Adelaide Metro will cut the Glenelg tram short of the beach from the first service on Monday, Oct. 12, through the last service on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, while the City of Holdfast Bay resurfaces the east end of Jetty Road. Trams will terminate at Stop 15 Brighton Road and turn back toward Adelaide. No trams will run between Brighton Road and Stop 17 Moseley Square, and the operator says no substitute buses will run along Jetty Road.
If a Glenelg beach day is on your Adelaide list that week, treat Brighton Road as the last rail stop and walk, taxi, or ride another bus the rest of the way. Normal trams resume from the first service on Saturday, Oct. 17. For a South Australia trip still taking shape around school holidays and spring weather, start with our best time to visit Australia month-by-month guide, then lock the tram window before you book a Jetty Road lunch.
- When: First service Monday, Oct. 12, to last service Friday, Oct. 16, 2026.
- Where: Glenelg tram between Stop 15 Brighton Road and Stop 17 Moseley Square.
- Buses: Adelaide Metro will not run substitute buses on Jetty Road.
- Parking: Council is offering free all-day parking at both Partridge Street car parks from Oct. 12 to 18.
- Resume: First tram on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Trams Turn at Brighton Road
The Glenelg line is the visitor tram from the Adelaide CBD to the coast. For five weekdays it will not reach the Moseley Square terminus at the beach end of Jetty Road. Adelaide Metro says services may also run less often during the closure, especially in the morning peak, because the shortened line needs a different timetable.
The last stop toward the water is Stop 15 Brighton Road. From there, Jetty Road continues east into the shopping strip and Moseley Square. That last segment is the walk most visitors remember as the tram ride to the jetty. Plan it as a walk or a local bus or taxi hop instead of waiting for a replacement tram that is not in the plan.
Use the Adelaide Metro Journey Planner the morning you travel. Peak-hour frequency cuts matter if you are coming from a city hotel to a lunch reservation. Off-peak weekday trips still work if you add 15 to 25 minutes for the last stretch on foot.
Jetty Road Asphalt Work and Free Parking
Holdfast Bay’s City Zone rectification notice dates the road work from 6 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12, to midnight Friday, Oct. 16, on the eastern end of Jetty Road between Brighton Road and the Gordon Street and Partridge Street intersection. The council is repairing a defect in the top layer of asphalt at no cost to ratepayers, a leftover from the Transforming Jetty Road project that weather and earlier tram disruptions delayed in June 2026.
To keep crews off the live tram corridor, the tram must stop at Brighton Road. That is why there is no bus bridge on Jetty Road: the street itself is the worksite. Pedestrians should expect cones, plant, and a narrower footpath on that block. Shops on the western side of Jetty Road toward the jetty remain the destination; the change is how you arrive, not whether Glenelg is open.
Council will provide free all-day parking at both Partridge Street car parks, east and west, from Monday, Oct. 12, through Sunday, Oct. 18. That covers the five works days plus the first weekend after trams return. If you would rather not walk from Brighton Road with luggage or a stroller, drive to Partridge Street and skip the truncated tram.
Getting to Glenelg Beach Without the Last Stops
From Stop 15, the remaining walk along Jetty Road to Moseley Square is a straight coastal shopping street, typically about 10 to 15 minutes at an easy pace. That is workable in daylight with a day bag. It is a poorer fit after dark, in heavy rain, or with mobility limits. Adelaide Metro’s own advice is to use alternative transport from Brighton Road. A taxi or rideshare from that stop to the jetty is the simple backup.
City buses that already serve Glenelg and Brighton Road remain the other option. Do not assume they copy the tram’s old clock times. Check the Journey Planner for a same-day pairing rather than a printed tram card from last year. Seniors Card holders still travel free on Adelaide Metro services; the truncation does not change the fare product, only the last stop.
If your hotel is on the tram in the city, keep the tram for the long haul and change mode at Brighton Road. If you are staying in Glenelg itself, the closure is mostly an outbound problem toward Adelaide in the morning peak, when the operator warns of thinner service.
Other Adelaide Metro Closures This October
The same operator has two full train-line closures in the same month. The Gawler line, the northern commuter spine to Gawler Central, is closed from the first service on Saturday, Oct. 3, to the last service on Monday, Oct. 5, with substitute buses and a Tuesday, Oct. 6, restart. That is this coming long weekend for anyone using Mawson Lakes, Elizabeth, or Gawler as a base.
The Outer Harbor, Port Dock, and Grange lines then close from about 8:20 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, to the last service on Sunday, Oct. 11, again with substitute buses. Those lines serve Port Adelaide, the Outer Harbor cruise and freight precinct, and Grange beach. Stacked on the Glenelg tram cut the following week, October is a poor month to assume every Adelaide Metro rail product runs as printed.
Fares on all Adelaide Metro bus, train, and tram services also rose about 3.3 percent from Thursday, Oct. 1, in line with CPI, after the state paused the previous annual increase. Tap and Pay, metroCARD, and Buy and Go still work the same way. The Glenelg truncation does not add a special fare; it only removes the last two stops.
What to Do If You Already Planned a Tram Day
If a tour or hotel transfer was sold as “tram to Glenelg,” ask the operator whether they will meet you at Brighton Road or switch you to a coach for the Oct. 12 to 16 window. Do not wait at Moseley Square for a tram that is not running. If you can move a beach day to Saturday, Oct. 17, or later, you get the full line back, including the photogenic terminus in the square.
If the date is fixed, ride to Brighton Road, then walk or ride the last kilometre, or drive to the free Partridge Street parks. Recheck the Adelaide Metro Glenelg tram notice the night before, because a weather delay on the asphalt could in theory shift hours. The current council and operator notices both name Saturday, Oct. 17, as the restart.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Want Glenelg beach on a weekday Oct. 12 to 16 | Tram to Stop 15 Brighton Road, then walk, taxi, or local bus. No Jetty Road tram or substitute bus. |
| Can shift the day | Ride the full line from Saturday, Oct. 17, when Moseley Square reopens. |
| Have a car | Use free all-day parking at both Partridge Street car parks Oct. 12 to 18. |
| Need Gawler, Outer Harbor, or Grange trains | Use substitute buses Oct. 3 to 5 on Gawler and Oct. 9 to 11 on Outer Harbor, Port Dock, and Grange. |
Monday, Oct. 12, is the first truncated tram day. Do not plan a Moseley Square arrival by tram that morning.
Friday, Oct. 16, is the last works night. The last tram that day still turns at Brighton Road.
Saturday, Oct. 17, is the restart. First service that morning is the first trip back to Stop 17.
Does the Glenelg tram go to Moseley Square in mid-October?
Not from Oct. 12 through 16. Trams end at Brighton Road. Full service to Moseley Square resumes on Oct. 17.
Will Adelaide Metro run replacement buses on Jetty Road?
No. The operator says no substitute buses will operate along Jetty Road because the street is the worksite.
How do I get from Brighton Road to Glenelg jetty?
Walk Jetty Road, take a taxi or rideshare, or use another local bus shown in the Journey Planner. Council also offers free parking at Partridge Street.
Is Glenelg closed while the tram is cut short?
No. The beach, jetty, and shops remain open. The change is the last two tram stops, not the suburb.
When do Gawler and Outer Harbor trains stop this month?
Gawler is closed Oct. 3 to 5 with buses. Outer Harbor, Port Dock, and Grange close from the evening of Oct. 9 through Oct. 11 with buses.
Did Adelaide Metro fares already change?
Yes. Fares rose about 3.3 percent from Oct. 1 on bus, train, and tram. The Glenelg truncation does not add a separate surcharge.
