The MBDRA works actively with the MBDC and Department of Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) to represent community voice for traffic and transport issues. This includes a strong focus on improving and increasing walking paths and cycling trails across the district. Some of our more recent activities include:

  • Negotiating for improved paths around the High School roundabout

  • Working with DIT to connect footpaths between the SE Freeway bridge and Bunnings

  • Provided feedback to the MBDC Trails and Paths Plan

  • Presented to the Council Assessment Panel (CAP) concerns around parking and traffic management at the Wallis development

  • Discussed traffic management issues with Council regarding the Town Centre Master Plan

  • Provided a submission to the Bollen Road and Paech Road Concept Plans

  • Discussed with Council staff the redesign of Springs Road from Bald Hills Road roundabout to the Heysen Boulevard roundabout

Passenger Rail to Mount Barker, the Adelaide Hills, and beyond

A viable Passenger Rail option for Mount Barker and The Adelaide Hills is on the table and is both
wanted andneeded by residents in this high growth area.

Infrastructure

  • Use the Standard Gauge line from Mount Barker Junction all the way to Adelaide.
    At present, this single track carries only some 9 train movements in 24 hours.
    Adding the 52 train movements for a Mount Barker Passenger Rail Service would still mean fewer than
    the 88 movements on the single track Belair Line.

  • Standard Gauge access into Mount Barker and beyond from Mount Barker Junction, and into
    Adelaide Railway Station (ARS) from the Adelaide Wye, by converting a minimum of trackwork at
    Mount Barker and within the Adelaide yards to Dual Gauge, accessing just Platforms 4, 5 and 6 at ARS.

  • Construction of a number of passing loops on the Standard Gauge line to accommodate 160m long
    multiple railcar sets, and some other necessary trackwork.

  • Construction of some new and refurbishment of some old railway stations within the Mount Barker
    conurbation and in Adelaide Hills townships, to current Adelaide Metro standards.

  • Provision of Cycle-and-Ride, Park-and-Ride and Bus-and-Ride facilities at rail stations,
    to encourage those beyond walking distance to use the rail commuter option
    (as is recognised for successful mass transit systems).

  • New platform at Blackwood and an upgraded interchange at Goodwood Station for railcars on the
    Standard Gauge line, for interconnectivity with other rail, bus and tram Public Transport services, but also,
    and most importantly, to allow EXPRESS rail from Aldgate to Adelaide, other than just these two stops!

A full and detailed preliminary cost for all this infrastructure is $212 million.

Railcars

Four options are available for the type and standard of railcars for the Mount Barker Service:

  • Refurbish surplus existing 3000 Class railcars, continuing as Diesel Multiple Units with just the bogies
    modified from Broad Gauge to Standard Gauge – the least cost option.

However, moving from Diesel railcars to electric will provide a cleaner and quieter solution, and this can be
done without the huge cost of overhead catenary power infrastructure, and without the bushfire risk….

  • Refurbish the 3000 Class as above, but additionally convert from diesel power to either Battery Electric or
    Hydrogen/Battery Electric clean and quiet power. But these Railcars are already some twenty years old –halfway through their usual service life

  • Purchase new Hydrogen/Battery Electric Multiple Units that are being introduced into service around the world, though Hydrogen supply could be a problem. They are quiet and their only emission is water!

  • Purchase new Battery Electric Multiple Units that have all the advantages of electric railcars. Their batteries
    are recharged by using existing overhead catenary wires where available (no new wires needed), or from
    static recharging rails at some stations, AND from regenerative braking for stations or downhill.
    This can save half the power needed.

The cost of sufficient, new, state-of-the-art Battery Electric Multiple Units is around $200 million.

Finally,

  • A 61-minute transit time from Mount Barker Railway Station to Adelaide Railway Station, which is
    competitive with Express Bus timetabled transit times. This time could well be reduced to under an hour,
    and be better than bus times down the freeway, certainly when there are accidents! Stops would be at
    Heysen Boulevard,
    Mount Barker South,
    Mount Barker Central,
    Littlehampton,
    Balhannah,
    Bridgewater,
    Aldgate,
    Mt. Lofty,
    Blackwood and
    Goodwood.

So, for a modern, fast and comfortable Passenger Rail Service to Mount Barker and the Adelaide Hills,
with trains at half hourly intervals during peaks, and hourly outside peak times,
there would be a TOTAL COST of $412 million

A Cunning Plan for Mount Barker and beyond….

By comparing the number of train movements each day on these four rail lines at Goodwood, it is obvious that the
Standard Gauge Line is underutilised. The Seaford Down and Flinders Down line and the Seaford Up line carry 107
train movements each day. The single Belair line carries 88 movements Up and Down combined each day.
The Standard Gauge line carries some 9 train movements over 24 hours. A modest Passenger service to Mount Barker,
operating between the hours of 5:30a.m. and midnight, with trains half-hourly in commuter peak times
(say 6:30 to 9 in the mornings and 3:30p.m. to 7 in the evening) and hourly outside peak times, would involve some
52 train movements. This is less than that carried currently by the single track of the Belair Line.
Even a half-hourly service all day for 76 train movements in total would still be less than the Belair line handles.
But that would make the integration of “The Overland” and the 9 or so freight trains, or the provision of some Passenger services to Murray Bridge, more difficult.

It would be prudent, therefore, to proceed in stages.

Stage 1 is described in this plan. It envisages initiating the service to Mount Barker using the
Standard Gauge ARTC line from Mount Barker Junction to the Adelaide Wye, then some dual gauge track
into Adelaide Railway Station.
There would be no gauge-changing rolling stock – all Standard Gauge.

Stage 2 converts the Belair line to Standard Gauge for double track working to Belair, to increase capacity for more
Mount Barker and Murray Bridge services.

Stage 3 is to duplicate trackwork from Belair to Mount Barker Junction, again to increase passenger and freight capacity.

Next Stage ?

Ideally, the Gawler and Seaford lines would be interconnected by an Adelaide City Loop, with underground Stations
at Adelaide Railway Station, Hindmarsh Square and Tarntanyangga (Victoria Square), emerging at Keswick,
to free up Terminus platforms at the Adelaide Railway Station for more restored Intercity/Rural rail services.

And another thing…

The railways through the Adelaide Hills and throughout country South Australia were constructed
originally for the Government of South Australia by the South Australian Railways.
These lines, apart from the Adelaide Metro lines, were transferred to the Commonwealth Government to be retained
but part of the drive towards a national single track gauge system (Standard Gauge 1435mm).
Only South Australia contributed, and the subsequent Australian National management proceeded to close most
of the country Broad Gauge (1500mm) lines while ‘Standardising’ the Adelaide to Melbourne line.
So, the Standard Gauge line to Adelaide SHOULD be available to serve the South Australian community again
with passenger services – not just private freight interests. It happens in NSW. It can happen here.

But that is a political, Government to Government, issue, not merely the technical one described above.

Douglas McCarty 2026

MBDRA Life Member
Former Civil Engineer for Australian National Railways

For further information or to organise a meeting with Douglas please contact
MBDRA Chairperson Dianne van Eck, 0412 417774