Greens: ‘It’s time to commit to a Hills to City passenger rail service’

The Greens have thrown their weight behind a growing group of campaigners, calling for a serious investment in passenger rail infrastructure from Adelaide to the Hills.

Calls are mounting for a passenger rail line between Mt Barker and Adelaide with The Greens joining a growing group of campaigners to secure transport infrastructure funding.

SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Robert Simms MLC and Greens Senate candidate Professor Barbara Pocock are collectively calling for a significant Federal and State investment in the service, each vowing to make passenger rail an election promise.

Their call to arms follow the release of Infrastructure SA’s report which argued passenger rail would not meet consumer needs.

This is despite opposing arguments by community and government advocated, including

Mt Barker Mayor Ann Ferguson, Adelaide Hills Mayor Jan Clare-Wisdom, Kavel MP Dan Cregan and Member for Mayo, Rebekha Sharkie.

Mr Simms said with two elections looming, now was the time to commit to a hydrogen passenger rail service.

Greens senate candidate Barbara Pocock, MLC Robert Simms, Kavel candidate Melanie Selwood and Mayo candidate Greg Elliott. Picture: Lydia Kellner

It is estimated that a passenger train service could be established on the existing rail line for about $150m.

“The Greens have today launched their campaign to secure Federal and State funding to build the Hills passenger rail service from Mt Barker to the city,” he said.

“For years, calls by the Hills community to establish a railway line have been met with silence by successive Federal and State governments.

“The people of Mt Barker and the Adelaide Hills have been the victims of a poor planning process – one that fails to consider infrastructure needs and puts the interests of developers ahead of the community.

“The people of the Adelaide Hills deserve reliable, accessible, and safe transport options. This would not only reduce commuter car traffic on the SE Freeway, but also reduce emissions.”

Ms Ferguson said significant investment in critical infrastructure was essential to underpin Mt Barker’s population growth.

“Council has highlighted transport issues to the Premier and successive transport ministers. The fact remains that after 12 years, no Government has been willing to develop let alone implement a viable short or long-term transport plan for Hills residents,” Ms Ferguson said.

without it, South Australia will fail to take advantage of the opportunity to create a unique, vibrant and dynamic city which will be the second biggest urban area outside of metropolitan Adelaide.

“It is time for the government to show leadership.”

Mr Cregan said he applauded The Greens for their commitment.

“I am a strong supporter of restoring passenger rail services to the Hills and for increasing bus services,” he said.

“The scale of the population growth we are experiencing justifies these significant investments.”

Report ‘cherry picked to suit anti-rail stance’ — transport heavyweights

A report into the transport needs of Hills residents has been slammed as misleading by industry experts who claim data had been “cherry picked” to suit the state government’s anti-rail stance.

Former Planning, Transport and Infrastructure boss Rod Hook, transport heavy hitter Luigi Rossi and SA Transport Action Group Chair John Hill have called on the government to consider further research into passenger rail after a study by Infrastructure SA claimed it would not meet consumer needs.

The study indicated money would be better spent in expanding existing bus services and claimed travel by rail would take over 70 minutes from Mt Barker to the city.

However, independent research conducted by SATAG and Mr Rossi shows travel by rail would take no more than 50 minutes.

A time estimate has been backed by former Australian National Rail engineer and Mt Barker local Douglas McCarty.

The trio has also questioned the study’s $250m cost estimate to run a service on the existing Australian Rail Track Corporation line, stating it could be done for $150m.

Mr Rossi said the only way to settle the dispute was to conduct a trial.

“One thing we want to be very clear on is, stop cherry picking data and let’s get a detailed assessment done before a final decision is made,” he said.

“So before we jump onto this bandwagon that rail is not a solution, let’s do a trial. Let’s run a train down to the city and let’s see how long it will take.”

John Hill (Transport Action Group Chair), former SA transport department bureaucrat Luigi Rossi and former transport and infrastructure CEO Rod Hook at Mt Barker Station. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Mr Hook, who currently serves on the board of Infrastructure Australia, said passenger rail needed to be on the cards to service Mt Barker’s growing transport needs.

“No one is saying that we need to spend a billion dollars on rail in the next budgets but the reality is that there’s an election and needs to be on the agenda,” Mr Hook said.

“If you want to do a short term solution, to show rail works, buy some decent rolling stock.

“I believe this would demonstrate that you can get down in the morning in about 50 minutes which is the same time you spend in a bus or longer if there’s congestion or an accident on the South East Freeway.”

Transport Minister Corey Wingard would not comment on whether he’d consider running a trial on the existing rail line.

“ISA engaged independent engineering firm WSP to conduct a thorough review and technical assessment of all rail options,” he said.

“They determined a new heavy rail corridor would cost around $6b and using the existing ARTC line would have a travel time of at least 70 minutes to the Adelaide Railway Station,” Mr Wingard told The Advertiser.