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.
Source: News Release, Government of South Australia, 13, May, 2016