Hot topic: High speed rail

As part of a recent opinion piece in the Newcastle Herald, Shadow Minister for infrastructure Anthony Albanese wrote:

“We should also expedite progress on the proposed high speed rail link from Brisbane to Melbourne via Sydney and Canberra. High speed rail would turbo-charge travel between capital cities on the east coast, while offering new opportunities for regional centres along its path including Newcastle. It would provide real opportunities for companies to base their operations in Newcastle, as well as shortening commuting times to Sydney.

In 2013 the former Labor Government allocated $50 million to create a high speed rail authority to start securing the corridor for the line. The incoming Coalition Government scrapped that funding and, almost four years later, has done nothing to advance the project.”

We’d love to hear your thoughts on high speed rail – what are the benefits, what could go wrong, and how could a high speed rail line be integrated with existing transport links in regional NSW?

Leave a comment below!