Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis hints at new, bold plans to overhaul SA’s public transport system

Tom Koutsantonis has hinted at new major projects to overhaul Adelaide’s public transport system to attract billions in federal government investment like the eastern states.

Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis has hinted at new, bold plans to overhaul South Australia’s public transport system.

In Tuesday’s federal budget, just $46.2m was allocated for rail investments in SA, compared with the huge expenditures in larger eastern states, like Victoria where the federal government is spending $6.2bn on rail over the next four years.

Despite Adelaide’s smaller population and having just four main metropolitan train lines plus two spur lines, Mr Koutsantonis has vowed to develop cutting edge ideas to attract a swarm of new federal government cash.

“We want more infrastructure in South Australia and we are always going to be chasing more resources from the Commonwealth government, and the challenge for us is to have projects ready to go,” he said.

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis has hinted at major new public transport projects. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

“In other jurisdictions, they’re spending money on bus fleets and passenger rail, so we’ve got to make sure we have opportunities to encourage more public transport use.

“As the Commonwealth want to partner with other states, this is an opportunity to partner with us.”

Asked whether he was considering expanding Adelaide’s train network, Mr Koutsantonis said “public transport is a game changer”.

“We can keep spending billions and billions and billions of dollars on road infrastructure, (but) the truth is if people catch trams, trains and buses, everyone saves – we save money on taxes, we save money on insurance and carparking,” he said.

Mr Koutsantonis said he has “lots” of projects “in mind” that he would not disclose without Cabinet approval.

“Absolutely I would like to see more investment and I would like to see decarbonisation of our public transport system.”

In June, the joint federal-state funded Gawler Rail Electrification Project was completed at a cost of $842m.

Earlier this week, The Advertiser revealed commuters would soon be able to use credit cards to “tap-and-pay” on board all forms of public transport in Adelaide.