Wikipedia

Port Dock railway station

Not to be confused with the nearby Port Adelaide railway station.

Port Dock railway station is the terminus of the Port Dock line, located on Baker Street, Port Adelaide. The first station was located in the commercial centre at the corner of St Vincent Street and Lipson Street and served as the original terminus of the railway between Adelaide and Port Adelaide, which opened in 1856.

Port Dock
Railway station and bus interchange
View from the station plaza, August 2024
General information
LocationFirst station: St Vincent Street, Lipson Street
Second station: Baker Street
Port Adelaide
Coordinates34°50′41″S 138°30′32″E / 34.844788°S 138.508767°E / -34.844788; 138.508767
Owned byDepartment for Infrastructure and Transport
Operated byAdelaide Metro
Line(s)Port Dock
Distance12 kilometres (7.5 miles) from Adelaide railway station
Platforms1
TracksTwo: one for Adelaide Metro trains, one for trains of National Railway Museum
Bus routes117, 118, 150, 150B, 150P, 157, 230, 232, 252, 252A, 254X, 333
ConnectionsBuses in Adelaide Bus
Construction
Structure typeSide platform
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes → level boarding
Other information
StatusUnstaffed
Station code19081
WebsiteAdelaide Metro
History
Opened1856
Closed1981
Rebuilt25 August 2024
Services
Preceding station Adelaide Metro Following station
Alberton
towards Adelaide
 Port Dock line Terminus

After closure in 1981, the passenger station site was redeveloped as the Port Adelaide Police Station and Magistrates' Court. The former goods yard, adjacent to Lipson Street, is now occupied by the National Railway Museum. Several proposals had been advanced to build a new station, including a budgeted project by the government of South Australia in 2017,[1][2] but were put on hold by the incoming Marshall government in 2019.[3][4] Having made construction of the new line an election commitment in 2022,[5] the incoming government announced funding for the railway line and a new station in December 2022.[6] The station reopened on 25 August 2024.[7]

History

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The original station was opened with the line from Adelaide in April 1856 and for the first sixty years until 1916, it was the only railway station in town and known simply as Port Adelaide. The original station was quite an impressive structure, with a large curved roof over the platforms. Facing St Vincent Street was a two-storey stone building, which also included a tower. The two side platforms were about 120–150 metres in length each, and the platform architecture was the same as the platforms at the Bowden and Alberton stations.

In February 1868, a direct line was built from Dry Creek to Port Adelaide to allow goods and minerals from the state's mid-north and the Murray River to reach the Port directly, without needing to travel via Adelaide. In 1878 a railway was opened from Port Adelaide to Semaphore. This followed a different route to today's line as far as Glanville. The Semaphore line emerged from the western side of Port Adelaide station, travelled down the middle of St Vincent Street and crossed the Port River via the Jervois Bridge before curving to join the current alignment of the Outer Harbor line into Glanville station. Steam trains travelled through Port Adelaide's commercial centre at walking speed, with the locomotive crew ringing a bell. Even at that time this arrangement was unsatisfactory for both local citizens and the railway operators.

 
Port Dock station in 1909

By the end of the 19th century, the goods yard had become very busy with imports and exports and there was a large engine shed and turntable to service the various steam locomotives working in the area. A number of railway lines extended from the station yard via city streets to the wharves and various private sidings. Occasional passenger boat trains also travelled directly to the wharves, transferring passengers to and from ocean-going ships which berthed in the inner harbour at the time.

Congestion around Port Adelaide yard resulted in the opening of the Rosewater Loop line in 1915 and construction of the Commercial Road viaduct, which opened in 1916. The viaduct line continued over a new bridge across the Port River and joined the existing line to Semaphore and Outer Harbor at Glanville. A high-level station was opened on the viaduct, Commercial Road. The original Port Adelaide station was renamed Port Dock to differentiate the two. After 1916, the frequent trains to and from Adelaide mostly continued to Semaphore or Outer Harbor via the new line and Commercial Road became the main railway station. Port Dock continued to be served by irregular trains from Adelaide and by peak hour workings to Dry Creek via the Rosewater Loop.

Decline

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By the second half of the 20th century, the various lines leading through the streets to the wharves were cut back. Wharf access was firstly restricted to the Canal branch, then disconnected completely. Boat train traffic transferred to Outer Harbor and in due course[when?] was also eliminated.

Port Dock Station then became something of a backwater. The original buildings and remains of the arch roof were removed in 1963 and replaced with new buildings in the utilitarian style of that era. The station platforms were rebuilt to a length of about 70–80 metres to accommodate a maximum of three railcars, although it was very rare for a 3-car set to terminate at Port Dock. The station was finally closed in September 1981. The station platforms were removed in 1987 while the redundant sidings and goods sheds were redeveloped as a Bicentennial Project to house the former Mile End Railway Museum. The National Railway Museum opened on its site in Lipson Street in December 1988.

New station project

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In 2017, $16.4 million was allocated in the state budget for a new station to be built next to Baker Street, near the original site. It was to be at the end of a new 1.0 km (1100 yard) spur line off the existing Outer Harbor rail line,[1][2] using the existing corridor beside the National Railway Museum that connects to the Outer Harbor line.[8][9] However, in June 2019 when some museum track had already been dismantled, the development was "put on hold" while a North West Planning Study was conducted; a forecast cost increase to $40 million was cited.[4][10][note 1] On-ground preparatory work was reversed in January 2020, with sleepers bought for the project being reallocated to other lines.[11]

In 2022, the state government committed $51 million for the construction of the new Port Dock Railway Line with a new station and bus interchange at Baker Street,[6] adjacent to the National Railway Museum. A short platform face was also constructed for Railway Museum heritage services running along a parallel stretch of track. Site preparation works began for the new railway line in June 2023; the tracks were completed in April 2024, and a 3000 class railcar (3123-3124) made a test run on 2 June.[12] The station and interchange reopened on 25 August 2024.[7][13]

Services by platform

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Trains depart Port Dock every 30 minutes, seven days a week. All services departing Port Dock stop at all stations to Adelaide.

Platform Lines Destinations Notes
1 Port Dock all stops services to Adelaide Terminus
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Adelaide Metro operates several bus services through the adjacent bus interchange at Port Dock.

Bus Transfers: Stop Port Dock Interchange (Zone A)
Route No. Destination & Route Details
117 Port Adelaide to City via Bartley Tce, West Lakes, Tapleys Hill Rd and Crittenden Rd[14]
118 Port Adelaide to City via Tapleys Hill Rd and Crittenden Rd[15]
150 Osborne to City via Victoria Rd, Fletcher Rd, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Port Rd[16]
230 Port Adelaide to City via via Addison Rd, Arndale, Days Rd and Jeffcott St[17]
232 Port Adelaide to City via Newcastle St, Arndale, Regency Rd, Harrison Rd and Jeffcott St[18]
252 Port Adelaide to City via Ottoway, Medika Blvd, Liberty Gr, Arndale and Hawker St[19]
254 Port Adelaide to City via Grand Junction Rd, Hanson Rd, Arndale and Hawker St[20]
333 North Haven to Port Adelaide Interchange via Military Rd, Hart St and Glanville Station[21]
361 Port Adelaide to Tea Tree Plaza via Grand Junction Rd, Nelson Rd, Helen Tce and Smart Rd[22]
N254 Semaphore to City via Arndale and Hawker St (Operates Saturday PM - Sunday AM)[23]

Notes

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  1. ^ For a double mainline connection and signalling, a 300-metre loop, about 700 metres of new line, a level crossing and basic station.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Port Adelaide to get new train station served by 1km rail spur". ABC News. 24 June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b Kemp, Miles (24 June 2017). "State Budget 2017: Trains return to the heart of Port Adelaide after a 36-year absence". The Advertiser. Adelaide. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  3. ^ Eccles, David (20 June 2019). Marshall Govt derails Port Dock railway line InDaily. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b Sutton, Malcolm (21 June 2019).Adelaide's public transport going back to the future under Stephan Knoll ABC News, Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  5. ^ Kelsall, Thomas (17 March 2022), Labor's $52m pledge to get Port Adelaide rail extension back on track InDaily. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  6. ^ a b Port Dock Railway Line Project Update Press release, December 2022. Department for Infrastructure and Transport. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Port Dock Railway Line Project". PTP Alliance. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  8. ^ Pisani, Ashleigh (30 June 2017). "National Railway Museum warns issues to resolve before Port Dock Railway spur can return". Portside Messenger. Adelaide. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  9. ^ Pisani, Ashleigh (18 July 2018). "Barossa Wine Train booted from the Port". Portside Messenger. Adelaide. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  10. ^ Sampson, Bob (July 2019). "DPTI News". Catch Point Magazine. Port Adelaide: National Railway Museum. p. 6.
  11. ^ Sutton, Malcolm (6 May 2021). Port Adelaide community rustled up to bring 'cancelled' railway spur back to life ABC News. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  12. ^ "First Train to Port Dock Station, History Made!" - YouTube, uploaded 2 June 2024
  13. ^ Port Dock Railway Line - Adelaide Metro website, 17 June 2024
  14. ^ Route 117 Adelaide Metro
  15. ^ Route 118 Adelaide Metro
  16. ^ Route 150 Adelaide Metro
  17. ^ Route 230 Adelaide Metro
  18. ^ Route 232 Adelaide Metro
  19. ^ Route 252 Adelaide Metro
  20. ^ Route 254 Adelaide Metro
  21. ^ Route 333 Adelaide Metro
  22. ^ Route 361 Adelaide Metro
  23. ^ Route N254 Adelaide Metro

Further reading

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  • Rails Through Swamp and Sand – A History of the Port Adelaide Railway. M. Thompson pub. Port Dock Station Railway Museum (1988) ISBN 0-9595073-6-1
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