Leaked documents show Gawler rail line electrification delayed

Gawler train commuters face a further delay before their rail line reopens, as leaked documents show a new projected finish time for the long-awaited electrification.

Gawler train commuters could be in for an even longer wait before their rail line reopens, with leaked documents appearing to show the electrification project won’t be finished until mid-next year.

However, the state government says the project is still due for completion early next year.

The Opposition says it has obtained part of train operator Keolis Downer’s internal progress report for December 2021, which states: “The GREP (Gawler Rail Electrification Project) seems to have further slipped to May 2022”.

It goes on to state that by this time, the company, which is training new drivers, would have additional drivers on board “who have never driven on this railway which is a significant risk to the opening of this railway”.

Transport Minister Corey Wingard in August revealed that the long-awaited project was due to be opened in “early” 2022.

Opposition transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis said it was a “crushing blow” for northern suburbs residents.

“They were originally told it would only be closed for a month.”

Mr Wingard on Thursday said his priority was “seeing this project delivered as quickly as possible but in a safe way”.

“Look, the other week Labor said Gawler was going to be finished by April 9, today it’s May,” he said.

“If they can’t even get their leaks right how on earth do they expect South Australians to trust them to finish the project?”

The government said the project was still slated to finish early next year.

The Gawler electrification has been an on-again, off-again project since it was announced in the 2008 State Budget by the former Labor government.

In July 2018, four months after the Liberals came to power, the state government announced the project was expected to be completed in 2020.

Since then, the completion date has been extended to January 2021 and then “early” 2022.

In December 2020, the project’s price tag blew out by $100m, to $715m.

Keolis Downer has been contacted for comment.