The Speedrail project for a high-speed rail link between Sydney and Canberra

Speedrail is a proposal for a high-speed rail service linking Sydney with Canberra, driven by its strong potential for sharing an existing market of more than 6.8 million Sydney-Canberra trips and 3.5 million intermediate trips. A 1995 feasibility study found that Speedrail's Sydney-Canberra link is commercially financible. The proposal is being assessed by the New South Wales, Commonwealth and Australian Capital Territory governments. Capital costs will approach Aust$2 billion. Initially, trains will run at 3OOkm/h between the outskirts of Sydney and Canberra, using proven TGV technology. In Sydney's suburban area they will run at reduced speeds. Services will travel via the New Southern Railway, now under construction, and will be able to pick up passengers at Sydney airport. The journey time from Sydney Central to Canberra for non-stop trains will be 1 hour 20 minutes - comparable with air when access/egress, check-in and waiting times are included. The paper outlines the proposal and mentions similarities with overseas developments; differences from other projects (constructing privately-owned infrastructure and operating a service over it is unusual in Australia); policy issues for government such as land acquisition and financial involvement; and inter-operability.

• Record URL:
  • http://atrf.info/papers/1996/1996_Budd.pdf
• 
• Authors:
  • Budd, D
• Conference:
  • Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF), 20th, 1996, Auckland, New Zealand
• Publication Date: 1996

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 9p (Session 5a, Paper 1)
• Serial:
  • Volume: 20
  • Issue Number: Part 2

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Evaluation; High speed vehicles; Intercity transportation; Project management; Railroad transportation; Travel time
• Geographic Terms: Canberra, ACT; Sydney (Australia)
• ATRI Terms: Cost; High speed; Interurban; Project evaluation; Rail transport; Travel time
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Finance; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01436047
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ATRI
• Created Date: Aug 24 2012 7:28PM