Industry update - May 2026 | Major industry briefing

Australia’s High Speed Rail is now in the Development Phase

April 2026 industry briefing

More than 700 people representing around 250 organisations and 17 countries attended the High Speed Rail Authority’s major international industry briefing in Newcastle on 21 April 2026.

The event brought together Australian and international organisations of varied sizes and expertise, providing a valuable opportunity to connect, share insights and explore the generations of opportunities ahead.

The presentation and a recording of the event are now available here: https://www.hsra.gov.au/industry-briefing-2026

Start of procurement for tunnels, trains and stations

The briefing marked the start of the tender process for the first two major contract packages for the Newcastle to Sydney connection with tenders called for:

• Area Package 1: Design and construction of about 35 kilometres of twin TBM tunnels and associated civil works, an underground station and complete installation of the systems supplied by the Trains, Systems and Systems Integration contractor;

• Trains, Systems and System Integration: Supply of trains, design of all systems, construction of the rail depot and operations control centre, and ultimate integration, testing and commissioning of all relevant systems for the Newcastle to Sydney High Speed Rail corridor. System designs and components will be provided to the Area Package contractors who will be responsible for the installation drawings and installation of the systems.

Successful parties from this EOI will take part in an Early Contractor Involvement process. This includes optimising and finalising the alignment and other critical elements between Newcastle and Sydney and supporting HSRA's planning approvals processes.

These processes will provide the Australian Government further detailed information on price and program for the construction of the Newcastle to Sydney connection to allow it to make an investment decision.

At the conclusion of the Development Phase, the Authority will select preferred tenderers. However, no major construction contract will be awarded until a government decision-making process is complete.

Future procurement opportunities

This briefing also provided industry with an opportunity to find out more about other major procurement activities during the Development Phase of the project, including:

• Proposed Delivery Strategy and funding and financing models;

• Details of the Advanced Manufacturing Facility tender process; and

• Future area packages.

Generations of opportunities

At the peak of construction, the Newcastle to Sydney project will increase national economic activity by $3 billion a year and create up to 15,000 construction jobs a year.

This is a project of national significance and international scale, bringing with it many opportunities not just for the communities and regions it will serve but for the many thousands of people who will deliver it over many years.

High Speed Rail will offer meaningful long term employment in roles that support major national priorities including infrastructure delivery, regional development and the transition to a low-emissions economy.