The rebuilt 1999 island platform at Elizabeth station in 2008
The township of Elizabeth was established in 1955, with Elizabeth South railway station the first to be constructed in the area.[2] Elizabeth station opened on June 27 1960 in anticipation of increased demand from the nearby town centre and shopping district opening later in 1960.[3] The station was first rebuilt in 1999 with one island platform and shelter, which was accessible by an underground pedestrian subway.[citation needed]
In July 2011, the station was demolished and rebuilt as part of a $40 million station upgrade project.[4] Approximately $15 million was allocated for a complete rebuild of Elizabeth Station, including construction of two new side platforms, a pedestrian overpass, and a bus interchange facility.[5][6] In anticipation of increasing passenger numbers on the Gawler line, an additional $12 million was budgeted to construct a rail turnback facility north of Elizabeth station, allowing trains to terminate at Elizabeth and return to Adelaide, or remain stabled at Elizabeth.[7] The revamped station officially opened in April 2012.[8] As of 2023, the turnback facility at Elizabeth is yet to be used as part of a timetabled service.
Infrastructure Australia had previously identified Elizabeth as a terminus station for services operated by electric trains. Under the proposal, the Gawler line would be electrified between Adelaide and Elizabeth, with diesel 3000 class railcars used to service stations beyond Elizabeth.[9] In July 2018, this proposal, along with a similar proposal for Salisbury railway station, was officially dropped in favour of full electrification.[10]
Platforms and Services
Elizabeth has two side platforms and is serviced by Adelaide MetroGawler line services. It is a designated high-frequency station, with trains scheduled every 15 minutes on weekdays, between 7:30am and 6:30pm.[11] The western platform is accessible only via an overpass from platform 1. There is a pedestrian level crossing on the southern end of the platform to maintain accessibility in the event of an elevator outage, or other emergency.
