Is Australia getting a high-speed rail: Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane project announcement coming

Australia’s East Coast has long begged for an interstate, high-speed rail service, something that would connect three states, one territory and millions of people.

Melbourne to Brisbane, via Canberra, Sydney, the Central Coast and Newcastle, has been a potential major Government project, something that the Albanese Government appears to be behind.

The trip from Melbourne to Brisbane would take around 8 hours, according to a 2013 proposal, with the key segments of Melbourne to Sydney or Sydney to Brisbane taking around 4 hours.

The High Speed Rail Authority in Australia already exists, with a Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail service already having a $500 million Federal commitment, but the future of a full service connecting the East Coast has long remained in doubt. That was until the Prime Minister dropped a major hint.

Albanese hints at high-speed rail announcement

“We will have an announcement in a couple of weeks time,” Mr Albanese told ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday.

“I think that it absolutely makes sense.

“We have a small population for a relatively big nation, an island continent.

“We are the only inhabited continent on earth that doesn’t have high-speed rail. And certainly Newcastle to Sydney to Canberra to Melbourne makes absolute sense.

“It’s where most of our population is, along that corridor. What makes it financially viable is the economic development along the route as well.”

Mr Albanese conceded that a high-speed rail network in Australia would not be opened while he is Prime Minister, but his hint of an announcement will likely spark a surge of excitement, especially in regional communities that could secure a stop.

Does Australia need a high-speed rail link?

The 2013 High-speed Rail Authority report said that new trains could operate at around 320 km/h.

Going station-to-station in four hours would also likely bring competition to the lucrative and incredibly busy Melbourne-Sydney air corridor, which regularly ranks as one of the world’s busiest flight routes.

The authority claims the service would be “quick, convenient and comfortable”, allowing Australians to work on the train if needed.

Including the ACT, 78 per cent of Australians live in the East Coast states. Although the East Coast states have vast inland stretches, 60 per cent of Australia’s population lives in the East Coast corridor.

By 2051, the authority suggests East Coast states will be home to an extra 7 million people, taking the population in that part of Australia up to 28.5 million.

The 2013 report suggested that the service would connect regions and cities, giving Australians more options for work, studies and homes.

If the Government hopes to open a high-speed rail service, time and funding will be needed.

Existing rail tracks do not allow for new high-speed trains, with specific, new tracks required if a service wants to reach 320km/h.

Rail enthusiasts and those longing for a link between states will need to wait to hear what the Albanese Government has up its sleeve, with an announcement possibly behind held off until the 2026/27 Budget, which will be handed down in May.