Labor promises high-speed rail study
Updated 59 minutes ago


A high-speed train in China. Labor has promised a study looking at an initial link between Newcastle and Sydney. (Reuters, file photo)

Map: Sydney 2000 The Federal Government says if it is re-elected it will fund a study into a high-speed rail link along Australia's east coast.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese will announce details of the plan in Melbourne today.

He says the government will commit $20 million to study the feasibility of a first rail link between Sydney and Newcastle.

"It would commence later this year and be completed within 18 months," he said.

But the Liberal Member for Paterson, Bob Baldwin, says Labor has been promising high-speed rail for decades but has delivered nothing.

"This Government has had so many studies it deserves a master's degree in studies," he said.

"What people want is rubber to hit the road. They want to see action and traction, they don't want to see more studies.

"More rhetoric again about more trains, very fast trains, doesn't deliver the solution.

"I think this is just another desperate plea from a desperate government to announce a study in the 11th hour of an election campaign when they've had three years to talk about infrastructure and development," he said.

Greens Leader Bob Brown says Labor voted down his party's proposal for the study in the Senate just a few months ago.

"Labor's changed its policy because it's seen the polling on this which shows a huge majority of Australians - over 70 per cent - want high-speed rail," he said.

"The logic of it also has got through to Labor. It was leaving Australia behind and at last the government has caught on

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is continuing her campaign focus on North Queensland today by starting her day in Townsville.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott is campaigning in his home city of Sydney, where he will be announcing the Coalition's health policy.

Tags: business-economics-and-finance, industry, government-and-politics, elections, federal-government, federal-state-issues, rail-transport, federal-elections, australia, nsw, newcastle-2300, sydney-2000

First posted 5 hours 57 minutes ago

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What is the bet that if Labor just said they would do it he would then be critical because it wasn't properly costed and their were no studies done to ascertain that it was viable.

Dnarever wrote on Aug 5^th, 2010 at 12:50pm:

What is the bet that if Labor just said they would do it he would then be critical because it wasn't properly costed and their were no studies done to ascertain that it was viable.

And labor did what

Greens Leader Bob Brown says Labor voted down his party's proposal for the study in the Senate just a few months ago.

"Labor's changed its policy because it's seen the polling on this which shows a huge majority of Australians - over 70 per cent - want high-speed rail," he said.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese will announce details of the plan in Melbourne today.

He says the government will commit $20 million to study the feasibility of a first rail link between Sydney and Newcastle.

--------------------

So they're going to fund a study.
At What cost ?  
How many studies have already been done ?  
When will the study be released (if ever) ?  
When would action be taken on the results of the study ?

We all know about Labor's very expensive studies and reports, eg Minter Ellison Risk Report on the Insulation Program.

nichy wrote on Aug 5^th, 2010 at 1:05pm:

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese will announce details of the plan in Melbourne today. He says the government will commit $20 million to study the feasibility of a first rail link between Sydney and Newcastle. -------------------- So they're going to fund a study. At What cost ?   How many studies have already been done ?   When will the study be released (if ever) ?   When would action be taken on the results of the study ? We all know about Labor's very expensive studies and reports, eg Minter Ellison Risk Report on the Insulation Program.

A FIG OF $ 200000O0    

Are Liberals Federal and state promising this , or better ....??


What are their promises in this area ??

Yeah no points for this, it gets announced every 18 months along with Williamtown Airport becoming the 2nd airport.
They've already spent sh!tloads on studies(between state and federal governments) & 20 mill for a few pieces of paper full of information already contained within other reports will only confirm the rabid right assertations of waste. >:(

Judas, true to form will be comissioning  three of the sharpest pupils of the Oboogoola Child Care Centre to do the study. The contract price will be $763, 000, 000 . 00, which is fantastic value because Wendy insisted that they supply their own crayons.

What this old chestnut again it's been talked about for decades so now they want to waste 20 million just to make themselves look good.

Abbott is right they just keep on spending don't they.

Dnarever wrote on Aug 5^th, 2010 at 12:50pm:

What is the bet that if Labor just said they would do it he would then be critical because it wasn't properly costed and their were no studies done to ascertain that it was viable.

The difference is that there have already been several studies into the idea and each one has found that it is not economically viable. plane fares have dropped so far that rail prices would need to at least match and preferably undercut them to get the business - and they couldnt.

It is pure and mindless politics in play and there will always be stupid people who think labor woudl seriously entertain the idea!

Sydney to newcastle is not an appropriate route, unless they build it in a completely different area to the current rail line, Th espeed through Hawkesbury River and up to Cowan is only 60Kmph, It would have to run from Wahroonga alongside the F3.

And building a new line down the nth shore will not happen no land and all are million dollar+ houses.


Good theory but not gunna happen

another labor white elephant. $20M for a study! Wow, good job for someone.
Do these guys ever actually sit on trains in peak times?
High speed from Newcastle to Sydney and then sit in the train gridlock just outside the city for almost as long. Sydney is dysfunctional, don't they ever get that. It wasn't planned for all these millions of people and you can't undo the unplanning knot that has been tied tight.
If there's a high speed train service OUT of Sydney, one-way, that would be a good thing. Probably only cost half as much as well.
What a hell hole.

Why is Labor leaving out Canberra?


Not part of the real world in Labor's thinkng?

wrote on Aug 5^th, 2010 at 1:09pm:

Are Liberals Federal and state promising this , or better ....?? What are their promises in this area ??

Coalition commissions fast rail feasibility study
05/08/10
Federal Shadow Minister for Trade, Transport and Local Government, Warren Truss, announced today that an elected Coalition Government would undertake a feasibility study into high speed rail.

“The Coalition has always been committed to a modern, fast and efficient rail system in Australia and allocated record amounts of funding to upgrade the Melbourne to Sydney and Sydney to Brisbane coastal rail link during its previous term in office.  The Coalition also commissioned a study into fast rail, the East Coast Very High Speed Train Scoping Study.

“In Government, the Coalition will build upon this study to consider the viability of possible passenger routes along Australia’s east coast between Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.  The study will also undertake a specific analysis of a possible high speed rail link between Sydney and Newcastle.

“This is one of Australia’s busiest transport corridors.

“The Coalition will commission the study and consider its conclusions carefully as part of the Coalition’s plan to update and improve Australia’s rail infrastructure,” Mr Truss said.