Family First politician Dennis Hood last week asked the State Government to explain a TransAdelaide report that favours the reinstatement of a Barossa rail service.

On Thursday, in the Legislative Council, Mr Hood explained that an internal TransAdelaide study into a Barossa metroticket train service had spoken “in glowing terms of the idea”.

He pointed out that TransAdelaide had researched the provision of the service and found it would be environmentally sustainable and provide social inclusion to the Barossa region.

The report also said a passenger rail service would generate job growth and provide better access to important services - such as health and education.

“Such a project would also align closely to the State Strategic Plan, according to the report and it would also see a flow on effect to the tourism industry,” Mr Hood said.

The Family First Legislative Council member posed three questions to Paul Holloway, representing the Minister for Transport.

• Does the minister agree that his statements claiming no benefit in rail services returning to the Barossa are actually in conflict with the report from his own department?

• If not, will the minister release the studies that he claims show that there is no benefit in resuming Barossa rail services?

• Will the minister confirm whether or not his department, or Genesee Wyoming Australia, are planning to actually demolish one of the historic railway stations on the Barossa line, and that is the Nuriootpa station?

Paul Holloway explained the Government will put nearly $2billion into the rail system in the next 10 years, which includes new sleepers and electrification for the Gawler passenger line.

“If one were to give priority to try and extend services now, what would happen is that the whole system would gum up once you got closer to Adelaide,” Mr Holloway said. “Because the system would not cope with it.

“As I understand it, the line that now goes out the Angaston Quarry, I think Penrice uses it, is used once or twice a day.

“It is clearly not suitable, it is not up to the standards required for a passenger railway.

“For a length of railway on that line to serve a couple of towns with a few thousand people would require a massive investment.”

Mr Holloway did not address the question of the possible demolition of the Nuriootpa station.