State Transport Authority (South Australia)

The State Transport Authority (STA) was the government agency which controlled public transport within the State of South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

between 1974 and 1994.

The STA was established by the State Transport Authority Act 1974, which aimed to provide an integrated and coordinated system of public transport within South Australia. This was to be achieved by assuming direct control of state-operated services (particularly in the Adelaide

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

metropolitan area) and by exercising regulatory control of privately operated services.

The STA was dissolved (and the 1974 Act repealed) as a consequence of the Passenger Transport Act 1994. These reforms split the STA into the Passenger Transport Board, which coordinated and funded the public transport system, and TransAdelaide
TransAdelaide
TransAdelaide was a publicly owned corporation which provided suburban train and tram services in Adelaide, South Australia, under contract to the Government of South Australia....

, which actually operated metropolitan buses, trains and trams. The formation of TransAdelaide was a prelude to competitive tendering and the introduction of private operators into the Adelaide public transport network.

Formation

In the period following its establishment on 18 April 1974, the State Transport Authority took over the functions of three government agencies. These were initially structured as three independent Divisions of the STA:

The former South Australian Railways Commission
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...

became the Rail Division on 8 December 1975.
The former Municipal Tramways Trust
Municipal Tramways Trust
The Municipal Tramways Trust was established in 1907 to operate Adelaide's street tram network. The MTT ceased to exist in 1975 upon the establishment of the State Transport Authority Bus and Tram Division.-History:...

(MTT) became the Bus & Tram Division, also on 8 December 1975. By this time all of Adelaide’s tramways had closed, except the Glenelg line
Glenelg Tram
The Glenelg Tram is a route from the centre of Adelaide, South Australia to the beach-side suburb of Glenelg. It is Adelaide's only remaining tramway, running at approximately 15-minute intervals, and is part of the integrated Adelaide Metro public transport network...

. However the MTT continued to operate most of the local bus routes in the inner metropolitan area, which often followed former tram lines. The MTT was also involved in buying out many of the private bus operators then operating in the Adelaide suburbs.
The former Transport Control Board became the Regulation Division of the STA.

Sale of railways

In 1975 the Labor

Australian Labor Party

The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

-controlled Federal Government

Government of Australia

The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...

led by Gough Whitlam

Gough Whitlam

Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...

proposed a nationalisation program for Australia’s railways. It was recognized at the time that Australia’s system of separate state-controlled railways led to unnecessary duplication of facilities and administration, inefficient operating practices, limited standardization, high costs and the lack of a uniform national approach to railway policy. Whitlam’s proposal aimed to address these issues.

South Australia and Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

were the only states which agreed to the nationalization plan (these were the two states controlled by state Labor governments

Parliaments of the Australian states and territories

The Parliaments of the Australian states and territories are legislative bodies within the federal framework of the Commonwealth of Australia. Before the formation of the Commonwealth in 1901, the six Australian colonies were self-governing, with parliaments which had come into existence at various...

at the time), and in South Australia’s case the transfer agreement only extended to railways outside the Adelaide suburban area.

On 1 July 1975 the Federal Government took over financial responsibility for the non-metropolitan railways in South Australia and reimbursed the South Australian government for operating deficits incurred after this time. After formation of the Rail Division on 8 December 1975, the STA continued to administer and operate all the ex-South Australian Railways (SAR)

South Australian Railways

South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...

on behalf of the Federal government. This interim arrangement lasted for over two years while the precise details of the sale of S.A.’s railways were devised, disputed and re-negotiated, and the operating and management structures of the new Federal-controlled railway were put into place.

Eventually, on 1 March 1978 the responsibility for management of all South Australia’s non-metropolitan railways was transferred to the new Australian National Railways Commission
Australian National Railways Commission
The Australian National Railways Commission was a government owned railway operator in Australia. ANRC was also known as Australian National Railways in its early years and was later rebranded as Australian National .-History:...

. This included much of the former SAR infrastructure, rolling stock and staff.

The STA retained ownership and responsibility for all the suburban railway system around Adelaide, including the centrally-located Adelaide Railway Station

Adelaide Railway Station

Adelaide Railway Station is the central terminus of the Adelaide Metro railway system. It is at on the north side of North Terrace, west of Parliament House. The Adelaide Casino is in part of the building that is no longer required for the station....

, the entire fleet of Redhen

Redhen railcar

A Redhen is a type of diesel railcar, formerly used on the suburban railway system in Adelaide, South Australia. Redhens were the backbone of Adelaide’s metropolitan rail system between the late 1950s and the early 1990s...

railcars and two diesel locomotives. At the same time, March 1978, the separate Rail and Bus & Tram Divisions of the STA were combined into an integrated management structure.

Chronology

The following developments occurred in Adelaide’s public transport system during the STA era.

25 January 1976 The railway line was extended southwards from Hallett Cove Beach to a temporary terminus at Christie Downs
Christie Downs, South Australia
Christie Downs is a suburb in southern Metropolitan Adelaide within the City of Onkaparinga, South Australia. It has a unique postcode of 5164, and is adjacent to the suburbs of Christies Beach to the west, Noarlunga Centre to the south, Morphett Vale to the east and Lonsdale to the north.The area...

. The opening of the rail line extension was the first public event where the new STA name and logo was prominently used.

1976 Smoking was banned on Adelaide’s buses.

4 February 1977 A new bus depot was opened at Morphettville
Morphettville, South Australia
Morphettville is a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Marion. It is the site of the Morphettville Racecourse and the tram barn for the Glenelg Tram. Both the suburb and the racecourse were named after Sir John Morphett....

in the south-western suburbs.

1977 to 1980 The STA took delivery of 307 new Volvo B59
Volvo B59
The Volvo B59 was a rear-engined bus chassis produced by Volvo in Sweden from 1970 until 1980, which features a 10-litre straight-6 diesel engine....

buses. The Volvos updated and standardized the metropolitan bus fleet, which at the time comprised a wide variety of vehicle types and ages following buy-out of a number of private operators. The silver Volvo B59s were a familiar feature of Adelaide streets over the next 20 – 25 years. The last example was withdrawn from service in 2003.

31 October 1977 The Circle Line bus service was introduced.

1 March 1978 Non-metro railways were transferred to the Australian National Railways Commission.

2 April 1978 The extension of the railway southwards from Hallett Cove
Hallett Cove, South Australia
Hallett Cove is a coastal suburb in the south of Adelaide, South Australia, with a population of more than 12,000 people. Adjoining suburbs are Marino to the north, Trott Park and Sheidow Park to the east and Lonsdale to the south. It is within the City of Marion Local Government Area...

was completed and Noarlunga Centre station opened.

28 October 1978 Rail line between Glanville and Semaphore closed.

Oct 1978 to Apr 1979 The wooden tramway bridge over the railway lines at Goodwood station was replaced with the current concrete structure. The wooden bridge had been built in 1929, at the time the Glenelg line
Glenelg Tram
The Glenelg Tram is a route from the centre of Adelaide, South Australia to the beach-side suburb of Glenelg. It is Adelaide's only remaining tramway, running at approximately 15-minute intervals, and is part of the integrated Adelaide Metro public transport network...

was converted from railway to tramway.

4 February 1979 A zone-based fare system was introduced across Adelaide, with integrated rail and bus tickets allowing transfers between modes.

17 August 1979 Rail line between Woodville
Woodville railway station, Adelaide
Woodville station is on the suburban rail routes from Adelaide to Grange and Outer Harbor, 7.5 km from Adelaide. It is the junction station for the Grange branch and is one of the busiest stations on the Outer Harbour and Grange Lines. It has auto pedestrian gates and lights, the only location...

and Finsbury closed. Redhen railcar 429 worked the last regular passenger service.

1 February 1980 Rail line between Albert Park
Albert Park railway station, Adelaide
Albert Park railway station is located in Adelaide’s north-western suburbs on the single-track branch line between Woodville and Grange. The station is 9.1 km from Adelaide and serves the adjacent suburbs of Albert Park and Woodville West....

and Hendon
Hendon railway station
Hendon railway station is a National Rail station situated to the west of Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet in North London, at .The station lies on the north-south Midland Main Line and is served by First Capital Connect trains as part of the Thameslink Line service...

closed. Redhen railcar 403 worked the last regular passenger service.

22 February 1980 The first 2000 class railcar
2000 class railcar
The "2000" class railcars are self-propelled diesel railcars which are used by TransAdelaide on the Adelaide metropolitan rail network. The body shell design was based on the Budd SPV2000, Metroliner and Amfleet cars but the 2000 class railcars have a slightly different curve to the Amfleet. They...

s entered public service, 2101, 2102 and 2001 ran its first passenger service on 22 Feb 1980 while 2103,2104 and 2002 were introduced shortly after. Delivery of the new trains continued until August 1981 when 2118 and 2012 were the final cars to be delivered. The initial branding as SuperTrain 2000 has not persisted, but the unofficial nickname of Jumbos has.

1980 The first new PMC bodied Volvo B58
Volvo B58
The Volvo B58 is a mid-engined bus chassis built by Volvo of Sweden from 1966 until early 1982. It was the forerunner to the highly successful B10M....

buses were delivered for services into the Hills
Adelaide Hills
The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is unofficially centred on the largest town in the area, Mount Barker, which has a population of around 29,000 and is also one of Australia's fastest growing towns.- History :The...

and longer-distance suburban routes. The B58s were painted in a characteristic brown
Brown
Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....

and yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...

livery, leading to their nickname "Brown Bombers". These buses were also to become a familiar sight over the next 25 years, especially in the Adelaide hills and outer suburbs until their withdrawals in 2005-2006.

1981 New rail stations were opened in September 1981 at North Haven on the Outer Harbor line, and in November 1981 at Christie Downs on the Noarlunga line.

13 September 1981 Port Dock station closed to passenger traffic.

18 May 1984 The few remaining Australian National (AN) country passenger trains and The Overland to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

were transferred from Adelaide station
Adelaide Railway Station
Adelaide Railway Station is the central terminus of the Adelaide Metro railway system. It is at on the north side of North Terrace, west of Parliament House. The Adelaide Casino is in part of the building that is no longer required for the station....

to the new interstate facility at Keswick Terminal. Keswick Terminal allowed access by interstate passenger trains such as the Indian Pacific which used the newly opened standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

line from Crystal Brook
Crystal Brook, South Australia
Crystal Brook is a town in South Australia, named after the spring-fed creek next to which it was founded. It is north of Adelaide and in 2006 had a population of 1,185.Crystal Brook is situated on Goyder's Line near the border of two climate systems...

. It also allowed AN to avoid paying access charges to the STA for use of Adelaide station.

1985 The ASER project, involving major redevelopment of the Adelaide Railway station got underway.

December 1985 Salisbury Interchange on the Gawler line opened to provide improved bus – rail connections in the northern suburbs. Salisbury was the second purpose-built bus-rail interchange in Adelaide – Noarlunga Centre had been the first.

2 March 1986 The first 6km stage of the O-Bahn Busway
O-Bahn Busway
The Adelaide O-Bahn Busway is a guided busway located in Adelaide, South Australia. The O-Bahn – from the Latin omnibus and the German bahn – was conceived by Daimler-Benz to enable buses to avoid traffic congestion by sharing tram tunnels in the German city of Essen.The route was introduced in...

opened between the city’s eastern fringe and Paradise Interchange
Paradise Interchange
Paradise Interchange is an interchange of the O-Bahn Busway, belonging to the Adelaide Metro. This interchange is situated mid-way along the O-Bahn Busway, between Tea Tree Plaza Interchange and Klemzig Station in Paradise, South Australia....

in the north-eastern suburbs. The O-Bahn is a unique public transport system, running on specially built concrete track with modified buses and combining elements of both bus and rail systems.

9 March 1986 Relocated Grange station opened to avoid level crossing on Military Road.

18 October 1986 The Glenelg tram
Glenelg Tram
The Glenelg Tram is a route from the centre of Adelaide, South Australia to the beach-side suburb of Glenelg. It is Adelaide's only remaining tramway, running at approximately 15-minute intervals, and is part of the integrated Adelaide Metro public transport network...

depot was relocated from Angas Street in Adelaide city centre to a new purpose-build facility at Glengowrie, close to Glenelg
Glenelg, South Australia
Glenelg is a popular beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent, it has become a popular tourist destination due to its beach and many attractions, home to several hotels and dozens of restaurants.Established in 1836, it is...

.

1987 Rail line between Dry Creek and Northfield
Northfield railway station
Northfield railway station serves the Northfield area of Birmingham, England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland.-Services:...

closed. Passenger services between Belair and Bridgewater also discontinued.

31 May 1987 North Arm Road, Wingfield and Eastern Parade stations on Port Adelaide-Dry Creek line closed to passenger traffic.

27 September 1987 A new Crouzet computerized ticket system was introduced across the STA bus, train and tram system. This was the basis of today’s MetroTicket system. Paper tickets were replaced by magnetic-stripe tickets, which are checked by an electronic validating machine each time a passenger boards a vehicle, and Weekly and Monthly tickets were replaced by 10-journey Multitrips.

November 1987 The first of a new fleet of 3000-class
3000 class railcar
The "3000" class railcar is the main workhorse of TransAdelaide's suburban passenger operations in Adelaide, South Australia. There are two variants: 3000 series, featuring a cab at each end, and 3100 series with one cab....

diesel-electric railcars entered public service. These would eventually replace the Redhen railcar
Redhen railcar
A Redhen is a type of diesel railcar, formerly used on the suburban railway system in Adelaide, South Australia. Redhens were the backbone of Adelaide’s metropolitan rail system between the late 1950s and the early 1990s...

s, which had been the mainstay of the suburban train service since the late 1950s.

1988 The ASER redevelopment project was completed at Adelaide station. The station platforms became effectively underground, with the Hyatt Regency hotel and Adelaide Convention Centre built above. The former main station building was re-opened as a casino.

29 May 1988 Port Adelaide-Dry Creek line closed to regular passenger traffic. Redhen railcars 372/373 worked the last passenger movement.

20 August 1989 The second stage of the 12km-long O-Bahn Busway
O-Bahn Busway
The Adelaide O-Bahn Busway is a guided busway located in Adelaide, South Australia. The O-Bahn – from the Latin omnibus and the German bahn – was conceived by Daimler-Benz to enable buses to avoid traffic congestion by sharing tram tunnels in the German city of Essen.The route was introduced in...

opened between Paradise Interchange
Paradise Interchange
Paradise Interchange is an interchange of the O-Bahn Busway, belonging to the Adelaide Metro. This interchange is situated mid-way along the O-Bahn Busway, between Tea Tree Plaza Interchange and Klemzig Station in Paradise, South Australia....

and Tea Tree Plaza Interchange
Tea Tree Plaza Interchange
Tea Tree Plaza Interchange is an interchange belonging to the Adelaide Metro. It is the terminating station of the O-Bahn Busway, and is a central public transport hub for the north eastern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia.The interchange is also a popular hangout for students from the nearby...

at Modbury
Modbury, South Australia
Modbury is a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Tea Tree Gully. Modbury is located at the end of the Adelaide O-Bahn and is home to the Tea Tree Plaza shopping complex and a Hospital.It was named Modbury by R...

. The final cost of the project was A$98 million, which included the new fleet of specially-modified buses, based at St.Agnes depot.

1990 Following rebuilding of the tracks and platforms in 1985 – 88, the Adelaide station concourse was refurbished.

1990 A 4-year project to renew outdated signaling on the STA railway system was completed. New signals were installed and all STA trains and rail lines were supervised from a computerized traffic control centre in Adelaide station yard.

17 February 1992 The first Transit Link limited-stop bus route, numbered TL1, was introduced between Aberfoyle Park
Aberfoyle Park, South Australia
Aberfoyle Park is a southern suburb of Adelaide in the City of Onkaparinga, South Australia. It has a shopping mall called "The Hub", several primary schools and a public high school, one of the biggest in the state.-Governance:...

and Adelaide. This initiative aimed to attract peak-hour motorists onto public transport by providing frequent, fast, limited-stop services, using high-quality vehicles and traffic priority schemes (e.g. bus lanes and bus-priority traffic signals) where practical.

1992 Driver-only operation was introduced on STA trains and guards were progressively withdrawn. This led to a significant increase in fare evasion
Fare evasion
Fare evasion, as distinct from fare avoidance, is the act of travelling on public transport in disregard of the law and/or regulation, having deliberately not purchased the required ticket to travel . It is a problem in many parts of the world, and revenue protection officers operate on many systems...

, since there were no-longer regular ticket inspections, and there was generally nowhere on the trains or stations to buy a ticket if a casual traveler had not planned ahead and pre-purchased one from a retail outlet.
The reduced supervision also helped compound a trend of increasing vandalism, disorderly behaviour and crime that had plagued the STA system (both bus and train) since the late 1980’s. The transit police force was increased and Transit Officers replaced guards on some trains, but negative public perceptions about personal safety and difficulty in getting tickets and information resulted in decreased patronage of many services.

16 August 1992 A new bus depot was opened at Mile End
Mile End, South Australia
Mile End is an inner western suburb of Adelaide, located in the City of West Torrens, around 2 kilometres from the Adelaide city centre. It has a census area population of 3,918 people...

and the Hackney
Hackney, South Australia
-References:...

depot was closed. Hackney had been the main depot in Adelaide since the first electric tram lines opened in 1909, and had subsequently been converted by the MTT for use by trolleybuses and diesel buses.

16 August 1992 The Transit Link concept was introduced on two new bus routes (TL2 to West Lakes
West Lakes, South Australia
West Lakes is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Charles Sturt. It contains the Westfield West Lakes Shopping Centre, AAMI Stadium and the Riverside Golf Course...

and TL3 to Golden Grove
Golden Grove, South Australia
Golden Grove is an outer north-eastern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia and is within the City of Tea Tree Gully local government area. It is adjacent to Wynn Vale, Surrey Downs, Greenwith, Yatala Vale, Fairview Park, and Salisbury East.- History :...

and Elizabeth
Elizabeth, South Australia
Elizabeth is a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Playford.-History:Elizabeth was established in 1955 as part of a planned satellite town by the South Australian Housing Trust on rural land between the older towns of Salisbury and...

), and to express peak-hour trains on three of the main rail lines.

16 August 1992 Changes were implemented which reduced services on most bus and train routes at night and at weekends. Train frequencies were reduced from approximately every 45 minutes to hourly. On the bus network, a separate “Nights & Sundays” pattern of routes was introduced, which often combined one or more daytime routes into circuitous and one-way hybrid routes. The rationale stated at the time was that evening and weekend services were very poorly patronized and the changes were needed to free resources to operate the new Transit Link routes.

5 July 1993 A bus-rail interchange was opened at Smithfield
Smithfield railway station, Adelaide
Smithfield Interchange is a railway station on the Gawler railway line located in the northern Adelaide suburb of Smithfield. It is 30.2 km from the Adelaide Railway Station, and is part of the Smithfield Interchange which allows a connection with the 228, 440, 441, 442, 443 and 451 bus...

on the Gawler line.

21 November 1993 The successful Transit Link concept was extended to five new bus routes, TL6 to TL10.

1 July 1994 The STA organization was dissolved as a result of the Passenger Transport Act 1994. The Passenger Transport Board and TransAdelaide
TransAdelaide
TransAdelaide was a publicly owned corporation which provided suburban train and tram services in Adelaide, South Australia, under contract to the Government of South Australia....

assumed the functions formerly carried out by the STA.

Railway line closures

In past years, one feature of Adelaide’s railway system

Railways in Adelaide

The rail network in Adelaide, South Australia, consists of five lines and 81 stations, totalling 125.9 km. It is operated by Adelaide Metro, and is part of the city-wide Adelaide Metro]public transport system. Apart from the Glenelg Tram, Adelaide's railway system is serviced entirely by...

was the number of industrial branch lines which were intended mainly for freight, but were also provided with passenger trains at peak hours. These industrial trains were progressively rationalised during the STA era, along with some other lightly used services.

Railway closures in STA era
Destination	Date of last train	Stations closed
Semaphore	29 October 1978	Semaphore Exeter
Finsbury	17 August 1979	Woodville North No.18 Shed Finsbury Stores
ICI Osborne	1 January 1980	ICI Osborne
Hendon	1 February 1980	Hendon
Port Dock	11 September 1981	Port Dock
Islington Workshops	31 July 1986	Islington Workshops
Northfield	24 July 1987	Cavan Pooraka Northfield
Bridgewater	26 July 1987	National Park Long Gully Upper Sturt Mount Lofty Heathfield Madurta Aldgate Jibilla Carripook Bridgewater
Dry Creek to Port Adelaide	27 May 1988 (§ closed 29 May 1987)	§ Wingfield § North Arm Road § Eastern Parade Grand Junction Road Rosewater
Penfield	4 January 1991	Hilra Penfield No.1 Penfield No.2
GMH Elizabeth	14 August 1992	GMH Elizabeth

Note regarding closure dates: Common railway practice is to record the official closure of a line as a date which falls on a Sunday. In cases where the train service only operated Monday to Friday, this means the last train would actually have run on the preceding Friday. This was the situation in most (but not all) examples in the table above. Hence the “last train” date quoted may differ by a day or two from the official record.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Formation

Sale of railways

Chronology

Railway line closures

See also

External links