A number of railway lines and stations which formed part of the greater Adelaide rail network have been closed and removed over time. Most railway lines have been taken over by housing developments, only a very few have been converted into rail trails. In addition, most of the stations have been demolished. The most recent railway line to close to traffic was the GMH Elizabeth railway line, which was closed in 1992 due to declining traffic. A number of stations have also been closed and rebuilt such as Ovingham or Bowden.The redevelopment of Bowden Railway station on the edge of Adelaide’s CBD was a first for public transport in South Australia The Ovingham Level Crossing Removal Project is now complete, with the new Torrens Road bridge and upgraded Churchill/Torrens Roads intersection completely open to traffic. For closed railway stations in rural outer South Australia, see List of closed railway stations in South Australia.
Closed railway lines Northfield line, opened 1 June 1857 (closed 1987)Dry Creek to Stockade (Yatala prison) rail line from 1857 killed off when Gepps Cross abattoirs shuts in 1995 Penfield line, opened 1941, (closed 1991)Forgotten World War 2 Relics in South Australia Henley Beach line, extension of Grange line, opened 1894 (closed 1957)The Henley Line Finsbury line, opened 1940 (closed 1978)Train Alterations 16 October 1942 GMH Elizabeth line, opened 1959 (closed 1992)Adelaide Rail Map 1980 Dry Creek-Port Dock line, opened 1 February 1868 (closed to passengers 1988, now freight only)Dry Creek railway to Port Adelaide grows importance as freight mover from 1868; ends passenger service 1988 Hendon line, opened 1940 (closed 1980)South Australian Rail Map 1974 Semaphore line, opened 7 January 1878 (closed 1978)Semaphore railway line from 1878 shut down with South Australian Railways and all its country services in 1978 Willunga line, opened 20 January 1915 (closed 1969, now the Coast to Vines Rail Trail)Willunga Railway Station, 8 Railway Terrace, Willunga Bridgewater line, extension of Belair line, opened 1883 (closed to passengers 1987, converted to standard gauge 1995)Adelaide-Bridgewater passenger service from 1883 (ends 1987) as part of line through hills to Wolseley near Victoria Holdfast Bay line, opened 24 May 1880 (closed 1929, now the Westside Bikeway)Glenelg tramway made in 1929 by converting one of two 19th Century train services from Adelaide to the suburb Glenelg line, opened 2 August 1873 (converted into the Glenelg tram line in 1929)Early history of transport links to Glenelg Jubilee Exhibition line, opened 1887, never carried regular passenger services (closed 1927)Jubilee Exhibition rail line from 1887 ripped up in 1927 after Adelaide showgrounds move from city to Wayville
Closed railway lines and their stations Jubilee Exhibition Railway (closed 1925) Serviced the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition, Torrens Parade Ground and original location of Adelaide Showground direct from Adelaide railway station.
Holdfast Bay railway line (closed 14 December 1929) Thebarton Hilton Richmond Kurralta Park Plympton Coursing Ground (closed c.1925) Plympton Morphettville Camden Novar Gardens Macdonalds Golf Links (closed by 1929) St Leonards (closed 1926) Glenelg
St Leonards–Grange railway line
Glenelg railway line (closed 1929 and converted to Glenelg tram line) Victoria Square (closed 1914) South Terrace Wayville Goodwood Road Forestville Black Forest Hayhurst South Plympton Morphettville Helmsdale Miller's Corner Glenelg
Northfield (closed 1987) Branched from the Gawler line at Dry Creek. Cavan (closed 1987) Pooraka (closed 1987) Northfield (closed 1987) Stockade (closed 1961)
Penfield (closed 1991) Branched from the Gawler line at Salisbury. Hilra Penfield 1 Penfield 2 Penfield 3'
GMH Elizabeth (closed 1992) Branched from the Gawler line approximately halfway between Elizabeth South and Nurlutta stations.
Served the General Motors Holden Elizabeth car factory at Elizabeth.
Henley Beach railway line An extension of Grange railway line. Kirkcaldy Marlborough Street Henley Beach
Hendon railway line (closed 1 February 1980) Branched from the Grange line at Albert Park station. Hendon
Semaphore railway line (closed 29 October 1978) Branched from the Outer Harbor line at Glanville station, traversing Jetty Road to the pier / jetty. Exeter Semaphore
Finsbury railway line (closed 17 August 1979) Branched from the Outer Harbor line starting Woodville station. Actil (closed 1970) Woodville North (closed 1979) No. 18 Shed (closed 1979) Finsbury Stores (closed 1979)
Willunga railway line (closed 1969, track lifted 1972, now Coast to Vines Rail Trail) Original route alignment beyond Hallett Cove. Patpa Happy Valley Reynella Pimpala Coorara Morphett Vale Yetto Hackham Korro Noarlunga Moana Tuni McLaren Vale Pikkara Taringa Willunga
Dry Creek-Port Adelaide (closed to passengers 27 May 1988, now freight only) Wingfield (closed 29 May 1987) North Arm Road (closed 29 May 1987) Eastern Parade (closed 29 May 1987) Rosewater Loop (closed to freight 2008) Grand Junction Road (closed 27 May 1988) Rosewater (closed 27 May 1988) Port Dock (closed 1981)
Birkenhead Loop (closed to freight 2008) ICI Osborne (closed to passengers 1980, closed to freight 2014) Coal Gantry Electric Works ICI
Adelaide suburban network There are two closed stations on the passenger railway network in the city of Adelaide, South Australia that have not been demolished, both along the Belair line: Clapham (closed 28 April 1995) Hawthorn (closed 28 April 1995)
Demolished stations There are several stations along current railway routes that have been closed and demolished:
Belair line Keswick (closed and demolished 2013; replaced by nearby Adelaide Showground) Mile End Goods (closed 1994) Showground Central (seasonal-use temporary structure, used 2003–2013; replaced by Adelaide Showground) Sleeps Hill
Flinders line Clovelly Park (closed and demolished 2020; replaced by nearby relocated Tonsley) Tonsley (original station closed and demolished 2019; relocated station opened 2020)
Gawler line GMH Elizabeth (at the end of a spur starting north of Nurlutta) Grand Junction (closed 1859) Islington Works (closed 2000 and demolished ) Tube Mills
Grange line Golf Links (closed 1961) Holdens (closed 1992)
Outer Harbor line Cheltenham Racecourse siding (closed 1953) Cheltenham Racecourse (closed 2009, demolished 2012; replaced with nearby St Clair) Largs Jetty (closed 1908; spur at Largs traversing Jetty Road to the Largs Pier Hotel and the jetty) Torrens Bridge (opened 1883, closed 1888) Yerlo (closed 13 September 1981; replaced by North Haven)
Port Dock line Port Dock (original station closed and demolished 1981; rebuilt station opened 2024)
Seaford line Keswick (closed and demolished 2013; replaced by nearby Adelaide Showground) Mile End Goods (closed 1994) Showground Central (temporary structure; used 2003–2013) South Brighton (closed 1976)
Rebuilt These stations previously existed in slightly different locations, and/or at a higher or lower level (for example, originally at ground level then lowered into a cutting), to their modern-day counterparts. They may be considered the closed predecessors of today's stations. Christie Downs (November 1981) - on the Seaford line Oaklands (10 June 2008 (at-grade) (6 May 2019 (grade separated) - on the Seaford line Brighton (25 January 1976) - on the Seaford line Hallett Cove (1970s, 1990s and August 2010) - on the Seaford line Ovingham (7 November 2022) - on the Gawler line Dudley Park (1940s) - on the Gawler line Islington (12 June 2022) - on the Gawler line Dry Creek (1982, 2022) - on the Gawler line Parafield (1982, 2008) - on the Gawler line Chidda (1974, 2012) - on the Gawler line Salisbury (17 December 1985) - on the Gawler line Elizabeth South (April 2012) - on the Gawler line Elizabeth (1999, 2012) - on the Gawler line Womma (2021, 2022) - on the Gawler line Broadmeadows (2011) - on the Gawler line Smithfield (2001) - on the Gawler line Munno Para (September 2011) - on the Gawler line Tambelin (1986, 2021-2022) - on the Gawler line Gawler (1872, 2012) - on the Gawler line Gawler Oval (2006) - on the Gawler line Bowden (rebuilt in a lowered cutting in 2018) - on the Outer Harbor line Croydon (2018) - on the Outer Harbor line Port Adelaide (1971, 2010) - on the Outer Harbor line Ethelton (October 2024) - on the Outer Harbor line Glanville (1978) - on the Outer Harbor line Largs North (1943, 2002) - on the Outer Harbor line Taperoo (1955) - on the Outer Harbor line Midlunga (17 July 1961) - on the Outer Harbor line Osborne (1980s) - on the Outer Harbor line Albert Park (2017) - on the Grange line Grange, terminus of Grange line (1986) Tonsley (29 December 2020) - on the Flinders line Millswood (12 October 2014) - on the Belair line Unley Park (1980s, 2000s) - on the Belair line Lynton (2007) - on the Belair line Eden Hills (1990s, 2009) - on the Belair line Coromandel (2009) - on the Belair line Blackwood (1990s, 2009) - on the Belair line
See also List of closed railway stations in South Australia
References
Further reading Thompson M. Rails through swamp and sand – a history of the Port Adelaide Railway. Port Dock Station Railway Museum. 1988. Andrews FB. 'The Salisbury munitions tramways. Light railways, 187. February 2006. South Australian State Transport Authority. The bay line. Adelaide. 1979. Barry PJ. 'The Jubilee Exhibition Railway'. Bulletin, 732. Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1998. Callaghan WH. The overland railway. Australian Railway Historical Society NSW Division, St James. 1992. Castle BJ. 'The Balhannah – Mount Pleasant branch line'. Bulletin, 316. Australian Railway Historical Society. February 1964. Collins N. The jetties of South Australia. Privately published. Woodside. 2005. Fluck RE, Sampson R and Bird KJ. Steam locomotives and railcars of the South Australian Railways. Mile End Railway Museum. Roseworthy. 1986. Jennings R. Line clear: 100 years of train working Adelaide-Serviceton. Mile End Railway Museum. Roseworthy. 1986. Lockyer A. 'Jetty and wharf tramways of South Australia'. Light railways, 142. August 1998. Mack D. Little coastal railways of the Adelaide plains. Privately published. Camden Park. 1986. McNicol S. SAR railcars. Railmac. Elizabeth. 1989. Pantlin G and Sargent J (eds). Railway stations in greater metropolitan Adelaide. Train Hobby Publications. Melbourne. 2005. Quinlan H, Newland JR. Australian railway routes 1854–2000. Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division. Redfern. 2000. Richardson J (ed). Along the line no. 2. Traction Publications. Canberra City. 1964. Richardson J (ed). Along the line in South Australia. Traction Publications. Canberra City. 1964. Sampson R. Rails round Adelaide. Mile End Railway Museum. Walkerville. 1978. Thompson MH. The Goodwood – Brighton – Willunga line'. Bulletin. 336. Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1965. Wheaton RT. Rails to the bay. Australian Electric Traction Association. Sydney. 1971.