Fast rail network to transform Australia
13 December 2018
NSW Government:
The
NSW Government will start work on a fast
rail network in the next term of government, linking regional centres to
each other and
Sydney, significantly slashing travel times across the State.
Four potential routes have already been identified and
High Speed
Rail expert Professor Andrew McNaughton has now been appointed to
confirm the most appropriate routes, train speeds and station locations.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said a
fast rail network will give people
greater choice about where they live and how they commute to work.
“We know a fast rail network will transform NSW unlike any other project
and we will make it a reality,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We need to make it easier for people to consider moving to regional NSW
and there is no better way to do that than building a fast rail
network.”
The four routes identified by the Government are within 300 kilometres
from Sydney:
-
Northern Route including the Central Coast and Newcastle.
-
Southern Inland Route including Goulburn and Canberra.
-
Western Route including Lithgow, Bathurst and Orange / Parkes.
-
Southern Coastal Route including Wollongong and Nowra.
“The expert will provide advice to
Government on what is possible and what would be involved,” Ms
Berejiklian said.
The delivery of fast rail on those routes has the potential to slash
travel times by up to 75 per cent. Approximate travel times could be:
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said a $4.6
million allocation from Snowy Hydro Fund to develop fast rail will
further boost confidence in regional
NSW.
“We need to do the work to gauge what is possible and when,” Mr Barilaro
said.
"Making regional travel faster, safer and easier brings huge economic
potential to NSW regional towns and cities by making it easier to
invest, do business, build a lifestyle and visit our regional towns.
“We are delivering better water security, digital connectivity and
freight connections from the Snowy Hydro fund and now developing game
changing infrastructure to access regional NSW."
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said the NSW
Government has a proven track record of delivering infrastructure.
“We are delivering rail to North West Sydney, a second Sydney Harbour
Rail Crossing, completing the M4 and finishing the duplication of the
Pacific Highway – all projects the previous Labor Government promised,
but failed to deliver,” Mr Constance said.
“A fast rail network is another project which will only happen under the
NSW Liberals & Nationals.”
The advice from Professor McNaughton will pave the way for the NSW
Government to take a new approach to the delivery of fast rail by
identifying immediate improvements to existing rail corridors, while
undertaking long-term visionary planning.
This approach allows for significant improvements in travel times for
customers in the coming years, while at the same time delivering the
building blocks for a high speed dedicated rail network.
“In the immediate future, faster rail would see upgrades along existing
rail alignments and provide services of at least 200km/h, slashing
travel times by one third,” Mr Constance said.
“Ultimately, in the long term, high speed rail would see the development
of new alignments and lines, providing speeds of over 250km/h, with
examples overseas travelling up to 350km/h and higher – giving the
potential to cut travel times by up to 75 per cent.”
For more information visit: www.nsw.gov.au/fastrail
--ENDS--
Source: NSW Government - www.transport.nsw.gov.au
Contact: N/A
External Links: www.nsw.gov.au/fastrail
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