A high-speed link between Sydney and Newcastle could cut journey times by an hour by 2039, an independent transport advisory says, but more evidence needs to be confirmed about connections to Melbourne and Brisbane.
Infrastructure Australia says it supports a Federal Government Rail (HSRA) business case to move to an additional stage of development.
The Rail Authority’s plan calls for a high-speed link from Newcastle to Central Coach opening in 2037. Then Sydney’s CBD in 2042.
But infrastructure Australia wants to know why the new South Wales route should be built – before the lines linking Melbouria, Canbane to Sydney Victorne, Canbane to Sydney Victorne, Canbane to Sydney, and Brisbanra to South-East Queensland and Northern NSW. A final stage will link all these lines.
“A more detailed comparison of the Newcastle in Sydney Section against other sections will help to justify why this section should be whinged first,” This week’s review of The HSRA Business Case expressed.
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Under the business case submitted to infrastructure Australia in December 2024, construction will begin in 2027 on six stops, Central Station, Central Station, Paramatta Airport and Western Sydney Airport.
About 115km – or almost 60% – are in tunnels. There are 41km of indoor and 38km of bridges and viaducts.
Infrastructure Australia says that the maximum speed will be reduced by 40% – from 320km / H to 200km / H – within the HSRA with a small impact on travel times.
The journey between Newcastle and Sydney currently takes two hours and 35 minutes – about 30 minutes slower than driving.
The fast train will take an hour. Newcastle to Paramatta will take another 15 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes taking passengers to western Sydney Airport for 1.5 hours in total.
The Australian infrastructure review does not include the costs of “protecting commercial sensitivities during future acquisition processing”.
Modeling for the NSW Government reportedly predicted The project will cost about $30bn.
Infrastructure Australia says the large amount of tunneling involved will cause the accompanying budget to vary”.
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Australian governments have been investigating high-speed rail since the 1980s. A 2013 report on the potential for a network linking cities on the East Coast of Australia recommended the Newcastle to Sydney Connection to Canberan and Canberra to Melbourne.
Infrastructure Australia said on Wednesday the HSRA presented a “good evidence case” for why the Newcastlele-Sydney Corridor should be developed – including the Newsney-Sydney region’s problems and tourism problems.
The evaluation report said it was the most unreliable route in the Daker Sydney area in 2024, with less than 79% of trains meeting target times.
Infrastructure Australia rejects a high-speed line that boosts housing growth in the region and calls for more analysis.
It is said that saving travel time will share only 6% of the cost benefit, knowing that the line is expected to be only 5% of trips from cars.
“The analysis completed by the HSRA shows that only under low cost and high benefit scenarios are the benefits … expected to exceed their costs,” Infrastructure Australia said.
The assessment will now be submitted to the federal government for consideration.