Belair railway line

Belair Line Railways in Adelaide - Trams in Adelaide
Railway Line Overview
Route
Starting Point	Adelaide
Major Stations	Goodwood Mitcham Blackwood
Terminus	Belair
Line Length	21.5 km
Track	Quadruple Track to Goodwood Single Track to Belair
Frequency
Peak Frequency	Every 20-30 Mins
Weekday Frequency	Every 30-40 Mins
Weekend Frequency	Every 60 Mins
Night Frequency	Every 60 Mins
Rolling Stock
3000/3100 class	Yes
History
Opened	1883
Re-sleepered (Concrete)	April-August 2009
Adelaide Railway Lines
Belair Line
Gawler Central Line
Glenelg Tram
Grange Line
Noarlunga Centre Line
Outer Harbor Line
Showground Central Line
Tonsley Line

The Belair railway line is a suburban rail commuter route within the City of Adelaide, South Australia, that runs from the Adelaide Railway Station to Belair in the Adelaide Hills.

History

The Bridgewater railway line from Adelaide to Belair / Bridgewater opened in 1883. In 1987, passenger services to Bridgewater ceased, mainly due to low patronage, the terminus becoming Belair.

In 1995, one track of the double track main line from Adelaide to Belair was converted from Broad Gauge (1600mm) to Standard Gauge (1435mm) as part of the Adelaide to Melbourne standardisation project. The broad gauge passenger services were thus restricted to a single track with crossing loops located at Mitcham Station, Blackwood Station, Eden Hills and Sleeps Hill. At the same time, the stations at Millswood, Hawthorn and Clapham were closed despite criticism from local residents.

Operations

The motive power used for suburban passenger trains is now exclusively 3000 and 3100 class railcars. Until June 2007, on weekends some services were run with a 2000 class railcar modified to incorporate increased bike capacity. In 2005, trains ran the route every 30 minutes on weekdays (hourly after 7pm) and every 60 minutes on weekends and public holidays. From 2006, because of the single line, this was downgraded to every 36/24 minutes on weekdays.

On weekends, the route is popular with downhill mountain bike riders who catch the train up the hill and returned via one of the many downhill mountain biking trails and roads, hence the use of a modified 2000 class railcar. However, since downhill mountain biking has been prohibited on some trails in the Belair area, (such as Anderson's Reserve, Lynton Dump Reserve and Sleeps Hill reserve), the Adelaide mountain biking community's patronage has slightly declined.

The standard gauge track is used by The Overland passenger train to Melbourne, which runs three times a week, and a number of freight trains.

Resleepering

In the 2008/09 State Budget, re-sleepering of the line was announced. Electrification is not planned for the line in the near future due to extra engineering work and complications with the Standard Gauge line. However, the new concrete sleepers and rail will provide a smoother and faster trip for commuters using the line.

The project has been named "the Belair Line Renewal". The rail line closed on 26 April 2009 and reopened on 23 August 2009. During this shutdown, the following works occurred:

• upgrading the track formation and ballast;
• improving drainage;
• improving the track geometry and alignment within the existing corridor; and
• installing over 20,000 new gauge-convertible concrete sleepers and new rail.

A substitute bus service, B1 operated during the closure, covering all railway stations between Goodwood and Belair, then express between Greenhill Road and Government House.

According to the Belair Line Renewal web page, "The substitute bus service is unable to cater for bicycles. A separate arrangement has been made in collaboration with Bicycle SA for a temporary bicycle trailer service to be offered on a trial basis for the first month. Continuation of the service beyond this time will be based on the demand and benefits of the service. The dedicated trailer service for cyclists will be operated by Bicycle SA and will use a bicycle trailer capable of holding up to 11 bikes at any one time. It will transport bicycles (and their riders) up the hill from Mitcham station to the Belair triangle each week night from 3.30 pm to 6.30 pm and on weekends between 10 am and 4 pm." Cyclists will need to make their own way south from the city to Mitcham, and again south from Belair. There is no service for northbound cyclists.

Line guide

• 

  Mitcham Station

• 

  Two 400-class 'Redhen' railcars working a Belair to Adelaide local train during the late 1980s approaching Lynton

• 

  Eden Hills Station

• 

  Blackwood Station; bus Interchange can be seen on the left

• 

  Belair Station. Former services to Bridgewater once departed from these platforms. (Now the ARTC Melbourne Line tracks)

• 

  Pacific National freight from Melbourne to Perth passing the terminus of the line, Belair

Belair Line suburban service
Legend
Broad gauge Standard gauge TransAdelaide commuter trains TransAdelaide trams GSR interstate trains
To Glenelg 0km 0:00 Adelaide Station Morphett Street City West To Gawler, Grange and Port Adelaide To Port Augusta (ARTC) West Terrace Adelaide Depot Port Road To Adelaide Entertainment Centre Glover Avenue To Glenelg via Plympton 2.0km 0:03 Mile End Sir Donald Bradman Drive Mile End Goods Adelaide Parklands Terminal 3.8km 0:07 Keswick Anzac Highway 4.4km 0:08 Showground Central(Royal Show only) Leeder Street 5.0km 0:09 Goodwood Glenelg Tram Victoria Street To Noarlunga and Tonsley Goodwood Road Millswood Cross Road 7.0km 0:12 Unley Park(Western platform demolished 1995) Sussex Terrace Hawthorn Angas Road Grange Road 8.5km 0:14 Mitcham(Crossing loop) Wattlebury Road 9.3km 0:16 Torrens Park(Western platform demolished 2008) Old Clapham(Closed 1917) Clapham(Closed 1995) Springbank Road Barretts Road 10.7km 0:18 Lynton Sleeps Hill loop Sleeps Hill(Closed 1946, later demolished) Original alignment(Closed 1920) Sleeps Hill Tunnel Sleeps Hill Viaduct 14.2km 0:23 Eden Hills Willunga Street Eden Hills Tunnels Eden Hills loop 17.2km 0:28 Coromandel Brighton Parade Coromandel Parade Main Road 18.1km 0:31 Blackwood(Crossing loop) 19.3km 0:33 Glenalta Main Road Main Road 20.2km 0:35 Pinera Upper Sturt Road 21.5km 0:37 Belair End of broad gauge Belair Depot Bridgewater Line (Closed 1987) 37.2km 1:00 Bridgewater(Closed 1987) To Bordertown and Melbourne
^1 West Terrace tram stop will become Royal Adelaide Hospitalwhen Hospital is constructed

^1 West Terrace tram stop will become Royal Adelaide Hospital when Hospital is constructed.

Interchange Key:

Image	Service	Operator(s)	Where
	Suburban Trains Transfers	TransAdelaide	Adelaide, Goodwood
	Lightrail Transfers	TransAdelaide	Adelaide
	Suburban Bus Transfers	Torrens Transit Southlink	see Bus Routes
	Interstate Trains Transfers	GSR	Keswick
	Bus or Rail Interchange	n/a	Adelaide, Goodwood, Blackwood

See also

• List of Adelaide railway stations
• List of suburban and commuter rail systems
• Railways in Adelaide
• Rail transport in South Australia

External links

• South Australia Central
• Office of Public Transport
• TransAdelaide
• Adelaide Metro
• Line Side description