Albo puts High Speed Rail back on the table

Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has committed $500 million in Labor’s first Budget to begin corridor acquisition, planning and early works on a High- Speed Rail Link between Sydney and Newcastle.

The commitment puts High-Speed Rail back on the table after a decade of inaction under successive Liberal-National Party governments.

Anthony Albanese said High Speed Rail on this route would ultimately deliver speeds of over 250 km/h, and could include stops on the Central Coast - with Wyong and Gosford the likely options.

“This would cut the journey from Sydney to Newcastle down to just 45 minutes from the current two-and-ahalf-hour trip,” he said.

“It would also only take half an hour to get from Sydney to Gosford on the new route.”

Anthony Albanese said the most recent report into high-speed rail – commissioned by the former Federal Labor Government – identified the Sydney to Newcastle Corridor as the first component of a line from Melbourne to Brisbane.

“With the population of the Hunter Valley and Central Coast forecast grow by close to 200,000 people by 2040, Labor knows that planning for Australia’s long-term future requires vision, dedication and a commitment to work cooperatively with the states and territories,” he said.

Anthony Albanese also said a Labor Federal Government would make this stage of works a key priority for a new High-Speed Rail Authority.

“For too long, High-Speed Rail has been little more than a pipe dream. An Albanese Labor Government would actually start work on this nation-building project.”

National Secretary Mark Diamond said Australia is decades behind other comparable countries when it comes to passenger rail infrastructure.

“The pandemic, and the associated increase in people in working from home, has increased the trend of Australians seeking to move away from the major cities,” Mark said.

“This should be opening up massive opportunities for regional areas to grow and prosper – but the regions are being held back by critical failures in our national infrastructure.

“Investment in rail infrastructure is good for the regions, good for the environment, and good for jobs.”

This would cut the journey from Sydney to Newcastle down to just 45 minutes from the current two-and-a-half-hour trip

RTBU Vice President Leanne Holmes with Anthony Albanese at the High Speed Rail announcement