Adelaide railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adelaide
Adelaide Railway Station at night
Location	North Terrace, Adelaide
Coordinates	34°55′16″S 138°35′47″E / 34.9211°S 138.5964°E / -34.9211; 138.5964
Owned by	Department for Infrastructure & Transport
Operated by	Adelaide Metro (Railway station) Skycity (Casino)
Line(s)	Belair, Gawler, Grange, Outer Harbor, Seaford, Flinders
Platforms	9（4 island, 1 side）
Tracks	9
Bus routes	G1, GA1, GA2, GA3, G10, H1, INDB, ML2, T228, 98A, 98C, 190, 190B, 196, 222, 222R, 224F, 224X, 225F, 225X, 228, 228F, 228X, 229F, 229X, 251, 252, 254X, 263, 263A, 265, 265W, 281, 281K, 286, 286A, 287, 288, 288S
Connections	Glenelg tram line
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	16490
History
Opened	19 April 1856
Rebuilt	1926-28 1985-87
Services
Preceding station   Adelaide Metro   Following station Terminus Belair line Mile End toward Belair Seaford line Mile End toward Seaford Flinders line Mile End toward Flinders Gawler Central line North Adelaide toward Gawler Central Grange line Bowden toward Grange Outer Harbor line Bowden toward Outer Harbor

Adelaide Railway Station is the main train station in Adelaide, South Australia. It's where all the local train lines end. Trains arrive from the west and stop here, as there are no tracks that go through the station.

The station has nine platforms, which are like the areas where you wait for trains. All tracks use a wide size called broad gauge. You can find the station on North Terrace, just west of Parliament House. Part of the station building is now home to the Adelaide Casino. Before 1984, this station also handled trains going to other cities and regions. Now, those longer trips use the Adelaide Parklands Terminal.

History of Adelaide's Main Train Station

Learn how Adelaide's central train station grew from a small stop to a major transport hub.

How the Station Started and Grew

Adelaide Railway Station in 1878, after a second storey was added.

Adelaide's first train station opened in 1856 on the same spot it is today. It was built for the train line between Adelaide and Port Adelaide. This was a very important line because it was the first government-owned steam railway in the entire British Empire.

The very first passenger train left Adelaide station on April 19, 1856. It carried important people like the Governor of South Australia to a special lunch. This first station handled all types of train traffic: passengers, goods, and even farm animals. By 1865, the station area was quite large, covering about 55,000 square metres.

The Port Adelaide line opened to the public on April 21, 1856. It was a single track with a few stops along the way. Soon after, another line opened in 1857 to Smithfield, which later became part of today's Gawler line. This line was extended to important copper mining towns like Kapunda and Burra.

In 1880, a new line opened that went to Glenelg. This was a different line from the one that later became the Glenelg tram line. To manage more trains, special signals and track switches were added in 1875. The Port Adelaide line was also made into a double track in 1881.

The South Line, which goes through the Adelaide Hills, opened in 1883. It was later extended to Bordertown. In 1887, the first train trip between Adelaide and Melbourne happened. This train, called the Intercolonial Express, was special because passengers didn't have to change trains due to different track sizes.

Changes in the Early 1900s

Looking towards the Adelaide railway station from Hindley Street in 1937.

As more train lines were built, the area around Adelaide station became very busy. To help with this, the original station buildings were taken down and new ones were built in 1900.

More tracks were added to the South line in 1908. A new section of track opened in 1913, which later became part of the Seaford railway line. On the north side of the city, new tracks and a bridge over the River Torrens were built to help trains get to the station.

In 1912, a new area for goods trains and engine sheds opened at Mile End. This allowed freight trains to go around Adelaide station, making it less crowded. The old goods shed at the station was turned into a platform for the Glenelg line trains. The station also got a new electric signaling system in 1915, which helped control train movements.

The Webb Era: A Big Upgrade

The new station being built in 1927.

From 1922 to 1930, a man named William Alfred Webb led a huge project to improve the South Australian Railways. He wanted to make everything modern, from the tracks to the trains themselves.

One of the biggest changes Webb pushed for was rebuilding Adelaide station. Many designs were looked at, and the winning one came from local architects Daniel Garlick and Herbert Jackman. The new station building started being built on August 24, 1926, and was finished in 1928.

The new station was a massive building made of sandstone, designed in a grand, classic style. The top three floors held the railway offices, which used to be spread out across the city. The main hall had many places for travelers, like a dining room and shops. A very special part was the huge, domed Marble Hall, which was a beautiful waiting room. This hall is now part of the Adelaide Casino. The new station had 13 platforms, each with its own roof to protect people from smoke and fumes. Building this new station cost a lot of money, more than planned, and it caused some debate during the Great Depression.

After World War II: Changes and Modernization

A 520 class steam locomotive at Adelaide station in 1978.

Adelaide railway station in 1935.

After the 1950s, fewer people took country trains because more families owned cars. However, many country towns in South Australia still had daily train services. These trains often used comfortable, air-conditioned "Bluebird Railcars."

In 1978, the South Australian Railways was split into two parts. The Federal Government took over the country train lines and called their new company Australian National (AN). The State Government kept the local train lines around Adelaide and called their company the State Transport Authority (STA).

AN's long-distance trains continued to use Adelaide station for a few years. But in 1984, AN opened a new station called Keswick Passenger Terminal a little west of the city. After that, Adelaide station only served local suburban trains.

Modern Updates and Changes

From 1985 to 1987, Adelaide station went through its biggest changes since the 1920s. This project was called the Adelaide Station and Environs Redevelopment (ASER).

Here are some of the main changes:

• The outside of the old station building was cleaned up. The inside was turned into the Adelaide Casino, because the railway didn't need all that space anymore.
• A new hotel, the Hyatt Regency (now the InterContinental Adelaide), was built over the eastern part of the station.
• The Adelaide Convention Centre, an Exhibition Hall, and an office building were built over the middle and western parts of the station.
• The number of platforms was reduced, and some were made shorter. The remaining platforms became effectively underground. A special system was installed to remove the fumes from the diesel trains.

The tracks and signals were also updated in 1987/88. Control of the trains moved to a new control center. Two old signal cabins that controlled train movements were closed. One was taken down, but the other, called Wye Cabin, is still standing as a historic building, though it's not used.

Adelaide's main train maintenance area was near the station. In 2008, it was decided to move this area to Dry Creek to make space for the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. The new depot opened in 2011. In 2013, the station closed for a month while the Seaford railway line was updated to use electricity. New escalators were also added to the station's southern entrance to help more people get around easily.

In 2020, plans were announced to make the station building even better. This project will create a new entrance with beautiful vaulted ceilings and a special artwork. The goal is to make the station a lively place for people to meet and spend time, with more food and retail shops.

Train Services by Platform

This table shows which train lines use each platform at Adelaide Railway Station.

Gallery

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  The main entrance of Adelaide railway station, looking across North Terrace in 2007.

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  A view towards the Adelaide railway station building from North Terrace before 2006.

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  Adelaide station and Adelaide Casino from the Festival Centre plaza in 2009.

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  Inside the station's main hall. The Adelaide Casino is upstairs to the left, and the train platforms are to the right.

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  The main passenger area and ticket gates in 2010. These gates were later updated for Metrocards.

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  A 3000 class railcar waiting to leave platform 2 in 2010, before the line was extended and electrified.

Images for kids

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  An aerial view of Adelaide, including the railway station, city centre, and hills in 1935.