Localtrain users are facing more pain from further delays to the railelectrification project while the Transport Minister, Corey Wingard refuses to committo a date when services will resume.
Inparliament last week Minister Wingard was asked by SA Labor Leader PeterMalinauskas:
“Will(the Gawler Line) be (operational) before or after the March state election?”
to which Transport Minister Wingard responded:
“Ican't give any more detail to the member other than what we have said publicly,and that is that it will be ready early next year. I have outlined the factorswe have been dealing with. We have been dealing with COVID.
Originally the line was scheduledfor completion in late 2020, which was later changed to January 2021.In April, Minister Wingard said the Gawler line would be closed until November2021.
During Budget Estimates this year, the Minister revealed it would not reopen until “early next year”. Last week, when asked if the line would reopen before the March State Election, the Minister could not provide an answer.
This means the entire Gawler Line will have been closed for at least 18 months. Meanwhile, the cost of the project has also blown out by $100 million.
Local Member of Parliament, Mr Tony Piccolo said local train users are outraged at the ongoing delays in the resumption of train services.
“It is my understanding that the trains will now not resume for service until late April or early May in 2022, 18 months later than originally scheduled.
“The Minister cannot blame the one-week COVID 19 lockdown for these ongoing delays, given that staff imported from Victoria were granted health exemptions to enter South Australia without the need to quarantine.”
“The Minister has now run out of excuses to explain the mismanagement of this important infrastructure project.”
Mr Piccolo said he has been told that signalling testing is scheduled to commence on or about 11thFebruary for one month, followed by the testing of overhead wiring for another month, then getting drivers ready for the line should commence on the 11th April or thereabouts.
“All going to schedule the train services should resume in late April or early May.”
Mr Piccolo said while he was bitterly disappointed by the further delays, he is not surprised as the Minister told ABC Radio in October that the completion date for the rail upgrade “… is fundamentally irrelevant.”
“It was clear from that radio interview that the Minister was softening up the local community to accept further delays to the return of the train services.”
“The return of train services may be irrelevant to the Minister but are certainly not to the local people who rely on the trains for work, visits to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and students attending University or schools in the city.”
“Once again this Minister is giving the people in Gawler and the Northern Suburbs the political middle finger.”
“This Marshall Liberal Government Minister has shown a distinct indifference to the difficulties the rail closure has caused for many local people.”
Mr Piccolo said this is not the first time the Minister has demonstrated his contempt for the people of Gawler and the Northern Suburbs.
“While the Government is providing substitute buses, commuters are paying full price fares, despite the inconvenience and longer journey times.”