Flinders Medical Centre and the university community won’t be the only winners when an extension to the Tonsley Rail line opens later this year with 44 additional services each week announced.

The changes mean a weekend service, and more late night weekday trains.

The 650m extension of the track and overpass directly to the Flinders Medical Centre means passengers travelling to the east of South Rd will be the big winners, but to cope with demand all passengers will be given 2288 extra services a year, a new timetable reveals.

The timetable is effective immediately when the line, renamed from Tonsley to Flinders, opens at the end of this year.

The dead-end Tonsley Line from the CBD, which branches off the main Seaford Line, currently operates only on weekdays with a 20-minute peak frequency and 30 minutes at all other times until 7pm.

Transport Minister Corey Wingard said the new indicative timetable would provide 20-minute peak frequency on weekdays and 30 minutes at all other times, and includes extending the service until midnight on weeknights.

There’ll also be new services on weekends when previously there were none. They’ll be at a 30-minute frequency from approximately 7am until midnight.

Artist impression of the Flinders Link rail extension. Picture supplied“Forty-four additional services per week or 2288 per year for Adelaide is huge, it’ll greatly enhance the public transport options for those living and working in our southern suburbs,’’ Mr Wingard said.

“The Marshall Government was elected to deliver better services and that is why we’re investing in our public transport network – to deliver better and more frequent train services.