Green light for $85.5m Flinders Link rail extension

An $85.5 million extension of the Tonsley rail line has been given the green light after the Federal Coalition agreed to match State Government funding for the project.

Under the Flinders Link project, the existing Tonsley rail line will be extended by more than 600 metres to the Flinders Medical Centre, creating new connections to the health precinct and Flinders University.

The State Government has commended the decision and called on the Coalition to match Federal Labor’s commitment to the Gawler rail electrification for commuters in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

The Flinders Link is expected to be constructed concurrently with the $620 million North-South Corridor Darlington Upgrade project, which is already underway.

It’s expected to support more than 70 jobs during construction, on top of about 370 jobs a year supported by the Darlington project. Both projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018.

Background

The Flinders Link Project will extend the existing Tonsley rail line by 620 metres, via a rail overpass, terminating at a new station next to the Flinders Medical Centre.

It will involve construction of a 520-metre rail bridge extending over Sturt and South roads to a new train station to be built at the northern end of the medical centre.

In December, the State and Federal Governments announced an extension of the Darlington Upgrade project, to avoid the intersections at Ayliffes Road and Tonsley Boulevard.

The project will allow motorists to travel non-stop for more than 20 kilometres from the Southern Expressway at Noarlunga Downs all the way to Clovelly Park and is expected to result in average travel time savings of 2.6 minutes.

Further information on the Flinders Link and Darlington Upgrade projects, including concept animations, is available online here.

Quotes attributable to Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Stephen Mullighan

Extending the Tonsley rail line will be a huge win for southern suburbs commuters, as well as the hundreds of thousands of workers, patients, students and visitors who attend the Flinders medical precinct and the Flinders University every year.

We have been lobbying the Federal Government to commit to this project. Today’s announcement should now see the project delivered in conjunction with the $620 million Darlington Upgrade, which is already underway.

We know the Darlington Upgrade will reduce travel times for motorists. The extension of the Tonsley rail line will also reduce travel times for passengers and create better connectivity between the Flinders and Tonsley precincts, as well as cycling and pedestrian links.

I would also like to acknowledge the Member for Elder, Annabel Digance, who has been a tireless campaigner for this project.

The State Government is committed to encouraging more people to take up public transport by continually expanding and improving our public transport network.

We now call on the Federal Coalition to match the Federal Labor Party’s pledge to electrify the Gawler rail line so that those in Adelaide’s northern suburbs can reap the benefits of a modern and efficient train network.