THE initial 170km section of Australia’s first high-speed rail project, between Sydney and Newcastle, has moved into the development phase, following a $A 230m ($US 162m) funding guarantee from the federal government.
The announcement comes at the same time as the publication of the business case for the project, submitted to the government in December 2024. The $A 659.6m, two-year development phase should ensure that the project, currently estimated to cost $A 55bn, is “construction-ready” by 2028.
“As recommended by Infrastructure Australia, [this] is the detailed work required to lock in the design, approvals process, scope and cost to ensure major construction contracts can be awarded,” the federal government says. Previous schedules had expected construction to start next year.
When completed, the high-speed line is expected to cut journey times to 1 hour between Sydney and Newcastle, with the journey from the Central Coast to either Sydney or Newcastle cut to just 30 minutes.
The federal government has yet to announce how the project will be funded. It says that as part of the development phase, a range of potential public and private financing options will be assessed, in order to inform a future government decision on investment once project scope, cost and risk are finalised.
“This development phase will lay the foundations for delivery of high-speed rail between Newcastle and Sydney, ensuring we secure the rail corridor and undertake detailed planning before we start building,” says Catherine King, federal minister for infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government.
“Carefully planned, costed and detailed preparation takes time, but it means when construction starts, it is built to last.”
Industry response
Reaction from the Australian rail industry has been broadly positive. “This significant commitment to detailed planning will help secure the project corridor, keeping costs down and delivering services sooner,” says Lauren Streifer, CEO of Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand (PTAANZ). “It will be welcomed by Australia’s public transport and infrastructure sector.”
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