429yt]

I was on railcars 3121 and 3122

[@JanosBanics]

They could have opened the old rosewater line or rebuilt the Reynella line but nope. Lets waste millions on a useless line we have to transfer from. No point may as well just stay on to port Adelaide and walk. Typical sa government wants us to pay for a shitty deal.

[@itt2055]

The new railway line is a complete waste of money and could have been another guided busway that would have been cheaper to build and maintain. City railways, both train and tram are the worst option considering that guided busways are far cheaper and convenient.

[@VladAuTravel]

More likely money laundering process. What a joke to build only 1km line ?! Why so long? It's a horrible looking station.. absolutely basic! And it started in 2022? Look where your tax payments go! No offence but Adelaide is boring and developments are sucks..

[@MartintheTinman]

Typical dirty window

[@KJP-dv2uj]

Adelaide is a city in long-term decline in terms of size, importance, and prestige. That is not a knock or an attack - it happens to the best of cities when they lose their economic relevance. Detroit was a beautiful city. What it has become is not the fault of its residents. Adelaide used to matter a lot in Australia, now it does not matter at all. It does not have corporations or businesses of relevance, and therefore the professional classes that would support those businesses flock to Sydney and Melbourne. Cities rise and fall.

[@samc3769]

Yet you wouldn't know it buy the increase in property prices, the fact that Adelaide is as expensive as Melbourne is a utter joke.

[@katerinas4976]

Our rail system is a total joke. No where near extensive enough to actually be useful. Recently came from London where the tube is absolutely amazing, you’d never need a car there. Here…you can’t get anywhere easily

[@Lupi33z]

well London has 15 million people, Adelaide has 1 million. Perspective.

[@mjcats2011]

@@Lupi33z Does not stop SA from build massive freeway systems. Whilst you cannot expect Adelaide to match London's vast Metro and Commuter network, it should have a decent electric commuter service.

[@mjcats2011]

@@Lupi33z And London does not have 15 million. That is the population for the SE Region. Greater London pop is 8.5 million.

[@Lupi33z]

@@mjcats2011 nope, that's the population of the metro area, measured the same way its measured in Australia.

[@SamuelSamuel-w5g]

Past regional rail poor population South Australia

[@boigercat]

What a waste of money

[@andrewdipper4028]

Great work Rory, very informative & well-researched.