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We’re actually getting closer to getting a high-speed rail line between Newcastle and Sydney, with the federal government committing a further $230 million to make sure construction can begin in two years.
Transport Minister Catherine King announced the additional $229.6 million for the High Speed Rail Authority, which will lock in the design, approvals process, scope and cost of the project. This brings the total investment to date from the government to $659.6 million – and as of yet, no construction has taken place.
Ms King said the new funding commitment would ensure the project was “shovel-ready” in two years, which refers to the stage where workers can be employed and construction can begin. Keep in mind that there will then be significant time spent in construction after this.
“Over the next two years, engineers will be going metre by metre along this rail track and designing all the tunnels and stations, getting it ready for a final investment decision in 2028,” she told ABC Newcastle Breakfast.
The high-speed rail between Sydney and Newcastle would only take an hour, with the connection from either city to the Central Coast only 30 minutes. It currently takes more than 2.5 hours to travel by train from Sydney to Newcastle, and almost 1.5 hours from Sydney to the Central Coast.
The High Speed Rail Authority started preparing a business case to support the project in 2024. This included geotechnical work under Brisbane Water on the Central Coast to find a suitable route for a tunnel. The business case predicts the project will boost the economy by $250 billion over the next 50 years.’
Ms King said the government was prioritising areas of high growth in the project’s initial phase.
“It’s not really just about providing that opportunity for people to get in and out of Sydney. It’s about getting businesses to decide it is possible to locate [to the regions], have a workforce here and then still get access to international markets out of Sydney.”
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