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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-24 Daily Xml
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GAWLER RAIL LINE

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:11): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy questions relating to the Gawler rail line.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Members may recall that on 27 January this year the government introduced a new timetable schedule for the Gawler rail line. This followed widespread community concern about the impact of timetables introduced last April and slightly amended in November. Unfortunately, the changes made in January were also of a minimal nature and have had no effect on the severe crowding and lack of timeliness that have become daily occurrences for commuters on the Gawler line. Only this morning I travelled to Adelaide on the 6.35 service from Gawler Central Station. This train stops at every station. As has been the case on many other occasions, this train arrived in Adelaide several minutes late and with up to 50 people standing in each carriage.

After another similar occurrence recently, passengers appreciated the apology of a TransAdelaide staff member who noted that the situation had been the case for some time on this service but said that it was beyond his control. As a further example of the failure of the current timetable schedule, on a recent morning I arrived at the local station to hear an announcement that my selected service would be 12 minutes late leaving for Adelaide. This is not unusual. There is little wonder that commuters need to utilise services much earlier than should be necessary in order to arrive at their destination on time. My questions are:

1. When will the minister act to completely overhaul the timetables for the Gawler line?

2. As part of such an overhaul will the minister ensure that a limited stop service is scheduled to leave Gawler Central before 7am to meet the growing number of commuters travelling at that time?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy) (15:13): I am happy to refer those questions to the minister in another place and bring back a response. It is important to put on record that the spending by the South Australian government on its infrastructure capital program has been at unprecedented levels. An amount of $3 billion will be spent over the next four or five years on transport alone.

This government has committed $3 billion to transport capital infrastructure alone. Rail revitalisation will transform Adelaide's public transport system on the Belair and Noarlunga lines. The electrification of the Gawler line is sure to improve efficiencies there. The government has committed to: the coast to coast rail, additional trams, the rail car depot relocation, the South Road/Anzac Highway underpass, 80 new buses, the Glenelg tram overpass—the list goes on. There has been unprecedented spending on transport infrastructure by this government. In terms of the specific timetable details the member has asked about, I am happy to refer the question to the appropriate minister in another place and bring back a response.

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