Millions to be spent getting high-speed rail on track
Federal spending on the long-awaited high-speed rail project is on track to reach nearly $700 million before the first shovel hits the ground.
The two-year development phase of the high-speed rail line between Sydney and Newcastle has begun, allowing work to begin on the long-awaited transport project.
The development phase will be responsible for the approval process of the route, awarding of contracts and finalizing the design.
It is estimated that the high-speed rail line will mean a journey time of just one hour between Sydney and Newcastle, and 30 minutes from Sydney to the Central Coast.
The federal government will pour an additional $229 million into the project, bringing the total amount the Commonwealth spent on development to almost $660 million.
Transport Minister Catherine King said the development phase would be the foundational work for construction to finally begin on the rail link.
“Carefully planned, costly and detailed preparation takes time, but this means it is built to last once construction begins,” he said.
A business case for the Newcastle to Sydney leg will also be announced on Tuesday.
The lawsuit predicts a $250 billion boost to the economy over the next 50 years, with plans to create around 99,000 jobs in the first phase.
High-speed rail has long been touted as a future transport option in Australia, but successive governments failed to see the thought bubble leave the station for decades.
There are various proposals for a high-speed rail route connecting Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Nationals leader David Littleproud is among those doubting the viability of the latest initiative, saying it risks becoming a white elephant without more baseload power at Australia’s disposal.
“I am not opposed to examining such projects. There have also been offers from Toowoomba to Brisbane,” he said last week.
“But if you’re going to build this infrastructure, you need to be able to power it. There’s no point in laying tracks if you can’t run the trains.”
“This won’t work unless the energy system is fixed.”
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