26 June 2013

Push for high-speed rail continues

26 June 2013 | Barcham

Shane Rattenbury today detailed some of the opportunities that high speed rail could bring to Canberra at an address at Parliament House.

“High speed rail connecting Canberra and Australia’s east coast cities would be a monumental nation-building project, transforming travel in Australia and opening up Canberra and the region to great new opportunities,” said Mr Rattenbury.

“Canberra is shaping up as an ideal city for a high speed rail station and Canberra-Sydney is an obvious first route on any east coast high speed rail network.

“The Sydney-Canberra line has a comparatively high forecasted return and a comparatively low cost of construction. With a journey time of only one hour it has the potential to attract high patronage and displace air travel.

“The ACT Government’s strategic planning for future developments and projects in the region will complement a future high speed rail connection and maximise the positive economic, transport and sustainable development opportunities.

“We are progressing Canberra’s first light rail network, which will provide significant economic and development opportunities for Canberra, contributing to denser transport corridors and a
compact city form, even as we grow.

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bundah5:46 pm 28 Jun 13

Now this is a rail network proposal that I consider to be of value unlike Corbell’s light rail nonsense..

scorpio635:21 pm 28 Jun 13

It could be a great deal less expensive to build the VFT with a great deal more private and public consultation and built well before the estimated year (2050?).

Another ‘red tape’ project.

Recruiting the best in European (German) engineers who have successfully built the Fast Trains over there along with using the highest grade aggregate locally, the GST Tax made the VFT Tax for the object of benefiting our future Oz Families and the Australian Economy (Tourists and Australians using it).

Speaking of which; it baffles me as to how Australia can be in a Billion $ deficit when we have all been paying GST for many many years.

Where has the GST gone within the A.C.T. as an example?

davo1014:07 pm 26 Jun 13

HSR LOL. As Bernard Keane points out: for $114 billion, you could buy airline tickets for everyone who currently flies on the Sydney-Melbourne, Sydney-Brisbane, Melbourne-Brisbane, Sydney-Gold Coast, Melbourne-Gold Coast, Sydney-Canberra, Melbourne-Canberra, Brisbane-Newcastle and Melbourne-Newcastle routes, for free, for more than a quarter of a century.

Probably even longer if you asked for a bulk discount.

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