On 19 April 1856, Sir Richard Graves, the Governor of South Australia, along with other notable figures, departed Adelaide Railway Station to Port Adelaide on the very first passenger train.

Two days later, the Port line officially opened to the public as the first government-owned and operated steam railway in the British Empire.

The first journey was led by Locomotive 1 Adelaide, which marked the beginning of the South Australia’s passenger rail network. The original 12km single-track travelled via Bowden, Woodville, and Alberton, terminating at the original Port Dock Railway Station.

During the week, services ran 6 times a day, and then twice on Sundays. Before becoming a passenger only station, freight and livestock was also handled at Adelaide Railway Station.

While rail services are 170 years old, the iconic Adelaide Railway Station building is not. The North Terrace landmark opened on 30 June 1928, replacing the original station that had served the city for more than 70 years.

As we fast forward to today, all train lines depart and arrive at Adelaide Railway Station, serving as a gateway to the city.

9 platforms see 675 train services each weekday, averaging more than 226,000 validations every week and almost 12 million validations a year.

Railways have extended across the state including to the North, West and South of Adelaide, with a fleet of 84 trains, comprising of 34 electric and 50 hybrid-diesel trains.

Adelaide’s busiest lines continue to reflect the city’s growth and changing travel patterns, with the Seaford, Gawler, Belair and Outer Harbor lines each carrying millions of passengers annually, supporting access to jobs, education and recreation across the metropolitan area.