Railway_Digest__February_2018

South Australia
‘Torrens Junction’ (confluence of PTA
Gawler and Outer Harbor lines, and the ARTC
South Line ). In early December, two of the
three project objectives were completed at
this site and as a junction location, Torrens
Junction has ceased to exist. In the future it
will be marked only by an actively protected
pedestrian crossing.
The ARTC component: The standard-gauge
line has been realigned slightly to the west,
the grade crossing of the PTA Outer Harbor
line removed, the line established over a
pre-constructed section of the new Outer Harbor
line dive, the PTA slot permission to proceed
disconnected, and the up signal AN22 moved
about 100m to the north (leaving only 1435m.
standing room to Torrens Road LX). The two
signals previously protecting the grade crossing
AN21 & AN22 remain temporarily as searchlight
signals and are to be replaced at a later date
(a new signal 356 has been installed but is
bagged out of service). The implementation
of new signalling for the standard-gauge
line is complicated because existing control
infrastructure and cabling is owned by PTA.
The Gawler line component: The Gawler
line was closed for about 4 weeks in November/
December while it was re-aligned between
North Adelaide station and the Torrens River
bridge. The up and down tracks are now parallel
to, and immediately east of, the standard-gauge
line, and have been connected to the previous
Outer Harbour mains as they continue into
Adelaide station. With the resumption of
services, Gawler line trains now operate from
Adelaide platforms 6 & 7 in lieu of 8 & 9.
Previous work on the Adelaide side of the river
has removed the old Gaol Siding and the west
to east crossover that provided access to/from
the siding for all 4 main line tracks (with some
vintage double slips). In its place a ladder of east
to west crossovers have been installed providing
operational flexibility and access to the northern
sidings in the Adelaide yard. Consequent on
the track configuration there are a number of
signal changes. Down absolute 155 on the (new)
Gawler main has had the junction indicator
removed and similarly up absolute 252 has
had a LH indicator added. An additional down
ground level fixed red 253 has been added a
train length clear of the crossover on the Gawler
Up main to provide for shunt movements out of
the North Yard returning into Adelaide station.
Conventions: Adelaide metropolitan signal
numbering uses the middle digit to denote
the line. “5” is assigned to the Outer Harbor
line and “7” is assigned to the Gawler line.
With the reversal of the track usage inbound
from the old Torrens Junction this convention
has been disregarded for signals whose line
usage has been reversed. A similar issue arose
on the south lines when the Belair and Seaford
lines were reversed between Adelaide and
Goodwood. Software is obviously harder to
change than rebuilding railway lines!!
The Outer Harbor (Port) line component:
As of early January, the dive to carry this line
under the other tracks, Park Tce, and Bowden
Station precinct, is still under construction and
signals have not yet been re-established.
FEBRUARY 2018
43