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Subject: Mon.13.6.22 daily digest

19.34 down Tait through Surrey Hills?  [IIRC a dinner trip to Blackburn for passengers from a Rail Cruise tour]

Roderick

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Mon.13.6.22 Metro Twitter
Flinders St: still with a lane closed for tunnel works? [reopened by July?  Closed again by Nov.]
Campbell Arcade (Flinders St station) is closed until 2024. The exit from the Myki gates within the subway will also be closed. No pedestrian access between the arcade & Flinders St. Use Elizabeth & Swanston St entry/exits. Platform  interchange via that subway will be available until mid 2022.
Mernda line: Trains will run to an altered timetable until Sep 2022 (works).  Trains operate on a single track Thornbury - Regent, and trains will not stop at Bell or Preston.  Shuttle buses operate Thornbury - Bell - Preston - Regent - Reservoir. No access to station facilities during this time.
Buses replace trains Sunshine - Sunbury until the last train of Wed 29 Jun (works).
Queen's Birthday: Services will run to a Saturday timetable today, with extra services to get fans to/from the MCG for the AFL
On the Queen's Birthday public holiday today, public transport will run to a Saturday timetable, but some services may be altered or will not run. The last tram will run approximately one hour earlier. 
Night Network will not run. 
11.09 Werribee line: Buses to replace trains between Newport and Laverton (a person hit by a train). Replacement buses have been ordered, but will take over 60 minutes to arrive
- 12.15 Buses replacing train.
- 13.37 Trains have resumed.
15.19 Minor delays on the Frankston line (police near Southland).
- 15.47 clearing.
Pakenham/Cranbourne/Frankston lines: Buses replace trains city - Oakleigh/Moorabbin from 8pm to last train tonight, while maintenance works take place. Take a Lilydale/Belgrave/Glen Waverley train to Burnley to connect with express buses.
Jolimont: Heading towards Hurstbridge or Mernda? Enter Jolimont via Yarra Park where there are plenty of extra trains running to get you home from the AFL!
Richmond: Heading towards Lilydale, Belgrave, or GlenWaverley [and Alamein]? Enter Richmond via Brunton Ave for trains departing Platforms 9 and 10. Plenty of extra trains are running to get you home from the AFL!

Adelaide train line back in action, amid claims ending transport privatisation deal could cost taxpayers $70m 12 June 2022
Four out of 12 rail cars have been electrified as the long-awaited Gawler train line reopens today. (ABC News: Chris Lawless)  Provided by ABC NEWS
The 42-kilometre-long passenger line between Adelaide's CBD and Gawler in the north is finally back in action, after multiple project delays and cost blowouts.
The state government has offered passengers free travel all day Sunday in an effort to entice commuters back to the train after an 18-month hiatus.
Taxpayers will foot an almost $900 million bill for the project, which was originally costed at $615 million.
Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis described the project's management under the previous Liberal government as a "hot mess."
"A year and a half of frustration is now over," he said.
"The long-suffering people along this line all of a sudden get their amenity back, get their connectivity back to the city of Adelaide, university students will get back in quickly and efficiently."
Only four out of 12 rail cars have been electrified, with diesel trains to continue to be used on the line until 2023, when the remaining eight electric locomotives are delivered.
The electrification of the Gawler line was first announced in 2008 under the previous Labor government, but was shelved for almost a decade until 2018, when the newly-elected Liberal government secured funding from the federal coalition.
Since then, the project has been dogged by delayed opening dates after first being slated for 2020, then 2021 and finally June 2022.
The new Labor government has promised a series of "activities and giveaways" at various stations along the train line this week, to thank the community and businesses for their patience.
"This is a great opportunity for previous users of the Gawler line — and those new to train travel — to come and try the new electrified line," Mr Koutsantonis said.
$70m 'exit fee' to rip up contract
The new Labor government has pledged to "rip up" a $2.14 billion contract with Keolis Downer, a private consortium the former Liberal government engaged to run Adelaide's rail network in 2020.
In last week's state budget, $1 million was allocated for a "commission of inquiry" to determine the most cost-effective way to end the government's 12-year contract with the company.
Liberal Party spokesman Vincent Tarzia said the opposition had acquired "new information" from the transport department revealing taxpayers could be slugged with a $70 million "exit fee" if the Keolis Downer deal is terminated before June 2023.
"Treasury gave advice months ago that it will cost taxpayers a minimum of $40 million to tear up the contract with Keolis Downer," Mr Tarzia said.
"Labor has the power right now to review the contract. They could find out in a matter of seconds if it will cost millions to break the Keolis Downer deal.
"That's why it makes no sense for Peter Malinauskas to pour $1 million down the drain for a Commission of Inquiry to find out information he already has access to."
Mr Koutsantonis said he didn't believe ending the contract would cost "anywhere near" the sum suggested by the opposition.
"When this [train] system was being operated by the public, it's was being operated cheaper than it is under private hands. How does that benefit the taxpayer?
"We have a public mandate, which I believe trumps any contract."
<www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/adelaide-train-line-back-in-action-amid-claims-ending-transport-privatisation-deal-could-cost-taxpayers-70m/ar-AAYmqor?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=934c9e4b9048443ea4bfdfc5ab30806d>