From siren to station: Inside the machine moving half a million footy fans

Tuesday, 17 September 2024

As the final siren blares on a thrilling Showdown LVI and the floodlights shine on more than 52,000 footy fans spilling out of Adelaide Oval, the faithful Footy Express kicks into high gear.

The goal? To carry at least 45 per cent of the crowd home, clear Adelaide Oval and its surrounds within 45 minutes of the final siren and keep traffic disruptions to a minimum.

To achieve that, the Adelaide Metro team commits to a meticulous preseason of planning and analysing everything from ticket sales to public transport patronage data to competing events.

Adelaide Metro’s Event Coordinator and Disruption lead Sam Brown, together with the broader team, tackles the challenge of seamlessly fitting about 300 extra bus, train and tram trips into the existing everyday timetable and peak hour traffic.

“Each season our job starts months in advance, working closely with Adelaide Oval management, local councils, emergency services and our transport operators, to develop transport and traffic management plans,” she said.

“We’re always balancing variables. Match time, day of the week, whether it’s a Crows or Port game – or a Showdown – it all plays a role.

“For instance, weekday games mean we need fewer services heading into the city, as many fans head to the match straight from work. But after the game, we ramp up the services to get everyone home safely and efficiently.”

With a game plan pencilled in, planning turns to logistics. First the closure of city roads and their detours must be determined – limiting the inconvenience to commuters at top of mind – before the dedicated King William Road interchange can be set up. Then comes the balancing act of ensuring regular peak services aren’t impacted by the Footy Express services and the unpredictability of the AFL schedule.

“Weeknight matches present challenges, especially balancing the regular services, additional services, services the next day and school services,” Sam said.

“The key challenges are limited fleet before a match as they are already assigned to PM peak services and then we have to think about ensuring we have fleet and drivers available for the next day’s peak services.

“Because only a portion of the fixture is released at the start of the year, and the remainder is issued later in the season, we have less time to lock in the logistics and roster drivers.”

Game day means go time. With services running up to two hours before the first bounce, the familiar AOX displays flick on and adorn the front of hundreds of buses running in and out of the city.

From Gawler and Golden Grove to Noarlunga, Glenelg and West Lakes the Footy Express services carry thousands of footy fans safely to the city in time for the first bounce – all for free.

“We have two people overseeing the plan on any given game day and they are in constant communication, with real-time updates flowing between Adelaide Oval staff, traffic management groups and our drivers, all to keep fans moving,” Sam said.

“It’s not just about moving crowds – it’s about creating a safe, enjoyable experience for everyone. And it’s a constant learning curve.”

The first bounce serves as a breather, a refresh, ahead of the influx that awaits the post-match services.

Post match is a sight to behold – a sea of red, yellow and blue, teal, black and white, and the glorious city playing a backdrop as Adelaide Metro buses, trams and trains smoothly transition from idle to bustling with passengers who have just witnessed one of the most intense Showdowns in recent history.

On this occasion, Port fans ecstatic, Crows fans heartbroken.

At the conclusion of this year’s home and away season, the Footy Express had transported about 460,000 passengers, up 10 per cent on last year. That’s enough footy fans to fill Adelaide Oval seating eight times over.

Our Footy Express was marvelled at by the 40,000 interstate visitors during Gather Round in April, which saw almost half of the 222,000 ticketholders use free Adelaide Metro services across the four-day footy festival.

“For some games, the number of AFL patrons travelling on public transport services exceeds 50 per cent of the crowd,” Sam said.

“That’s thousands of cars off the road, less traffic, making the streets safer for everyone.

“Beyond just the free ride, the Footy Express is about community. It’s about people coming together, celebrating their love for the game, and knowing they have a safe, reliable way to travel.”

The roots of the Footy Express run deep.

It all began back in 1974 with extra bus services to Football Park in West Lakes. Fast forward to 1994, the “Crows Express” was born, which then evolved into today's Footy Express. In 2014, after the redevelopment of Adelaide Oval saw footy return to the city, the service expanded to include buses, trains, and trams.

Now, game day isn't just about the match; it's about the journey there and back.

“Delivering reliable and efficient transport is crucial because it contributes to the overall positive experience of an event,” Sam said.

“Providing free and reliable transport allows people to leave their cars at home and arrive on time and safely – and the additional services minimises disruptions to regular public transport users.

“From its humble beginnings to now whisking away about 460,000 passengers a season, the Footy Express is a finely tuned operation that creates a world of convenience for South Australian footy fans.”