Kevin Rudd pledges funding towards high-speed rail network on east coast

Updated

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced funding to take the next steps towards building a multi-billion-dollar high-speed rail network on Australia's east coast.

The project, which would link the major east coast centres of Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, has been estimated to cost $114 billion and has a completion date of 2035, at the earliest.

Labor has promised to legislate to protect the 1,748-kilometre corridor for the project and to establish a new High Speed Rail Authority.

The authority will be given $52 million to finalise the route of the track and locations of train stations, in negotiation with the relevant state and territory governments.

The money will also allow the authority to develop a business case and conduct market testing to refine the projects costs and construction timetables.

Access to Sydney's CBD would be the most challenging element, requiring 67 kilometres of tunnelling in and out of the city.

Rail link would be used by '83.6 million passengers a year'

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese, who made the announcement alongside Mr Rudd, says the project "stacks up".

"High speed rail is now on every continent including Europe and Asia," he said.

"For Australia, the challenges are greater because of our less densely populated areas.

"But down the east coast between Brisbane and Melbourne we know that it is viable."

High-speed rail: how it could work Speeds of up to 350kph

Stations in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne, as well as regional centres.

Airline-style seating with computer facilities

Three-hour journeys between Sydney-Melbourne, Sydney-Brisbane

Less carbon emissions per passenger than car, plane transport



According to an implementation study released earlier this year, high-speed rail would cut the travel time between Canberra and Sydney to just over an hour from the current three hour rail journey.

If it were fully operational by 2065, as the report suggests, the estimated patronage is expected to be 83.6 million passengers a year.

Mr Rudd compared the project to the Opposition Leader's multi-billion-dollar paid parental leave scheme, which gives a baby's primary carer their wage for six months, capped at $75,000.

"If we were to build this entire 1,748km high-speed rail project by 2035 it would cost less than Mr Abbott's unaffordable, unfair paid parental leave scheme over the same period of time," the Prime Minister said.

"Put that into context. What is more necessary for the nation's future?"

*Editor's note: An earlier version of this incorrectly referred to the completion date as 2053. The correct date is 2035.

Topics: government-and-politics, elections, rail-transport, federal-elections, australia, melbourne-3000, canberra-2600, sydney-2000, brisbane-4000

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