High-speed rail in Australia
Overview of the high-speed rail system in Australia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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High-speed rail in Australia has been under investigation since the early 1980s.[1][2] Every Federal Government since this time has investigated the feasibility of constructing high-speed rail with speeds above 200 km/h, but to date nothing has ever gone beyond the detailed planning stage. Various corridors have been proposed for a potential high-speed line. The most commonly suggested route is between Australia's two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, which, as of 2023, is the world's sixth busiest air corridor.[3]
High-speed rail in Australia | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Status | Various proposals for systems to run at or above 200 km/h (125 mph) on upgraded lines or up to 350 km/h (215 mph) on new alignments |
Service | |
Type | High-speed rail |
Services | Maximum service speed of Australian trains currently is only 160 km/h (100 mph) |
Since the introduction of the New South Wales XPT, some Australian trains have been capable of high-speed operation; the Australian rail speed record of 210 km/h was set by Queensland Rail's Electric Tilt Train during a trial run in 1998.[4] This speed is above the internationally accepted definition of high-speed rail of 200 km/h (124 mph).[5] Trains in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia operate at a maximum service speed of 160 km/h (99.4 mph).
The High Speed Rail Authority, a federal government agency established in 2023, has been tasked with "advising on, planning, developing and overseeing the construction and operation of a transformational network along Australia’s eastern seaboard". The authority's first priority is planning and corridor works for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high speed rail network, backed by a $500 million commitment from the Australian Government.[6]