SouthLink

"South Link" redirects here. For the approved Link Light Rail extension in Seattle, see South Link (Link Light Rail). For the expressway in the Philippines, see C-5 Southlink Expressway.

A Custom Coaches CB80 bodied Scania K320UA on King William Street in September 2014
ParentKeolis Downer
FoundedApril 2000
HeadquartersMount Barker
Service areaAdelaide
Service typeBus services
AllianceLinkSA
Depots2
Fleet79 (December 2022)[1]
Websitewww.keolisdowner.southlink.com.au

SouthLink is an Australian bus service operator in Adelaide. It operates services as part of the Adelaide Metro network under contract to the Government of South Australia. It is a subsidiary of Keolis Downer, and is a separate business to its sister company LinkSA, which operates buses in regional South Australia.

History

A Volgren CR224L bodied Scania L94UB

In April 2000, Australian Transit Enterprises won a contract put out to tender by the Government of South Australia to operate its Adelaide Metro Outer South services, with 82 buses.[2][3][4][5] The service was named 'SouthLink'. Australian Transit Enterprises also formed a joint venture with the government's TransAdelaide to operate the Hills area services under the Transitplus name (separate to SouthLink).

In April 2005, SouthLink began operating the Outer North Adelaide Metro contract that had previously been run by Serco.[6][7] In 2010, following the dissolution of its Transitplus partner TransAdelaide, Australian Transit Enterprises took over full operation of the Hills area services and also operated them as SouthLink.

In July 2011, SouthLink began an eight-year contract for the Outer North, Outer South and Hills areas, with an optional four-year extension exercisable based upon performance criteria.[8][9][10]

In March 2015, Australian Transit Enterprises was bought by Keolis Downer. SouthLink was reorganised as a subsidiary of Keolis Downer.

In July 2020, SouthLink's Outer North and Outer South bus contracts were taken over by Torrens Transit and Busways respectively, while retaining its Hills contract.[11]

Fleet

As at December 2022, the fleet consisted of 79 buses.[1]

Depots

SouthLink operate depots in Aldgate and Mount Barker.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "SouthLink - Keolis Downer". Australian Bus Fleet Lists (Bus Australia). Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  2. ^ "Adelaide Bus Tendering Results Announced" Australian Bus Panorama 15/4 February 2000 p. 21
  3. ^ "Adelaide Bus Tendering Results" Australian Bus Panorama 15/5 April 2000 p. 29
  4. ^ Competitive Tendering for Bus Services Archived 13 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Seventh International Conference on Competition & Ownership in Land Passenger Transport June 2001
  5. ^ History Archived 25 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine SouthLink
  6. ^ "New Metropolitan Bus Contracts for Adelaide" Minister for Urban Development & Planning 17 February 2005
  7. ^ Serco bus drivers end strike Archived 28 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine ABC News 19 February 2005
  8. ^ Report on the Adelaide Metro Bus Service Contracts Archived 19 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Minister for Transport August 2011
  9. ^ New Contractors for Adelaide bus services Archived 19 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure 29 April 2011
  10. ^ Provision of Bus Passenger Transport Services for the Adelaide Metro Public Transport Network Archived 19 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Tenders SA
  11. ^ "Private operators named for Adelaide's tram network". InDaily. 10 March 2020. Archived from the original on 18 May 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Australian Bus Fleet Lists - Admet Fleet Lists". fleetlists.busaustralia.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.