O-Bahn Busway - History

History

Adelaide has had significant population growth since the industrial expansion following World War II, with the population having more than doubled from 312,619 in 1933 to 727,916 in 1966. In addition to the growing population, there was an explosion in the number of new motor vehicle registrations, a 43-fold increase in the period from 1944–65. This was fuelled by nation-wide full employment, annual economic growth close to 10%, and the discontinuation of government fuel rationing after World War II. Across Australia as a whole, the car was seen as a personal liberator and what was not long earlier a domain of the wealthy was sought after by mainstream society. Concurrent with this growth, a transport blueprint, developed with American assistance, was presented in 1968: the Metropolitan Adelaide Transport Study (MATS). The plan envisaged a large network of freeways crossing the metropolitan area, together with an underground city loop railway. One of the freeways to be constructed was the Modbury Freeway, connecting a city bypass route with the then predominantly barren and undeveloped north-eastern suburbs. The freeway was to be built in a linear park alongside the River Torrens.

The size of the MATS plan resulted in considerable public opposition; several suburbs were to completely disappear under interchanges, with Hindmarsh to be removed to make way for a multi-entry interchange. Widespread images of gridlock in similar overseas freeway networks also contributed to this opposition. The plan was abandoned by successive governments, and much of the land held by the Highways Department was sold off for housing developments. However, the land for the Modbury Freeway was retained and later renamed from "Modbury Freeway Corridor" to "Modbury Transport Corridor". The Modbury corridor was left to degrade, eventually becoming landfill.

The population of the Tea Tree Gully region increased from 2,561 in 1954 to 91,921 in 2001, through new housing developments. In 1973, the State Director-General of Transport spoke about using the Modbury corridor for public transport to improve services in the area, initially suggesting a heavy rail line be constructed to connect with the railway system. Over the next four years, the Department conducted the North East Public Transport Review (NEAPTR), which considered heavy rail, light rail, busways and freeways as options for the corridor. The study concluded in 1978 that a light rail line or busway were most viable. The governing Australian Labor Party, under Premier Don Dunstan, decided on a light rail proposal to extend the historic Glenelg tram. The new route was to continue along King William Street beyond the present terminus in Victoria Square and weave through the Adelaide Park Lands to the Modbury corridor.

The light rail system was to connect with feeder buses at stations along the length of the corridor to transfer passengers onto suburban routes. New light rail vehicles were to be bought to replace the ageing 1929 H-Class vehicles. However, public opposition to the project was broad; the Adelaide City Council objected to the plan on the basis that it would interfere with the well-designed layout of the city proper. In response, the Government altered the plan to redirect the line underneath the city, significantly increasing the cost. Residents in inner-city suburbs such as St Peters were concerned about the noise of the light rail vehicles, and protested against any disruption of the Torrens Gorge, which lies in the Modbury corridor. The Liberal MP for Torrens, Michael Wilson, representing the north-eastern suburbs, vocally opposed the project on behalf of his constituents.

Drilling commenced on the tunnel, but the resignation in 1979 of popular Premier Dunstan weakened the Government, along with widespread bus strikes and public dissatisfaction with the light rail project. In elections held that year, the Liberal Party gained government with a swing of 11% in their favour. Wilson became Transport Minister in the new cabinet and construction of the light rail project was halted immediately.

In search of a replacement for the light rail project, the new Government sent experts to examine an innovative guided bus system being developed in West Germany by Daimler-Benz for use in tram tunnels in Essen. After extensive consultations with German authorities, State Transport Department engineers decided the O-Bahn could be used. The system was seen as far superior to previous proposals; it used less land, made less noise, was faster and cost less. In addition, its unique feature of a non-transfer service direct from suburban streets to the city centre made it more attractive. Plans were drawn up for a length of 12 kilometres (7.5 mi): initially only three kilometres (1.9 mi) were to be constructed as O-Bahn, with the rest being conventional busway. However, safety concerns and public opposition led to O-Bahn being used for the entire length. Construction began in 1983 for the first section to Paradise Interchange. In 1982 the Tonkin Liberal Government that oversaw the O-Bahn's development lost office and was succeeded by the Bannon-led Labor Party resulting in uncertainty over the future of the project. The Bannon Government, after consultations, decided to continue with Stage 1 (City to Paradise) and in 1986 proceeded with Stage 2 (Paradise to Tea Tree Plaza). The cost of the project totalled $98 million, including the buses.

The O-Bahn had more than 4 million passenger trips in the year after completion of Stage 1 in 1986, with a 30% increase the following year. When the completed O-Bahn was opened on 20 August 1989, passenger numbers rose another 17%. The Adelaide public transport system was privatised in the 1990s and overall patronage across all systems (bus, rail and tram) dropped 25%. The exception to this was the O-Bahn with no decrease, and there were 19,500 passenger trips daily in 1996 (7.13 million a year). Currently there are 22,000 passenger trips daily (8 million a year).

There have been a number of proposals to extend the O-Bahn to Golden Grove and to the southern suburbs. An extension to Golden Grove would require the acquisition of extensive tracts of private property, in the absence of an available corridor. Population increase in the area is negligible, although sprawl continues from Tea Tree Plaza Interchange for another eight kilometres to the Adelaide Hills. The current route was built with an allowance for a station at Grand Junction Road but it has not been built.

The southern O-Bahn proposal has attracted the most attention and has been the subject of various studies and Parliamentary Committees as to its viability since 1996. The rail route through Adelaide's far south is off-centre, without the large catchment area of a more central transport route. An O-Bahn running direct through the region would be able to take advantage of an already large population and the continuing growth in the area. The most suggested route for an O-Bahn has been for an alignment adjacent to the Noarlunga rail line from the city to the Tonsley branch line. The O-Bahn would end there, with buses continuing on an upgraded (dual-carriageway) Southern Expressway through the far south. Construction of this O-Bahn would require moving the railway track slightly to fit the O-Bahn alongside. In addition, Emerson Crossing and the tram overpass would require huge alteration. The estimated cost of construction, A$182 million, was considered too expensive, and the proposal was suspended in 2001. The current Labor Government has focused on road upgrades and an inner-city light rail extension.

The purchase of 160 buses at a cost of $120 million is to take place over the five years from 2007 to 2012 to replace buses used on the O-Bahn and inner city routes, where the fleet is near its 25-year age limit. With the contract expected to be finalised by June 2007, the first buses are planned to be delivered in 2008. Being replaced are the current $90 million contract for 170 buses won by Scania with Custom Coaches from 2001 over five years. With the new contract, Adelaide expects to be at 89% disability accessible by 2013 and fully accessible by 2022, and all buses will be air-conditioned by 2013. There are also plans to upgrade the O-Bahn track and interchanges with a new state of the art ticketing system. It is planned that weekday travel by public transport will double by 2018.