ID :
143811
Mon, 09/27/2010 - 17:48
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/143811
The shortlink copeid
High speed rail network `unviable`
A high-speed rail network linking Australia's major cities isn't viable because they
are too far apart or don't have the population to justify the cost, departmental
documents show.
Labor announced during the August election campaign that, if re-elected, it would
initiate a $20 million feasibility study for a high-speed rail network linking
Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, with a particular focus on the
Sydney-Newcastle leg.
But a document obtained under a freedom of information (FOI) request showed
Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese was told in March the plan was not viable.
"Australian cities are not predisposed to high-speed rail linkages," said the
document, entitled A Profile of High-speed Railways.
"A high-speed Sydney-Melbourne railway with an average train speed of 250 kilometres
an hour would mean a journey of three hours, which is the upper time limit for the
train to be competitive with airlines.
"This analysis highlights that currently in Australia high-speed rail will not be
viable."
A high-speed rail network would require a minimum of six million travellers a year
to be viable, but the briefing said 12 million to 20 million commuters were more
typical.
The document, which was given to Seven Network News following a FOI request, showed
while a Sydney-Newcastle-Canberra link would compete with the airline's travel time,
the cities did not have the populations to justify the link.
However, the paper also said the potential future viability of high-speed rail lines
would be improved by a strategy of safeguarding future corridors and by applying
policies to increase the size and density of key population centres.
"We know that there's massive public support for high-speed rail," Mr Albanese told
Seven Network on Monday.
"But we need to know what the cost is and what the challenges are."
In its TV news report, Seven said further documents showed the scheme would cost up
to $110 million a kilometre to build, andthat the FOI request was only granted after
the intervention of Mr Albanese.
are too far apart or don't have the population to justify the cost, departmental
documents show.
Labor announced during the August election campaign that, if re-elected, it would
initiate a $20 million feasibility study for a high-speed rail network linking
Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, with a particular focus on the
Sydney-Newcastle leg.
But a document obtained under a freedom of information (FOI) request showed
Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese was told in March the plan was not viable.
"Australian cities are not predisposed to high-speed rail linkages," said the
document, entitled A Profile of High-speed Railways.
"A high-speed Sydney-Melbourne railway with an average train speed of 250 kilometres
an hour would mean a journey of three hours, which is the upper time limit for the
train to be competitive with airlines.
"This analysis highlights that currently in Australia high-speed rail will not be
viable."
A high-speed rail network would require a minimum of six million travellers a year
to be viable, but the briefing said 12 million to 20 million commuters were more
typical.
The document, which was given to Seven Network News following a FOI request, showed
while a Sydney-Newcastle-Canberra link would compete with the airline's travel time,
the cities did not have the populations to justify the link.
However, the paper also said the potential future viability of high-speed rail lines
would be improved by a strategy of safeguarding future corridors and by applying
policies to increase the size and density of key population centres.
"We know that there's massive public support for high-speed rail," Mr Albanese told
Seven Network on Monday.
"But we need to know what the cost is and what the challenges are."
In its TV news report, Seven said further documents showed the scheme would cost up
to $110 million a kilometre to build, andthat the FOI request was only granted after
the intervention of Mr Albanese.
