Detailed planning begins for high-speed rail between Sydney and Newcastle

The federal government has announced the beginning of a $660 million, two-year development phase for the construction of a new, dedicated high-speed railway between Sydney and Newcastle.

Under the plans, the proposed rail link would connect Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Central Coast, Central Sydney, with a second stage connecting Parramatta and Western Sydney International.

According to a media release from the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King, the development work will involve detailed design, along with confirmation of the approvals process, scope and cost, which will enable major construction contracts to be awarded. The release also notes that public and private financing options will be considered as part of this phase.

King commented, "High speed rail between Newcastle and Sydney will change the way people live, work and travel in our country's most populous region. It will connect the Newcastle and Central Coast communities to Sydney in a way that has never been done before."

"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," she said. "Carefully planned, costed and detailed preparation takes time, but it means when construction starts, it is built to last."

The High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) notes the area between Sydney and Newcastle as having the highest population density in Australia, thus determining its selection as the first stage for the project; however, future plans include an expanded railway connecting Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across Australia's East Coast.

HSRA chair Jill Rossouw commented, "High-speed rail will bring people and places closer together, creating generations of opportunities. Through phased delivery of individual sections, our vision is that by 2060 a high speed rail network will connect … capital cities to the regions."

Future stages will see connections established between capital cities and regional centres, before being linked together in an entire rail network.

The HSRA's business case, released by the federal government, claims that the first stage of the project will bring $250 billion to the Australian economy over the next 50 years and produce over 99,000 new jobs in sectors such as construction, advanced manufacturing and tourism.

On their website, the HSPA also describes the proposed rail infrastructure as a catalyst for urban and regional development, with opportunities for placemaking, urban renewal and planned growth, along with the ability to provide Australians with better access to greater housing choices and more affordable housing.

According to the HSRA, the proposed rail network is an environmentally sustainable form of travel, operating on 100 percent renewable energy. The authority has said it will aim for carbon neutrality throughout all stages and has committed to delivering the project in a socially responsible manner.

During the development phase, communities and stakeholders will be given opportunities to provide feedback. According to a spokesperson from the HSPA, the authority "will be engaging architects and other urban design specialists at the appropriate time as [they] move into the development of the railway and stations."