198707 – Erdos – Adelaide Yard Resignalling – Stageworks

Running almost in parallel with the Re-signalling Project two significant events were taking place which would strongly influence the final track and signal configuration of the Adelaide Yard area.

They were the withdrawal of Australian National interstate passenger services from Adelaide Station and a major building redevelopment over the Adelaide Yard air-rights. (Adelaide Station Environmental Redevelopment Project ASER).

It was soon recognised that the impact of the ASER project, relocation of AN to Keswick and the re-signalling of Adelaide Yard had unveiled a unique opportunity to remodel the Adelaide Yard trackwork.

A new arrangement of tracks and switchwork for Adelaide Yard was prepared by the Permanent Way personnel of STA and subsequently Fargher Maunsell were engaged to carry out the Design/Documentation work. (See Flg.1 and Fig.2 – old layout/ new layout).

A number of benefits were soon seen to accrue from the remodelling, namely –

– the ability to release areas previously occupied by platforms 1 to 4 to ASER for redevelopment;
– the ability to run trains from all platforms to the railcar depot, which was not previously possible with the old layout;
– reduce maintenance costs resulting from a such resulting from a much Permanent Way layout;
– reduced capital and operating costs resulting from a less complex signalling layout.

Accordingly, it was decided to remodel the Adelaide Yard trackwork. This work was to be staged in conjunction with the Adelaide Yard Re-signalling Project but only after completion of the ASER project.