
The metropolitan area of
Adelaide
Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
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
Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...
system managed by
Adelaide Metro
Adelaide Metro is the public transport system of the Adelaide area, around the capital city of South Australia. It is an intermodal passenger transport, intermodal system offering an integrated network of Buses in Adelaide, bus, Glenelg tram, ...
, consisting of a contracted bus system including the
O-Bahn Busway
The O-Bahn Busway is a guided busway that is part of the bus rapid transit system servicing the northeastern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The O-Bahn system was conceived by Daimler-Benz to enable buses to avoid traffic con ...
(a
guided busway),
six metropolitan railway lines, and the
Glenelg-Adelaide-Hindmarsh Tram. According to a study conducted by the
Australian Bureau of Statistics
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is an List of Australian Government entities, Australian Government agency that collects and analyses statistics on economic, population, Natural environment, environmental, and social issues to advi ...
, 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.
Roads

Road transport in Adelaide has historically been comparatively easier than many of the other Australian cities, with a well-defined city layout and wide multiple-lane roads from the beginning of its development. Adelaide has been called a "twenty-minute city", with commuters having been able to travel from metropolitan outskirts to the city proper in twenty minutes or less. However, the
Royal Automobile Association
The Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA) is an Australian motor club. It offers various services, including vehicle inspection, insurance and roadside assistance to members.
The RAA operates its services on a break-even bas ...
now considers these roads are inadequate to cope with Adelaide's growing road traffic volumes.
In 1964 the 'M.A.T.S.' plan (
Metropolitan Adelaide Transport Study
The Metropolitan Adelaide Transport Study, or "MATS Plan" as it became known, was a comprehensive transport plan released in 1968 proposing a number of road and rail transport projects for the metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia.
It ...
) was commissioned by the
Government of South Australia
The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government or the SA Government, is the executive branch of the state government, state of South Australia. It is modelled on the Westminster system, meaning that the h ...
. It examined establishing a large network of highways along Adelaide's main urban transport corridors. The plan went as far as the State Government of the day purchasing land along Adelaide's major roads, in preparation for highway construction. However, later State Governments abandoned the plan during the 1970s. The consequences of the political rejection of this plan are now being realised as increased traffic has caused travel times to increase, and congestion on main thoroughfares such as
South Road has become a daily reality.
Adelaide is connected to
Port Wakefield Road and the
Sturt Highway in the north, and the
South Eastern Freeway in the South East.
The
Southern Expressway acts as a bypass for congested South Road in the southern suburbs of Adelaide.
Bus
The focus of Adelaide's public transport system is the large fleet of diesel and natural gas powered buses. The majority of services terminate at the city-centre or at a suburban interchange. Buses get priority on many roads and intersections, with dedicated
bus lane
A bus lane or bus-only lane is a lane restricted to buses, generally to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion. The related term busway describes a roadway completely dedicated for use by buses, whilst ...
s and 'B'-light bus-only phases at many
traffic lights.
The
Adelaide Metro
Adelaide Metro is the public transport system of the Adelaide area, around the capital city of South Australia. It is an intermodal passenger transport, intermodal system offering an integrated network of Buses in Adelaide, bus, Glenelg tram, ...
buses are operated by:
[Minister for Transport – Report on the Adelaide Metro Bus Service Contracts](_blank)
, August 2011, retrieved 2011-12-03.
*
Torrens Transit – East-West (includes City Free), Outer North East and Outer North contract areas
*
Torrens Connect – North-South contract area, including the 300 suburban connector and O-Bahn services and the
light rail
Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
*
SouthLink – Hills contract area
*
Busways – Outer South contract area
The
O-Bahn Busway
The O-Bahn Busway is a guided busway that is part of the bus rapid transit system servicing the northeastern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The O-Bahn system was conceived by Daimler-Benz to enable buses to avoid traffic con ...
is one of a few
guided busways in the world. With large growth in the North-eastern Suburbs of Adelaide in the 1970s and 1980s, when Adelaide was faced with a transport dilemma. The Adelaide O-Bahn was constructed in 1986 in response, after beating competing proposals of expanded rail and road networks. (One of the competing proposals was to build an Adelaide
underground transport system, but proved to be cost-ineffective in comparison).
Interstate bus routes to and from all the major Australian towns and cities connect to Adelaide. The main terminus for intra and interstate coach-liners is the
Adelaide Central bus station on the corner of
Franklin and Bowen Streets in the city-centre. Beginning in 2005, the terminal is to undergo a complete $25 million reconstruction, in conjunction with the much larger $375 million former
Balfours site redevelopment – the end-product being a new multistorey bus station and various residential and commercial towers.
The Tindo ("Tindo",
Kaurna word for ''sun'')
solar bus is an experimental
battery electric vehicle
A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle, fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that uses electrical energy exclusively from an electric vehicle battery, on-boa ...
that operates in Adelaide. It uses 100% solar power, is equipped with a
regenerative braking system and air conditioning and can carry up to 40 persons, 25 of whom are seated. Hailed as the world's first bus service powered exclusively by solar power, the bus service connects Adelaide City and North Adelaide as part of Adelaide City's
sustainable transport
Sustainable transport is transportation sustainability, sustainable in terms of their social and Environmental issue, environmental impacts. Components for evaluating sustainability include the particular vehicles used; the source of energy; and ...
agenda. The Tindo is part of Adelaide's Free bus services, operated under the call signs, 98A and 98C (until very recently known as the Adelaide Connector bus service). Other Free services in Adelaide include the City Loop, operating under callsigns 99C and 99A, formerly known as 99C only. The 99B, the Beeline, was another free service which ran until 2007, when the
Glenelg tram line extension was finally inaugurated.
97A and 97C are new services which started when the new
Royal Adelaide Hospital opened. It connects the old one with the new one. Its route includes
North Terrace,
Currie and
Grenfell Streets. The service has now ceased, due to a tram operating in the same intended purpose.
Rail

While Adelaide's suburban passenger-rail network does not suffer the chronic delays of its inter-state counterparts, it is comparatively under-developed; Adelaide is the last mainland capital with a non-electric network, with a 10-year $2 billion transport program commencing in 2008–09 to rebuild and electrify the network. However, only the Seaford and Tonsley lines were electrified, being completed in 2014. After being announced and cancelled multiple times, the electrification of the full Gawler line is due for completion in late 2020. Adelaide is also the midpoint of the long distance ''
Indian Pacific'' service between
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
and
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, as well as the terminus of ''
The Overland
''The Overland'' is an interstate passenger train service in Australia, travelling between the state capitals of Melbourne and Adelaide, a distance of 828 km (515 mi). It first ran in 1887 as the ''Adelaide Express'', known by Sout ...
'' to
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
and ''
The Ghan'' to
Alice Springs
Alice Springs () is a town in the Northern Territory, Australia; it is the third-largest settlement after Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin and Palmerston, Northern Territory, Palmerston. The name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William ...
and
Darwin.
In 1968, a
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...
metro system was proposed in Adelaide underneath
King William Street along with a series of
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...
s, however it was scrapped due to public protest about the "
Americanisation" of the city. As part of the sweeping Metropolitan Adelaide Transport Study plan of 1968, the subway would have included three underground rapid train stations, including one at
Hindley Street, with a shopping centre on the level between the street and the rail line.

In late 2005, the
State Government
A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonom ...
released a State Infrastructure Plan.
This saw a
A$56 million upgrade of the Adelaide's sole remaining
tramway, from the city centre to the historic beachside resort of
Glenelg. The tram line was extended from the city centre to the railway station ( and then to new terminus in the inner north-west suburb of
Hindmarsh). In 2017 and 2018 a junction was created at the corner of North Terrace and
King William Street with a stub track leading north to one more stop near the
River Torrens
The River Torrens (Karrawirra Parri / Karrawirraparri) is the most significant river of the Adelaide Plains. It was one of the main reasons for the siting of the city of Adelaide, capital of South Australia. It flows from its source in the Ad ...
and to the eastern end of North Terrace. There are now fifteen
Bombardier Flexity Classic
The Bombardier Flexity Classic is a model of light rail, light-rail tram manufactured by Bombardier Transportation (now merged into Alstom). Although it is marketed as the most traditionally designed member of the Bombardier Flexity, Flexity fa ...
Light Rail
Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
vehicles and nine
Alstom Citadis (model 302) in service.
Construction of a new junction, branch lines along the eastern end of North Terrace and King William Road and four new stops began in July/August 2017 and opened on 13 October 2018.
Air
The
Adelaide Airport
Adelaide Airport, also known as Adelaide International Airport, is an International airport, international, Domestic airport, domestic and general aviation airport serving Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Located approximately 6 km ...
, located near
West Beach, is Australia's newest and most advanced airport terminal and is designed to serve in excess of 6.8 million passengers annually. The new dual international/domestic terminal replaced the old and ageing terminals known locally as the 'tin sheds', and incorporates new state-of-the-art features, such as glass aerobridges and the ability to cater for the new
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a very large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner.
Airbus studies started in 1988, and the pr ...
. The airport is designed to handle 27 aircraft simultaneously and it is capable of processing 3,000 passengers per hour. It was officially opened in a ceremony in October 2005 by
Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Marjorie Jackson-Nelson,
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of govern ...
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann (born 5 January 1953) is an Australian former politician who was the 44th premier of South Australia from 2002 to 2011. He was later Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2014, and List of Australi ...
and
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
John Howard.
Due to problems with the new refuelling system, the new airport terminal was not used for interstate domestic flights until 17 February 2006.
Parafield Airport is Adelaide's second airport, mostly used for general aviation. It is located 18 kilometres north of the CBD, and was Adelaide's main airport for many years.
RAAF Base Edinburgh
RAAF Base Edinburgh is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Military airfield, military airbase located in Edinburgh, South Australia, Edinburgh approximately north of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and forms part of the Edinburgh Defenc ...
is located 25 km north of the Adelaide CBD and is used by the military.
Adelaide public transportation statistics
The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Adelaide, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 65 min. 20.6% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 11 min, while 13.4% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 8 km, while 15% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.
[ Material was copied from this source, which is available under ]
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
.
See also
Adelaide
*
Adelaide Metro
Adelaide Metro is the public transport system of the Adelaide area, around the capital city of South Australia. It is an intermodal passenger transport, intermodal system offering an integrated network of Buses in Adelaide, bus, Glenelg tram, ...
*
Buses in Adelaide
*
Railways in Adelaide
*
Trams in Adelaide
The Adelaide tramways network served much of the inner suburbs and several outer suburbs of Adelaide, Australia, from 1878 until soon after World War II, when it started to decline. The sole Glenelg tram line, Glenelg light rail line, which was ...
*
List of Adelaide railway stations
This is a list of the 89 currently operating suburban railway stations in Adelaide, South Australia, in addition to active proposals. The network comprises six lines, all originating from the terminus at Adelaide railway station.
List of current ...
*
List of public transport routes in Adelaide
Public transport in Adelaide, South Australia, is managed by the Government of South Australia, State Government's Department for Infrastructure & Transport, branded as Adelaide Metro. Today bus services are operated by contractors: Busways, ...
South Australia
*
Transport in South Australia
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Rail transport in South Australia
Superseded Transport Authorities
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Municipal Tramways Trust
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State Transport Authority
*
TransAdelaide
Australia
*
Transport in Australia
References
{{Reflist
External links
Adelaide MetroOffice of Public Transport