Project
High Speed Rail in Australia
The Australian Government is planning for a future High Speed Rail Network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast of Australia. The first stage is the Sydney to Newcastle connection.
The Authority is progressing with planning and exploring opportunities to leverage international expertise. This will assist with planning and delivering a High Speed Rail network for Australia.
Benefits
A future High Speed Rail network will:
Provide fast and reliable services on a dedicated alignment, improving productivity and access to services such as health and education
Provide comfort, convenience and safety for customers, integrated with other transport networks
Support better housing availability and affordability
Catalyse local precincts with housing, commercial and community facilities
Contribute to achieving net zero emissions for Australia
Provide opportunities for local skills, employment and manufacturing.
Current progress
The Australian Government committed $500 million to progress planning for a future High Speed Rail network, and allocated $78.8 million to deliver the Sydney to Newcastle High Speed Rail Business Case.
The Authority will provide the Business Case to the Australian Government by the end of 2024.
Project scope for investigation
Investigation for the Sydney to Newcastle High Speed Rail Business Case includes:
A new dedicated High Speed Rail alignment between Newcastle and Sydney
New High Speed Rail stations within Newcastle, the Central Coast and Sydney
Improved integrated transport networks connecting with the High Speed Rail network
New High Speed Rail trains capable of travelling at speeds exceeding 250 km/hr
Stabling, maintenance, rail systems and power upgrades
Future proofing for the broader High Speed Rail network connections to Brisbane and Melbourne.
Work packages
Eight work packages were released to market on 15 March 2024 to support the Authority deliver the Sydney to Newcastle High Speed Rail Business Case. All eight work packages have been awarded.
An industry briefing was held on Wednesday 27 March 2024 with 350 participants. Additional industry events are being planned for later in the year.
The packages include:
First Nations People Cultural and Heritage Advisory Services
First Nations People Participation and Engagement Services
Commercial, Delivery Strategy and Industry Engagement Services
Transport, Land Use and Property Advisory Services
HSR Network Rail Operations Planning Services
Project Controls Services (costs, schedule and risk)
Economics, Funding & Financing and Demand Modelling Services
Technical Advisory, Design and Environment Assessment Services
Business Case work packages awarded
Following a competitive and open tender process, the Authority engaged industry expert advisers with extensive experience in planning and delivering major infrastructure projects like high speed rail.
Work is now progressing on developing the Sydney to Newcastle High Speed Rail Business Case by the end of 2024.
Our next major milestone is progressing onsite studies like geotechnical investigations to test ground condition. This important work will help inform high speed rail corridor alignment and stations locations.
Frequently asked questions
The Sydney to Newcastle corridor is nationally significant, connecting the two largest cities in NSW. Along the corridor, clusters of jobs and economic activity underpin strong population growth and the role of Newcastle as a global gateway:
The corridor population is expected grow by 22 per cent to nearly 1.2 million by the early 2040s
The Central Coast and Newcastle areas support over 420,000 jobs
New homes to accommodate this growth are expected in major greenfield areas and key centres such as Gosford, Tuggerah/Wyong, Lake Macquarie and Newcastle.
With 14.9 million passengers annually, it is the busiest intercity rail line in Australia.
The current rail travel time is around 2 hours 15 minutes
During the peak, services are often crowded and are expected to reach full-seated capacity from the late 2030s
Road connections are also highly constrained with the M1 Motorway significantly congested during peak periods and holidays.
Economic growth is hampered by a slow rail alignment and shared passenger and freight services significantly constraining current operations, let alone additional services.
Other capacity improvements such as passing loops or widening are challenged by environmental, topographic and geological factors.
High speed rail is a large, complex project so it’s important to consider a range of factors during the business case. This includes the preferred service offering, technical specifications, planning and environmental approval pathways, stakeholder and community engagement, and the delivery model. The business case will determine the timeframes for construction based on these considerations.
The business case will determine the estimated cost for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high speed rail network. The Government has allocated $500 million to progress High Speed Rail planning, and $78.8 million to deliver the Sydney to Newcastle High Speed Rail Business Case.
The High Speed Rail Authority will develop a communications and engagement program to consult with key stakeholders, industry and community.
Stakeholders can register interest to be involved in future engagement opportunities by contacting us.
All Eight of the work packages were procured through an open and competitive tender process. HSRA held an industry briefing on 27 March 2024 to provide information about the program. 350 industry expert advisers participated in the event. Further information about the contracts is available on AusTender(Opens in a new tab/window). All procurement decisions were made in accordance with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules(Opens in a new tab/window).
Previous Australian Government studies
2013 HSR Study Phase 2 Report
2001 - the East Coast High Speed Train Scoping Study – Stage 1 Preliminary Study
