Have you ever been jealous of Europeans, with their ability to travel casually to Paris for lunch and be in England Australia
The train, stopping via Sydney and Canberra , is said to be able to travel up to 350kms per hour which would mean the regular 3 hour journey between Newcastle and Sydney
The speed of travel holds high incentives for the employment industry as it promotes inter-state employment as well as opens up career opportunities for people based outside of the Sydney Sydney
Beyond this, the construction of the link itself will boost up employment in the construction sector as the scale of the project will be vast.
Also in favour of the project is the Australasian Railway Association. Their study, The True Value of Rail, has highlighted the economic, greenhouse and safety advantages of the rail link.
The study shows that one passenger train also reduces road accident costs equivalent to 130 hospital visits and, in one year, reduces carbon emissions by the same amount as planting 320 hectares of trees.
Balmain state Greens MP Jamie Parker stated “The high-speed rail would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport and congestion on already overloaded high-demand Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane routes. This would in turn dramatically reduce aircraft noise and pollution in the inner west”.
The Bureau of Transport Economics also pointed out that a Melbourne to Brisbane rail line opened up the door for rail transport which would replace truck transport, stating that the costs of truck transport were significantly higher than rail in the following categories:
- fuel costs
- road maintenance and repair costs
- accident costs
- enforcement costs
- congestion costs
- cost of regulations
- pollution costs
- noise costs
- cost of time for freight by road
- other line haul costs (driver and other vehicle operating costs).
So far, so good. But here’s the spanner in the works: the final analysis report puts the total expenditure costs around $100 billion dollars.
That’s right. $100 BILLION dollars. In promoting the rail link it was reported that it would come at no government cost but the Bureau of Transport Economics quickly shot that down. If the project goes ahead, it will have to involve some government organizations due to the need for minor upgrades within existing alignments.
Additionally, land will need to be purchased to build the link on. However, only governments have the powers of compulsory acquisition so government involvement is necessary. Not to mention that the funds for this project will most likely be coming out of the taxpayer’s money.
Call me selfish but considering the 25 years it will take to develop this project (not including the stamp of approval process that will undoubtedly drag on), the payoff will come when I’m well into my 60s at which point you can bet I’ll be using those trains to party with all my retired friends in all 3 states.
RESEARCHED AND EDITED BY: DANIELLA SERRET
SOURCES:
RESEARCHED AND EDITED BY: DANIELLA SERRET
SOURCES:
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