The approval of Sydney’s second airport at Badgerys Creek has set back the case for high-speed rail linking Melbourne and Brisbane by as much as 40 years, but proponents say governments should still work to ensure that the land corridor for the project is secured.
In a late-stage election bid, the Federal Opposition has promised to invest over $1 billion for planning works on a High Speed Rail Link along Australia’s east coast, as well as $300 million for Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop.
Federal Labor’s election promise to use $1 billion to protect a corridor between Melbourne and Brisbane for a future bullet train has put high-speed rail firmly back on the political agenda.