page_title: Tramways revival in Adelaide
section_title: Developments since the 2018 election
hierarchical_section_title: Tramways revival in Adelaide / Developments since the 2018 election
caption_attribution_description: English: An Adelaide Metro tramways route map published in 2019 by the South Australian Government Department for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure
context_page_description: Adelaide’s tram services started with horse trams that from 1878 ran on a network of lines extending eventually to about 100 km in length. Thirty-one years later, starting in 1909, the lines were upgraded and electrified. Forty-nine years after that, in 1958, all street tramlines were closed, leaving only the Glenelg tram line operating. In 2005, major investments in infrastructure and modern trams inaugurated what has become a tramways revival, leading to a 50 per cent increase in the route length of the city's tramways.
context_section_description: The Liberal Party formed government on 19 March 2018 and its manifesto became the framework for government policy.
  On 6 August 2018, Adelaide-headquartered company York Civil, which had constructed some of Adelaide's significant infrastructure projects and had partnered with Downer EDI Works Limited as a joint venture to build the tram extension along North Terrace to the East End, went into voluntary administration.
  On 7 August, the premier conceded that an election pledge to build the right-hand turn on to North Terrace would not meet its stated 12-month deadline. He blamed the previous government, saying it "didn't make it clear before the election just how badly derailed that project was .... The tram issue is just a continuing problem … more trouble than the early settlers". His transport minister said further work would depend on a departmental review to be completed in October, when engineering advice would clarify the next steps forward, but "we are committed to delivering our election commitments".
  On 3 October 2018 trams began operating over the 900 metre (980 yard) extension along the remainder of North Terrace and its cultural precinct, to the Botanic Garden, and the 350 metre (380 yard) extension along King William Road past the Adelaide Festival Centre, running only on weekends and for special events.
  In November 2018, after receiving expert advice from engineering consultancy Aurecon Australasia, the government withdrew its commitment to build the right-hand turn, citing an increased cost estimate (to more than $117 million, including  $70 million to purchase and operate trams that could negotiate the bend); the unacceptable derailment risks to Citadis trams because of the gradients involved; and the necessity for the very busy intersection to be shut down for 8 to 10 weeks.
  In January 2019 the transport minister stated that the government needed to finalise a claims process with contractor Downer Group on the North Terrace and King William Road extensions before an external review  of cost over-runs and would be completed. He also alluded to the impending establishment of the South Australian Public Transport Authority, which "will inform the development of a comprehensives public transport strategy that is customer focused, more reliable, accessible and better suit[s] the needs of South Australians".
  Adelaide is the only Australian capital city to have a publicly funded and operated tram system. In July 2019, the South Australian government announced plans to contract the operation of Adelaide's train and tram services. The government would still own and control rail assets, including trains, trams, tracks and stations, and would continue to set the fare price for travel. It acknowledged, however, that although tram patronage had increased by 7 per cent between the financial years 2015–16 and 2017–18, and on trains by 3 per cent, Adelaide's public transport network was underperforming. It had one of the lowest patronage levels in the country, and surveys revealed that customers wanted a better level of services than was currently provided.
  Links to other articles about Adelaide tramways are accessible by clicking [show]in the panel at the beginning of this article.
caption: Adelaide Metro tramway routes in 2019. (Click map to enlarge.)
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