Leak reveals Gawler rail line closed until May 2022

A leaked document reveals the Gawler rail line will remain closed until at least May 2022, in yet another crushing delay for commuters under the Marshall Liberal Government.

The Opposition has obtained part of private train operator Keolis Downer’s internal “monthly progress report” for December 2021, which states:
“The GREP (Gawler Rail Electrification Project) seems to have further slipped to May 2022.”

The document also states the ongoing delays pose problems for Keolis Downer which is still going through the process of training drivers, nearly a year after taking over running the trains.
“With delivery now planned in Q1 2022 (May), KDA will have additional new drivers who have never driven on this railway which is a significant risk to the opening of this railway.”

Earlier this month, Corey Wingard was asked in Parliament whether there had been further delays to the project to April 2022 and continued to insist it would be finished “early next year”. At the time, he said: “You have pulled a date out of your backside.”

Quotes attributable to Shadow Minister for Infrastructure & Transport Tom Koutsantonis

This is a crushing blow for the residents of the northern suburbs who have been without a train line for nearly a year.

They were originally told it would only be closed for a month.

This is sheer incompetence from Steven Marshall and Corey Wingard, who can no longer blame COVID for these repeated delays.

How many more delays do commuters in the northern suburbs have to cop?