State Transport Authority (South Australia)

Last updated

STA logo.GIF
Government Agency overview
Formed18 April 1974
Preceding Government Agency
Dissolved30 June 1994
Superseding agency
Jurisdiction South Australia
Headquarters Adelaide

The State Transport Authority (STA) was the government agency which controlled public transport in South Australia between 1974 and 1994.[ citation needed ]

Contents

History

The State Transport Authority was established by the State Transport Authority Act 1974, [1] which aimed to provide an integrated and co-ordinated system of public transport within South Australia. This was to be achieved by assuming direct control of state-operated services (particularly in the Adelaide metropolitan area) and by exercising regulatory control of privately operated services.

The STA was dissolved (and the 1974 Act repealed) as a consequence of the Passenger Transport Act 1994. These reforms split the STA into the Passenger Transport Board, which coordinated and funded the public transport system, and TransAdelaide, which actually operated metropolitan buses, trains and trams. The formation of TransAdelaide was a prelude to competitive tendering and the introduction of private operators into the Adelaide public transport network.

Formation

In the period following its establishment on 18 April 1974, the State Transport Authority took over the functions of three government agencies. These were initially structured as three independent divisions of the STA:

Sale of railways

In 1975, the Whitlam Federal Government proposed a nationalisation program for Australia's railways. It was recognised at the time that Australia's system of separate state-controlled railways led to unnecessary duplication of facilities and administration, inefficient operating practices, high costs and the lack of a uniform national approach to railway policy. Whitlam's proposal aimed to address these issues.

South Australia and Tasmania were the only states which agreed to the nationalisation plan and in South Australia's case the transfer agreement only extended to railways outside the Adelaide suburban area.

On 1 July 1975, the Federal Government took over financial responsibility for the non-metropolitan railways in South Australia and reimbursed the South Australian government for operating deficits incurred after this time. After formation of the Rail Division on 8 December 1975, the STA continued to administer and operate all the ex South Australian Railways (SAR) on behalf of the Federal government. This interim arrangement lasted for over two years while the precise details of the sale of South Australia's railways were devised, disputed and re-negotiated, and the operating and management structures of the new Federal-controlled railway were put into place.

Eventually, on 1 March 1978 the responsibility for management of all South Australia's non-metropolitan railways was transferred to the Australian National Railways Commission. This included much of the former SAR infrastructure, rolling stock and staff.

The STA retained ownership and responsibility for all the suburban railway system around Adelaide, including the centrally located Adelaide railway station, the entire fleet of Redhen railcars and two 830 class diesel locomotives. At the same time, the separate Rail and Bus & Tram Divisions of the STA were combined.

Chronology

The following developments occurred in Adelaide's public transport system during the STA era.

Railway line closures

In past years, one feature of Adelaide's railway system was the number of industrial branch lines which were intended mainly for freight, but were also provided with passenger trains at peak hours. These industrial trains were progressively rationalised during the STA era, along with some other lightly used services.

Railway closures in STA era
DestinationDate of last trainStations closed
Semaphore 29 October 1978Semaphore
Exeter
Finsbury 17 August 1979Woodville North
No.18 Shed
Finsbury Stores
ICI Osborne 1 January 1980ICI Osborne
Hendon 1 February 1980Hendon
Port Dock11 September 1981 Port Dock
Islington Railway Workshops 31 July 1986 Islington Works
Northfield 24 July 1987Cavan
Pooraka
Northfield
Bridgewater 26 July 1987 National Park
Long Gully
Upper Sturt
Mount Lofty
Heathfield
Madurta
Aldgate
Jibilla
Carripook
Bridgewater
Dry Creek to Port Adelaide 27 May 1988
(§ closed 29 May 1987)
§ Wingfield
§ North Arm Road
§ Eastern Parade
Grand Junction Road
Rosewater
Penfield 4 January 1991 Hilra
Penfield 1
Penfield 2
Penfield 3
GMH Elizabeth14 August 1992 GMH

Note regarding closure dates: Common railway practice is to record the official closure of a line as a date which falls on a Sunday. In cases where the train service only operated Monday to Friday, this means the last train would actually have run on the preceding Friday. This was the situation in most (but not all) examples in the table above. Hence the "last train" date quoted may differ by a day or two from the official record.

Publications

Keeping Track was the STA's house journal that was founded by the SAR in August 1973 when Rail News was renamed. [2] [3] It continued to be published until April 1976. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Melbourne</span> Tramway network in Victoria, Australia

The Melbourne tramway network is a tramway system serving the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The tramway network is centred around the Melbourne central business district (CBD) and consists of approximately 1,700 tram stops across 24 routes. It is the largest operational urban tram network in the world and one of the most used, with more than 500 trams and 250 kilometres of double tram track. It served a patronage of 206 million over the year 2017-2018. Trams are the second most utilised form of public transport in Melbourne after the city's metropolitan commuter railway network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide Metro</span> Public transport system around Adelaide, Australia

Adelaide Metro is the public transport system of the Adelaide area, around the capital city of South Australia. It is an intermodal system offering an integrated network of bus, tram, and train services throughout the metropolitan area. The network has an annual patronage of 79.9 million, of which 51 million journeys are by bus, 15.6 million by train, and 9.4 million by tram. The system has evolved heavily over the past fifteen years, and patronage increased dramatically during the 2014–15 period, a 5.5 percent increase on the 2013 figures due to electrification of frequented lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide railway station</span> Railway station in Adelaide, South Australia

Adelaide railway station is the central terminus of the Adelaide Metro railway system. All lines approach the station from the west, and it is a terminal station with no through lines, with most of the traffic on the metropolitan network either departing or terminating here. It has nine below-ground platforms, all using broad gauge track. The station is located on the north side of North Terrace, west of Parliament House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TransAdelaide</span> Former South Australian Government transport agency

TransAdelaide was a publicly owned corporation established in July 1994, which provided suburban train, tram and bus services in Adelaide, South Australia, under contract to the Government of South Australia. It took over these responsibilities from the State Transport Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railways in Adelaide</span> Regional rail network

The rail network in Adelaide, South Australia, consists of four lines and 89 stations, totalling 132 km (82 mi). It is operated by Keolis Downer under contract from the Government of South Australia, and is part of the citywide Adelaide Metro public transport system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3000 class railcar</span>

The 3000 class and 3100 class are diesel railcars that operate on the Adelaide rail network. Built by Comeng and Clyde Engineering between 1987 and 1996, they entered service under the State Transport Authority before later being operated by TransAdelaide and Adelaide Metro. Trains are typically coupled as multiple units, though the 3000 class are also able to run as single units when needed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Transit Authority</span> NSW Government public transit authority

The State Transit Authority of New South Wales, also referred to as State Transit, was an agency of the Government of New South Wales operating bus services in Sydney. Superseding the Urban Transit Authority in 1989, it was also responsible for the provision of ferry services in Sydney until 2004 and bus and ferry services in Newcastle until 2017. It ceased trading after 2 April 2022 with its remaining operations to be contracted out by Transport for NSW to replacement operators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gawler line</span> Commuter railway line in Adelaide, South Australia

The Gawler line, also known as the Gawler Central line, is a suburban commuter railway line in the city of Adelaide, South Australia. The Gawler Line is the most frequent and heavily patronised line in the Adelaide rail network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belair line</span> Rail line in Adelaide, South Australia

The Belair line is a suburban rail commuter route in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, that runs from the Adelaide station to Belair in the Adelaide Hills via the Adelaide-Wolseley line using diesel 3000/3100 class railcars. Prior to 1995, this part of Adelaide-Wolseley was a two-track broad gauge line. In 1995, Adelaide-Wolseley was converted to standard gauge meaning Adelaide to Belair is now effectively two separate single-track lines running in parallel: the Belair commuter line and the Adelaide-Wolseley standard gauge freight line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Adelaide</span> Transportation network of Adelaide, Australia

The metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia is served by a wide variety of transport. Being centrally located on the Australian mainland, it forms a hub for east–west and north–south routes. The road network includes major expressways such as the Southern Expressway, the South Eastern Freeway, the Port River Expressway, the Northern Expressway and the South Road Superway. The city also has a public transport system managed by Adelaide Metro, consisting of a contracted bus system including the O-Bahn Busway, six metropolitan railway lines, and the Glenelg-Adelaide-Hindmarsh Tram. According to a study conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Adelaide has the highest passenger vehicle travel to work (84%) and the second lowest proportion of people walking to work (2.9%)–something that is being combated by the South Australian government in an effort to increase citizen ridership and use of public transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Australian Railways Redhen railcar</span> Class of Australian railcar / diesel multiple unit

The Redhen railcars was the nickname given to the 300 and 400 classes of diesel-hydraulic railcars designed by the South Australian Railways and built at its Islington Railway Workshops between 1955 and 1971. The railcars, which operated in Adelaide suburban service until 1996, remain a nostalgic part of South Australian memory. Some continue to be operated by the SteamRanger Heritage Railway, the National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide and other railway preservation entities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salisbury railway station, Adelaide</span> Railway station in Adelaide, South Australia

Salisbury railway station is a railway station and bus interchange in the northern Adelaide suburb of Salisbury. It is on the Gawler line, 20.2 kilometres (12.6 mi) from Adelaide station. Adjoining it is a large park & ride carpark, making it one of the busiest stations on the Adelaide suburban rail system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal Tramways Trust</span> South Australian government transport operator 1906 to 1975

The Municipal Tramways Trust (MTT) was established by the Government of South Australia in December 1906 to purchase all of the horse-drawn tramways in Adelaide, South Australia. The Trust subsequently also ran petrol and diesel buses and electric trolleybuses. It ceased to exist on 8 December 1975, when its functions were transferred to the State Transport Authority, which also operated Adelaide's suburban train services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Tasmania</span> Tasmanian government bus operator

Metro Tasmania, commonly called Metro, a Tasmanian Government business enterprise, is the largest bus operator in the state of Tasmania, Australia, with operations in three of the four largest urban centres of Hobart, Launceston, and Burnie. Urban services in Devonport are provided by a private operator, Kinetic. Services are provided by Metro under a range of urban and non-urban contracts with the Transport Commission, a division within the Department of State Growth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Adelaide</span> Overview of trams in Adelaide, South Australia

Until 1958, trams formed a network spanning most of Adelaide, South Australia, with a history dating back to 1878. Adelaide ran horse trams from 1878 to 1914 and electric trams from 1909, but has primarily relied on buses for public transport since the mid-20th century. Electric trams, and later trolleybuses, were Adelaide's main method of public transport throughout the life of the electric tram network. The tram network was progressively closed down through the 1950s with the last lines closing in 1958; the Glenelg tram line was the only line to survive these closures and has remained in operation ever since and has been progressively upgraded and extended since 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buses in Adelaide</span> Adelaide buses information

Buses in Adelaide are the most extensive service of the South Australian capital's public transport system, the Adelaide Metro. A large fleet of diesel, hybrid diesel-electric, and natural gas powered buses operate services which typically terminate in the city-centre or at a suburban interchange. Buses get priority on many roads and intersections, with dedicated bus lanes and 'B'-light bus only phases at many traffic lights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Transit Authority (Victoria)</span> Former public transport operator in Melbourne, Australia

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), known to the general public as The Met, was a Government of Victoria owned corporate body that operated suburban passenger trains, trams and buses in Victoria, Australia. It was set up under Section 15 of the Transport Act 1983 and commenced operation on 1 July 1983. It was a statutory body set up to manage the trams and buses formerly operated by the Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board, the metropolitan train operations of the former VicRail, and the operations of the former Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railways in Perth</span> Public transport system serving Perth, Western Australia

Railways in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, have existed since 1881, when the Eastern Railway was opened between Fremantle and Guildford. Today, Perth has seven Transperth commuter rail lines and 75 stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transperth</span> Public transport system serving Perth, Western Australia

Transperth is the public transport system for Perth and surrounding areas in Western Australia. It is managed by the Public Transport Authority (PTA), a state government organisation, and consists of train, bus and ferry services. Bus operations are contracted out to Swan Transit, Path Transit and Transdev. Ferry operations are contracted out to Captain Cook Cruises. Train operations are done by the PTA through their Transperth Train Operations division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Transport Trust</span> Former public transport provider in Western Australia

The Metropolitan (Perth) Passenger Transport Trust was a statutory authority of the Government of Western Australia from 1958 to 2003. From 1958 to the mid-1990s, it operated bus and ferry services within the Perth metropolitan area. From 1974 to 1993, it managed suburban rail services within the Perth metropolitan area as well, contracting the operation of those services to Westrail.

References

  1. State Transport Authority Act. 1974. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  2. Commissioner's Comments Keeping Track issue 59 April 1973 page 1
  3. SAR House Journal Railway Transportation June 1973 page 4
  4. Keeping Track National Library of Australia