Australian government commissions $A 80m high-speed rail feasibility study

AUSTRALIA’s federal government has given the go-ahead to a $A 78.8m ($US 51.3m) feasibility study into the construction of a high-speed line between Sydney and Newcastle in New South Wales (NSW).

The country’s High Speed Rail Authority (HRSA), which was formed last June, has been tasked with the study, that will report on a proposed route, including stations, suggested rolling stock, as well as the likely capital cost of the project.

The distance between the two cities by road is around 170km. A high-speed rail line could reduce rail journey times to just 45 minutes, compared to 2h 30min at present.

However, a previous plan for a similar project was abandoned by NSW government in 2019 after around $A 100m had been spent on feasibility studies.

The federal government says the money allocated to the new study is part of its broader commitment to spend $A 500m on the early stages of the development of a national high-speed network.

“High-speed rail is a transformative project that will change travel between cities and provide a catalyst for economic development in regional areas,” says federal infrastructure minister, Ms Catherine King.

“This is more than just a transport project. It will create jobs, improve productivity and support Australia’s progress on environmental outcomes,” she says.

Last month, Mr Timothy Parker was appointed as the inaugural chief executive of HSRA. He has over 30 years’ experience of developing, procuring and delivering major infrastructure projects, including as the head of Sydney Metro since 2018.

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