First stage of Australia’s high speed rail study released

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The Gillard Labor Government has taken the first step towards progressing the vision of a modern, high speed rail network connecting two-thirds of Australians and providing a new foundation for a low carbon, high productivity economy.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese today released the first stage of the implementation study, a key commitment given by Federal Labor prior to the 2010 Election.

Based on this preliminary work, an eastern seaboard network connecting Brisbane to Melbourne via Sydney and a range of regional centres is expected to:

  • Cost between $61 billion and $108 billion to build and involve laying more than 1,600 kilometres of new standard-gauge, double-track.
  • Achieve speeds of up 350 kilometres per hour and offer journey times as low as 3 hours from Sydney to Brisbane, and just 40 minutes from Sydney to Newcastle.
  • Carry around 54 million passengers a year by 2036 including, for example, about half those who would have flown between Sydney and Melbourne – currently the world’s fifth busiest air corridor.
  • Offer competitive ticket prices, with one way fares from Brisbane to Sydney costing $75 – $177; Sydney to Melbourne $99 – $197; and $16.50 for daily commuters between Newcastle and Sydney.
  • Cut carbon pollution, with emissions per passenger a third of what a car emits and each full train – 450 passengers – equivalent to taking 128 cars off the road.

High speed rail ‘could better integrate regional and metropolitan communities, ease congestion on roads and at airports, and substantially reduce carbon pollution’.

Over the next 12 months these preliminary findings will be further refined including via the commissioning of geotechnical work.

The Study’s first stage was conducted by an AECOM led consortium comprising KPMG, Sinclair Knight Merz and Grimshaw Architects.

The contract for the second and final stage is currently out to tender.

A full copy of the Stage One report can be downloaded here.

2 COMMENTS

  1. They spent $20 million to reach those conclusions?? I’d have done for $1 million.
    I bet that in 5 years they will do a new one exactly the same.

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