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<\/p>\n\n\n\nSouth Australia will receive less than one per cent of the $16 billion allocated for rail projects across the nation in this week\u2019s federal budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The budget papers published this week show that just $42.3 million in federal rail funding is allocated to South Australia over the next four years \u2013 by far the least amount of any Australian state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Federal rail funding by state and territory. Table: federal budget papers<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The funding is only 0.26 per cent of what the federal government has budgeted for rail projects across Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is also more than three times lower than Tasmania ($154.8 million) and six times lower than the ACT ($269.9 million), despite South Australia having a population three times higher than both those jurisdictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By contrast, South Australia will receive $5.34 billion in federal money for road projects \u2013 roughly 13 per cent of the national roads funding pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bulk of that money will go towards the final stage of the $15.4 billion North-South Corridor, which the federal government has agreed to fund 50\/50 until its completion in 2031.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Federal road funding across the states and territories. Source: federal budget papers<\/p>\n\n\n\n
University of South Australia senior lecturer Dr Andrew Allan said the lack of federal funding for South Australian rail projects reflected the state government\u2019s transport priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight now, much of the Commonwealth funding to South Australia for transport related activities is going into the north-south motorway, which reflects the state government\u2019s transport focus at the moment,\u201d Allan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith the state government, if they do not have any current projects on the books for investments in commuter rail and light rail, it makes it more difficult for the state government to ask the Commonwealth for funding support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n An artist impression of the North-South Corridor. Image: State Government<\/p>\n\n\n\n A spokesperson for the federal Department of Infrastructure and Transport said South Australia is receiving $5 million for an Adelaide and regional rail network extensions planning project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis will deliver planning studies for outer metropolitan and regional passenger rail service extensions, including development of new corridors and reactivation of closed corridors,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Malinauskas Government has so far not committed to any rail network extensions beyond a 1km spur line to Port Adelaide running off the Outer Harbor train line<\/a>. The project, which is currently under construction, will cost the state government $56.4 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Infrastructure and Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis has indicated, however, that he supports the concept of extending the rail network to the Riverlea housing estate<\/a> in Adelaide\u2019s northwest \u2013 but only once there is a sufficient population to justify it. A 12-month study examining transport options for the northern suburbs<\/a> is currently underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Infrastructure SA, the state government\u2019s independent infrastructure agency, is also developing South Australia\u2019s next\u00a020-Year State Infrastructure Strategy<\/a>. The agency has\u00a0already faced numerous calls to include greater rail investment<\/a>\u00a0in the new strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n InDaily <\/em>contacted Koutsantonis\u2019 office for comment on the federal budget expenditure, with a spokesperson saying: \u201cIt is important that proper planning work is done to inform budget bids to the Commonwealth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe state government is currently undertaking several planning studies into future infrastructure solutions across Adelaide and the broader state. These include the Adelaide Hills and Mount Barker and Northern Adelaide Transport Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Northern Adelaide Transport Study is considering potential opportunities to improve connectivity to, from, and within this region, including whether future mass transit links may support future population growth, improved connectivity and the state\u2019s decarbonisation efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt includes many of Adelaide\u2019s key growth areas, including Concordia, Dry Creek and Riverlea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll options are on the table, including rail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spokesperson also said the state government agreed last week to co-fund a business case for the Eyre Peninsula export grain supply chain which will be completed this year and \u201cprovide clear advice to the Australian Government on regional infrastructure priorities\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The federal budget also allocates $1 million towards planning the decarbonisation of Adelaide\u2019s metropolitan rail fleet, the federal department spokesperson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese planning projects will provide an opportunity to identify and prioritise future rail investment in South Australia, for consideration in future budgets,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The state government wants to decarbonise Adelaide\u2019s passenger rail network<\/a>, with three metropolitan rail lines \u2013 Belair, Outer Harbor and Grange \u2013 still operating diesel trains that are nearing the end of their service life.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The state Transport Department\u00a0appointed a global transport consultancy last year<\/a>\u00a0to investigate options, including battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell powered trains, to operate on Adelaide\u2019s remaining unelectrified lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An Adelaide Metro diesel railcar arrives at Port Adelaide station. Photo: Thomas Kelsall\/InDaily<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFull electrification of Adelaide\u2019s commuter rail network should be a priority,\u201d Allan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd one would think that this would be a funding priority at state and federal governments, but it doesn\u2019t appear to be at the current point in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt could be that the state government is happy with the existing network and doesn\u2019t see the need for new lines or capacity enhancement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Between 2018 and 2022, the state and federal governments jointly invested $842 million to electrify the Gawler line in a project which suffered numerous cost blowouts and delays<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The federal Department spokesperson highlighted that the Commonwealth put $280 million towards the Gawler line electrification as well as $252 million to upgrade the freight rail line between Adelaide and Tarcoola.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SA Freight Council chief executive Jonathan Wilson said that an upgrade of the Australian Rail Track Corporation line between Tarcoola and Kalgoorlie was not included in the budget\u2019s rail investment statistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve obviously got a lot smaller network (compared to other states), certainly in terms of passenger rail,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think from a rail point of view we\u2019ve actually done relatively okay, especially since most of our concerns from a freight rail point of view is that resilience going from east to west.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilson said there was also other maintenance work to South Australia\u2019s freight rail that did not appear in the rail investment table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lack of investment in South Australian passenger rail in this budget comes as the federal government allocates billions for other rail projects interstate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tuesday\u2019s federal budget included $1.2 billion for a rail link between the Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, $1.4 billion for Western Australia\u2019s rail network extension authority, $78.8 million for a business case to investigate high speed rail between Sydney and Newcastle, and $50 million to plan stage 2B of Canberra light rail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s on top of an existing $2.2 billion rail funding commitment for Victoria\u2019s troubled Suburban Rail Loop<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/D6412833-9965-475F-AAB2-85FE73BE8D1D-1024x575.jpeg\")
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