The opportunity for Australia
Developments over the past decade suggest that it is time Australia took another look at high speed
rail. Trains are becoming faster, making routes such as Melbourne-Sydney and Sydney-Brisbane,
each with three hour travel times, well within the competitive distance for high speed rail.
The demand for travel between Melbourne and Sydney – the world’s fourth busiest air route; and
between Sydney and Brisbane, seventh busiest in the Asia/Pacific region – suggest that a high speed
rail service would be well used. In addition, regional centres would benefit from better access to
capital cities.
High speed rail would mean that travel on these routes would be undertaken in a much more energyefficient
way than at present.
Perhaps most important, that travel would be undertaken in a more climate-friendly way that greatly
reduces carbon dioxide emissions compared with alternative modes.
The prospect that a high speed rail system could carry freight is another significant potential benefit.
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