Train timetables
The trains to Seaford leave from platform 1 at Adelaide Railway Station ~every 30 mins, starting from 5.30am weekdays and 7am on weekends.
You can check the next departure at www.adelaidemetro.com.au. The trip takes 45-55 mins (depending on how many stops it makes).
Trains from Seaford to Adelaide City leave half hourly with the last train back to the city at 11.30pm.
Public Transport in Adelaide
The Adelaide Railway Station is on North Tce, just west (downhill) from the King William Rd intersection. Individual tickets can be purchased at the information counter or at self serve machines at the Adelaide station, or onboard the train. A one-way paper ticket (valid for both the train and any onward connecting bus within 2 hours), is $6.60.
Metro Cards
If you will be travelling more than once, it is cheaper to buy a metro card (there is a one off $5 fee to purchase the card). One way tickets (valid for train journey as well as for any connecting bus journeys within 2 hours) costs $4.55 using the metrocard. The metrocard is rechargeable at ticket machines such as these ones at the Adelaide Railway Station.
Bikes on Trains
You can take a bike on the train without extra charge anytime on the weekend and on weekdays outside of peak hours (peak hours means before 9am and between 3-6pm). During these peak hours, if there is room on the train for a bike, you can still bring your bike but you must buy a consession ticket for the bike.
There are areas at the front and the rear of the train where maximum 4 bikes can be located. These areas may however be required for passengers with mobility aids that will take precedence over a bike.
Riding from Seaford Railway Station to McLaren Vale
If you bring your bike down on the train, catch the lift up, ignoring the ramp (which takes you onto the wrong side of the tracks). Turning right as you exit the lift gets you onto the Coast to Vines Trail.
Turning right on the trail takes you to McLaren Vale, an ~20 min scenic ride. Turning left on the trail takes you to Onkaparinga Bridge and back to Adelaide City.
Connecting Buses
Disembarking the train at Seaford Railway Station puts you next to the bus stop. To continue on to McLaren Vale, you want any one of the buses numbered 751, 751C, 756, all of which leave from zone A. The bus connections are pretty closely aligned with the train arrivals but to clarify, put your destination as McLaren Vale into the trip planner at www.adelaidemetro.com.au
The journey from Seaford Railway Station to stop 86 on Main Rd McLaren Vale (for the McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Coast Visitor Information Centre) is ~ 10-15 mins.
Catching the bus from McLaren Vale
The Visitor Centre in McLAren Vale is home base for SA eBikes hire hub. At the end of your day, you can either catch an uber ride (~ 50 mins to city), or jump on any bus departing from the opposite side of the road from the Visitor Centre. All buses from here (heading west) will stop at the Seaford Railway Station. If you don't have a metrocard, you can tap your credit card on the machine inside the bus to purchase your ticket.