A high-speed practice linking Sydney and Newcastle may minimize the journey to an hour by 2039, an unbiased transport advisory physique says, however extra proof is required to justify prioritising that part over Melbourne and Brisbane connections.
Infrastructure Australia stated it supported a enterprise case by the federal authorities’s Excessive Pace Rail Authority (HSRA) shifting to an extra improvement part.
The rail authority’s plan envisages a high-speed hyperlink from Newcastle to the Central Coast opening by 2037. It will then connect with Sydney’s CBD two years later and western Sydney worldwide airport by 2042.
However Infrastructure Australia needs to know why the New South Wales route must be constructed first – earlier than strains linking Melbourne to regional Victoria, Canberra to Sydney, and Brisbane to south-east Queensland and northern NSW. A remaining stage would hyperlink all these strains collectively.
“Additional detailed comparability of the Newcastle to Sydney part towards different sections would assist to justify why this part must be delivered first,” this week’s analysis of the HSRA enterprise case said.
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Below the enterprise case submitted to Infrastructure Australia in December 2024, building would begin in 2027 on 194km of recent line, together with six stops at Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Central Coast, Central station, Parramatta and western Sydney airport.
About 115km – or virtually 60% – can be in tunnels. There can be 41km of floor observe and 38km of bridges and viaducts.
Infrastructure Australia stated most speeds can be decreased by 40% – from 320km/h to 200km/h – inside tunnelled sections however HSRA has stated this could have a minimal affect on journey instances.
The journey between Newcastle and Sydney at current takes about two hours and 35 minutes – about half-hour slower than driving.
The quick practice would take one hour. Newcastle to Parramatta would take one other quarter-hour, with an extra quarter-hour getting passengers to western Sydney airport in 1.5 hours total.
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Infrastructure Australia’s analysis doesn’t embrace costings to “defend business sensitivities throughout future procurement processes”.
Modelling for the NSW authorities reportedly predicted the undertaking would value about $30bn.
Infrastructure Australia stated the massive quantity of tunnelling concerned may trigger the finances to range “significantly”.
Australian governments have been investigating high-speed rail for the reason that Eighties. A 2013 report on the potential for a community linking Australia’s east coast cities advisable the Newcastle to Sydney connection must be constructed after Sydney was linked to Canberra and Canberra to Melbourne.
Infrastructure Australia stated on Wednesday that HSRA had offered a “well-evidenced case” on why the Newcastle-Sydney hall must be developed first – together with tourism within the area and punctuality issues.
The analysis report stated it was essentially the most unreliable route within the better Sydney space in 2024, with fewer than 79% of trains assembly on-time targets.
Infrastructure Australia forged doubt on a high-speed line boosting housing improvement within the area and referred to as for additional evaluation.
It stated journey time financial savings would contribute solely about 6% of the cost-benefit, noting that the road was projected to end in solely 5% of journeys switching from vehicles.
“Evaluation accomplished by HSRA demonstrates that solely underneath low value and excessive profit situations would the advantages … be anticipated to outweigh its prices,” Infrastructure Australia stated.
The analysis will now be submitted to the federal authorities for consideration.
