State Transport Authority (South Australia)

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

History

The State Transport Authority was established by the ''State Transport Authority Act 1974'', 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The STA was dissolved (and the 1974 Act repealed) as a consequence of th
''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:

*The South Australian Railways Commission became the Rail Division on 8 December 1975.
*The Municipal Tramways Trust (MTT) became the Bus & Tram Division, also on 8 December 1975. By this time all of Adelaide's tramways had closed, except the Glenelg tram line. However the MTT continued to operate most of the local bus routes in the inner metropolitan area, which often followed former tram lines. The MTT was also involved in buying out many of the private bus operators then operating in the Adelaide suburbs.
*The Transport Control Board became the Regulation Division.

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.

*25 January 1976; The Hallett Cove line was extended southwards from Hallett Cove Beach to a temporary terminus at Christie Downs. The opening of the rail line extension was the first public event where the new STA name and logo was prominently used.
*1976; Smoking was banned on Adelaide's buses.
*4 February 1977; A new bus depot was opened at Morphettville in the south-western suburbs.
*1977 to 1980; The STA took delivery of 307 new Volvo B59 buses. The Volvos updated and standardised the metropolitan bus fleet, which at the time comprised a wide variety of vehicle types and ages following buy-out of a number of private operators. The last example was withdrawn from service in 2003.
*31 October 1977; The Circle Line bus service was introduced.
*1 March 1978; Non-metropolitan railways were transferred to Australian National.
*2 April 1978; The Christie Downs line was extended southwards from Christie Downs to Noarlunga Centre.
*28 October 1978; The Semaphore line closed between Glanville and Semaphore.
*October 1978 to April 1979; The wooden Goodwood Overpass over the railway lines at Goodwood station was replaced with the current concrete structure. The wooden bridge had been built in 1929, at the time the line was converted from a railway to tramway.
*4 February 1979; A zone-based fare integrated ticketing system was introduced across Adelaide, allowing transfers between modes.
*17 August 1979; Finsbury line closed between Woodville and Finsbury. Redhen railcar 429 worked the last regular passenger service.
*1 February 1980; Hendon line closed between Albert Park and Hendon. Redhen railcar 403 worked the last regular passenger service.
*22 February 1980; The first 2000 class railcars entered public service, 2101, 2102 and 2001 ran its first passenger service on 22 February 1980 while 2103, 2104 and 2002 were introduced shortly after. Delivery of the new trains continued until August 1981 when 2118 and 2012 were the final cars to be delivered.
*1980; The first Pressed Metal Corporation South Australia bodied Volvo B58 and B10M buses were delivered for services into the Adelaide Hills and longer-distance suburban routes. They were painted in a characteristic brown and custard colour livery, leading to their nickname "Brown Bombers". Known for their distinctively loud transmission whine, these buses were to become a familiar sight over the next 25 years, especially in the Adelaide Hills and outer suburbs until their withdrawals between 2004 and 2006.
*1981; New rail stations were opened in September 1981 at North Haven on the Outer Harbor line, and in November 1981 at Christie Downs on the Noarlunga line.
*13 September 1981; Port Dock station closed.
*1982; The first MAN SL200 buses entered service. These were the last buses to be delivered in the classic all over silver livery (with white roof), which dated from MTT days. Originally, these buses were mostly used on shorter distance city routes, the last was withdrawn in 2011.
*18 May 1984; The few remaining Australian National (AN) country passenger trains and ''The Overland'' to Melbourne were transferred from Adelaide station to the new interstate facility at Keswick Terminal. Keswick Terminal allowed access by interstate passenger trains such as ''The Ghan'' and ''Indian Pacific'' which used the newly opened standard gauge line from Crystal Brook. It also allowed AN to avoid paying access charges to the STA for use of Adelaide station.
*1985; The ASER project, involving major redevelopment of Adelaide railway station commenced.
*17 December 1985; Salisbury Interchange on the Gawler line opened to provide improved bus – rail connections in the northern suburbs. Salisbury was the second purpose-built bus-rail interchange in Adelaide, Noarlunga Centre had been the first.
*2 March 1986; The first six kilometre stage of the O-Bahn Busway opened between the city's eastern fringe and Paradise Interchange in the north-eastern suburbs. The O-Bahn is a unique public transport system, running on specially built concrete track with modified Mercedes-Benz O305 buses and combining elements of both bus and rail systems.
*9 March 1986; Relocated Grange station opened to avoid level crossing on Military Road.
*18 October 1986; The Glenelg tram depot was relocated from Angas Street

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