East coast high-speed rail study releases main parameters

The Australian Government has released the basics of a first-stage study into the feasibility of a high-speed rail link for the major cities on the east coast.

The Government says that such a rail project would:

* Cost between $61 billion and $108 billion to build.

* Achieve speeds of up 350 kph and provide travel times as low as three hours from Sydney to Brisbane, and just 40 minutes from Sydney to
Newcastle.

* Carry around 54 million passengers a year by 2036 including, for example, about half those who would have flown between Sydney and Melbourne.

* Offer competitive ticket prices, with one way fares from Brisbane to Sydney of between $75 and $177; Sydney to Melbourne $99 - $197; and $16.50 for commuters between Newcastle and Sydney.

* Cut carbon pollution, with emissions per passenger a third of what a car emits and each full train (450 passengers); equivalent to taking 128 cars off the road.

Other notable features of the initial report include:

* The network infrastructure would be a double-track, standard-gauge electrified line.

* The trains would operate at speeds of 200kph within urban areas and 350kph elsewhere.

* Services would initially be operated by eight-car trains, but there would be potential for an increase to up to 16 cars depending on demand.

* Access to city centre stations in major metropolitan areas would largely be via dedicated tunnels.

* Four types of station have been identified: city centre, city peripheral, regional and airport.

* The Newcastle-Sydney link has "significant topographical and environmental constraints"; and existing rail and road links are congested.

A contract for the final stage of the project study is currently out to tender. That's where some of the hard questions need to be confronted; like, 'how will we pay for it?'.

Phase 2 is set to "examine the financial feasibility of HSR, identify an optimum route alignment, refine patronage and cost estimates and investigate potential fnancing options".

This is one of those mega-projects that governments are usually reluctant to launch, because long timelines mean that inevitably someone else gets the credit.

But it is a project that should proceed - and probably will, if there's not another global financial meltdown.

And if it does, then the implications for domestic airlines are pretty obvious.

Public and industry comment on this first-stage report is invited: www.infrastructure.gov.au/rail/trains/high_speed/index.aspx