High-Speed Rail Tunnel through Adelaide Hills for Passengers and Freight Proposal Video May 2022

A dual bore rail tunnel through the Adelaide Hills from Callington Station to Mitcham Station should have a gradient of 1% or less so that it can handle high speed freight trains and high speed passenger trains. Underground stations at Mt Barker, Verdun and Belair should have "express" trains passing through the middle of the stations with "local" trains on "loops" alongside the express tracks. Similar to the track on the Japanese Shinkansen rail lines. The tunnels needs to be high enough to allow double stack freight trains and for the overhead wires for the 24,000 volts AC power of the freight locomotives and passenger trains.
We look a the tunnel in Portland Oregon built through a granite mountain whose gradient restricts its use to light rail that have independent power to each wheel of the vehicles.
Two earlier proposals, the "Adelaide Rail Freight Movements Study Final Report. Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Local Government, June 2010" and "Globelink, Scoping Study Report Business Case - Stage 1 and 2, Government of South Australia, Department of Planning Transport and Infrastructure, December 2019" restricted themselves to freight traffic.

[@brianmorris8045]

They need to catch up with Sydney first before we worry about Oregan railways...lol. You and I know that South Australia is dragging the chain with a variety of updates with transport solutions. lol

[@michaelclement1337]

What's the story with funding?

[@darylephillips6778]

There was a plan to go around the Adelaide Hills but this plan was scrapped

[@Outdoorstype]

Great presentation with much food for thought. Thanks, Neil.

[@joelc9439]

I don't think it needs to be high speed.

[@dacake1844]

A recent study done by infrastructure SA said that a bus corridor was the best option

[@bobmarshall3700]

The 2007 Mitcham Council Rail Freight Task Force study is still the best option. A freight bypass from Murray Bridge via Callington and Sedan to Mallala with a major highway running along side for road transport and those travelers who want to avoid Adelaide metropolitan area. Much of the route is already government owned being old SAR lines and on flat country.

[@dhuphill]

HI Neil,

[@heathjones2740]

no need for the tunnel to climb up to Mt Barker and decend east from their 1% is still very steep for freight trains. straight consistent climb from portal to portal with deeper stations would be better.

[@KanesTrains]

You’re looking at moving populations much larger than our own - and your speed limit data is not particularly accurate.

[@mr.jamster8414]

you could probably build subway eastern lines and upgrade the system to a true metro with less money though. Quadruplicate to Ascot Park and Woodville and use those high-acceleration, high-speed, low clearance trains from San Francisco (as opposed to the Pantograph-based, slower electric trains currently in use) and building sub-surface underground railways to replace boom gates would only need a trench 4.5m deep and 9m wide, it would be cheaper to do than elevated rail.

[@bobmarshall3700]

This is unaffordable nonsense.