Adelaide Showgrounds Station

This weekend I went to the Adelaide Showgrounds, so for the first time it gave me the opportunity to travel by train to the permanent Adelaide Showgrounds Station, part of the Adelaide Metro train network.

Above is the train I arrived at Adelaide Showgrounds Station Platform 1. The train is 4005, an electric train bound for Seaford Station in the Adelaide southern suburbs. The Tonsley line (a branch line off the Seaford line) also services this platform.

You can click on any of these images to view them in a much larger resolution.

The Adelaide Showgrounds Station is completely under cover, which is great news on this day since it was raining heavily with thunderstorms too!

Before this station was opened in 2013, every year for the Adelaide Show only (in September) a temporary station platform was built/torn down to allow people to get to/from the show - this is a big improvement on the previous arrangement, which was only available at the Adelaide Show time. Now it can be used for any event staged at the Adelaide Showgrounds throughout the year (and there are many).

Below is the view from Platform 2, which is the Adelaide Station bound platform for Seaford and Tonsley line trains:

This is the view from Platform 2 towards Adelaide Station.  Up the stairs is the crossover  bridge to platform 1 and the exit ramp towards Anzac Highway in the distance. Beyond Anzac Highway bridge was the original Keswick Station that was demolished and this station built in it's place.

On Platform 3 is the Belair railway line to/from Adelaide. As the Belair line is one line only, there are no separate up/down tracks - trains to/from Adelaide depart from the same platform. This is the view towards Adelaide Station from the platform:

Next photo is the view from Platform 3 towards Belair. You can see another railway line to the right of the Belair line - this is the standard gauge line to Melbourne, used by freight trains and also the Overland train (Great Southern Rail), which departs from the nearby Adelaide Parklands Station (on the other side of Anzac Highway - behind where the photo is taken from):

I covered the Overland service in much more detail in my blog entry in April 2014 when I travelled on it , if interested.

Here is the Belair line train, a 3000 series Diesel train arriving from Adelaide Station into Platform 3, with two carriages for this service:

Closer look at the 3000 series carriages while stationary at Adelaide Showgrounds Station:

The Belair line is run by Diesel trains only. The overhead electric wires over the Belair line from Adelaide Railway Station only last until the line separates from the Seaford line a little further south allow options for electric trains to use the section also when needed. Not sure if Electric trains use the extra line often or not though.

View on Platform 3 as the Belair line train leaves, headed for Belair Station.

Another 4000 series Electric train arrives into Platform 1 at Adelaide Showgrounds Station. This view is from Platform 2, looking towards Adelaide Station direction:

The 4000 series electric train consists are generally 3 carriages, but 6 is also possible:

Close up view of 4005 stationary at platform 1:

4005 departing the station towards Seaford:

My final movement is the electric train (4007) I was waiting to catch back to Adelaide Station on Adelaide Showgrounds Station Platform 2, a Seaford line service:

Adelaide Showgrounds Station is certainly a nice station, modern, well laid out and very useful when going to/from the Adelaide Showgrounds!