The NSW Government has progressed in making a high-speed rail system a reality with there vision being announced where we may see a ~200km/h rail service initially launched with a >250km/h high-speed VFT train service launched in the long term which will begin in the Sydney region where it will then go to the biggest regional centre’s across the state and even to the ACT.
The vision has outlined several major stops for the service which will begin in Sydney, here is a breakdown of each proposed route
Northern Corridor Route:
- Sydney
- Central Coast
- Newcastle
- Taree
- Port Macquarie
Southern Inland Corridor Route:
- Sydney
- Goulburn
- Canberra
Southern Coastal Corridor Route:
- Sydney
- Wollongong
- Nowra
Western Corridor Route:
- Sydney
- Lithgow
- Bathurst
- ~Orange
- ~Parkes
If undertaken, this project will change the entire economic and spatial landscape of the New South Wales state. It will give people a chance to live in true lifestyle locations whilst still being able to commute to a inner-city occupation. It can also give businesses a chance to setup in various locations or relocate their head offices as these centre’s become a lot more accessible.
Imagine living in either the Sydney CBD or Parramatta and being Able to get to Canberra in an hour or Newcastle in 45 minutes. One could imagine development would occur with new apartments in Sydney & off the plan developments in Parramatta around a potential new HSR train station node (depending on where the Sydney station is built).
Here are some amazing stats on the rail vision for NSW:
Top Speed (Short-Term): | At least 200 km/h |
Top Speed (Medium to Long-Term): | At least 250 km/h |
Potential Time Savings: | 75% on Current Times |
Potential Number of Stations: | 12 Major Station Cities Earmarked |
As you can see by the above table, journey times are the biggest benefit of this massive infrastructure vision. Here is a outline of the potential journey times if the development were to go ahead as stated on the NSW Government’s official website, here is a breakdown of what could be on the horizen:
Journey | Current Time | High-Speed Rail Time >250km/h |
Sydney to Gosford | 1 Hour 19 Minutes | 30 Minutes |
Sydney to Wollongong | 1 Hour 25 Minutes | 30 Minutes |
Sydney to Goulburn | 2 Hours 31 Minutes | 30 Minutes |
Sydney to Newcastle | 2 Hours 35 Minutes | 45 Minutes |
Sydney to Nowra | 2 Hours 39 Minutes | 45 Minutes |
Sydney to Canberra | 4 Hours 7 Minutes | 1 Hour |
Whilst NSW Fast Rail project is set the completely change the landscape of the state, there are more important prioritised rail projects according to the government has recently announced via SMH that the Sydney Metro West & Sydney Metro Greater West are currently more vital transport projects in New South Wales at the present time of writing & have priority to be fast tracked.
Whilst the first step would be to simply optimise the current rail which is in place now, where the longer term vision is to design and create a completely new set of tracks with new rolling stock.
NSW High Speed Rail FAQs
No, it is still currently a vision of the NSW Government as of October 2019
It is unclear whether there will be further routes or cities added to the network at this stage
It is expected in the short term that the trains will reach a top speed of <200km/h, however, in the long term once a dedicated line is built then this is expected to go up to >250km/h
In the long term, the very fast high speed rail in NSW reaching over 250km/h may cut journey times up to 75%
This is an excising time for the residents of both the Sydney region and regional NSW, we will keep you updated here at Build Sydney on the progress of this transport vision.
High-Speed Rail in Australia
In the past few decades, there has been a rapid increase in car usage and a decrease in public transport. This is not surprising as cars are cheaper to buy and maintain than trains or buses.
However, over time this trend will lead to more traffic congestion with an increasing number of people driving on roads that were never designed for such a volume of vehicles. It will also be expensive for governments to invest billions into building new highways every five years just so they can keep up with demand.
As the population of NSW continues to grow, so does the need for better transportation. The rapid growth of jobs in Western Sydney is one reason why high-speed rail is needed.
With a high-speed rail station planned for Western Sydney, people will be able to commute easily and quickly from their homes to work. This means that commuters will spend less time on public transport, which leads to fewer traffic jams on roads and trains during peak periods. High-speed rail can also help create more housing by freeing up land near train stations that were previously used as railway yards or freight depots.
This is because buildings can be built near stations, which would attract businesses and create jobs. New housing developments will also help to fill the demand for affordable homes in Western Sydney. High-speed rail will make it easier for people to live outside of the city and commute to work every day using public transport.
High Speed Rail in Australia for Tourism
Many people believe that high-speed rail will bring economic benefits to Australia’s tourism industry. Because trains are faster than planes, tourists will be more willing to come here as there is more time available for sightseeing and spending money throughout their holiday. Hundreds of thousands of Australians who live along the route could commute by train rather than a car, thus reducing traffic congestion on our roads. As a result, fewer will need to use cars and buses while travelling for daily activities such as work, shopping or visiting friends.
During the Olympics in Beijing, high-speed rail was used to transport athletes and officials between host cities to minimise time spent commuting. Australia could also use this technology during international sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games if Western Sydney hosts some of the competing teams. As well as benefiting tourism, game participants would be able to spend more time enjoying their stay here rather than wasting hours on travel.
The construction of a high speed rail network in NSW may require government investment because it is an expensive project that will take years to complete. However, not everything about it costs taxpayers money. Public transport reduces car usage so there are fewer cars driving around which means less congestion on roads and freeways. This reduces the need for governments to build new roads and freeways, which saves taxpayers’ money in the long run.
High-speed rail is a transformative project that will benefit Western Sydney for many years into the future. In addition, it will also provide economic benefits across all of NSW as well as Australia’s tourism industry. By bringing together public transport with housing initiatives, it is able to address not only transport issues but also affordability problems. High-speed rail will allow many people in Western Sydney to enjoy the benefits of living in our State without having to endure the daily commute.
Australian High Speed Rail Future
In the future, we might all wonder how we coped without high-speed rail! With more than one billion trips on high-speed trains each year across Europe and Asia, such as France’s TGV network and Japan’s Shinkansen. High-speed rail should become the focus of other countries but it will be up to us to develop this technology first.
A high-speed rail network linking major cities around the world has become an accepted part of future travel plans, like the Sydney Metro. While its cost as a mode of transport might be questioned, its ability to serve communities better known as the ‘social cost’ is usually not doubted.
The maximum speeds of high-speed rail trains are usually roughly about 300 km/h (186 mph). However, some services will have a peak speed of 320-350km/h. Using the “tilt technology”, the train can travel at high speeds on the conventional rail.
Most people are positive about high-speed rail in Australia because it’s seen as one solution to many problems plaguing our big cities.
The potential benefits of a high-speed rail network in Australia are arguably significant. A high-speed train ride from Sydney to Canberra could take just 55 minutes, while Melbourne to Sydney could be less than three hours on a bullet train.
High-speed rail has been around for more than 50 years and it’s time to begin considering this technology Down Under. In the future, perhaps everyone will want to live near a fast train line so they can get where they need to go quickly without having to rely on using their car.