End of South Australian Railways country train services starts with 1975 federal takeover; win for road transport

Kapunda Railway Station, opened in 1860 and closed for passenger services in 1989. Became a residence and then bed-and-breakfast accommodation. Inset: A map of South Australian Railways network at its height in 1915.

With American commissioner William Webb’s in 1930 departure, the old hierarchy returned to the South Australian Railways and dismantled his reforms. But railways were struggling against other forces eroding their freight and passenger numbers.

In the 1930s, the state government stemmed one threat to railways through the Road and Railways Transport Act that imposed costs on road transport freight carriers. That act was repealed in 1963. Meanwhile, cars were cutting the number of passengers using trains. South Australian Railways commissioner Ron Fitch warned of the mounting financial losses.

To arrest declining passenger numbers in the 1950s-60s, airconditioned Bluebird rail cars were introduced on country services in 1954 and, in the next year, Red Hen rail cars began operating on suburban lines. The last steam engines ran in South Australia in 1970, ending a history that began in 1856 at the Port Dock station.

In 1975, South Australian Railways was sold to a federal government agency and all its country passenger services gradually ended.

Commonwealth Railways, South Australian Railways and the Tasmanian Government Railways merged to form Australian National railways In 1978. Australian National took over operating all federal and non-urban South Australian railway lines.

The State Transport Authority of South Australia (later TransAdelaide) was created to run all Adelaide suburban rail lines for the state government.