FAST FORWARD: The Hassell concept for a high-speed train brings the future hurtling towards travellers.

Hurtling along at 400 kilometres per hour in perfect ease and comfort? In the age of budget airlines squeezing in passengers like sardines, could this really be the future of travel in Australia?

One Sydney firm hopes so, and has released its vision of the future with concept designs for a high-speed Australian train.

Designer Hassell's vision of the future offers a hassle-free alternative to crowded planes.

The Australian High Speed Vehicle (or A-HSV) is the design firm's own contribution to the current debate over transport in Australia. The high speed train presents a low carbon, safe mode of travel between Australian capital and regional cities.

The designs arrive as the Federal Government prepares to announce the results of a $20 million feasibility study into a national high-speed rail network next month. In recent weeks firms from around the world have been lobbying Canberra over the plan.

Mark Loughnan, Principal at Hassell, told Fairfax Media, "We're always interested in contributing to public debate on unrealised concepts. We're not proposing an answer, but a concept."

With the route between Melbourne and Sydney one of the busiest air traffic corridors in the world, an opportunity exists for an alternative form of transport - one where passengers can say goodbye to endless queues and delayed flights, babies crying and bad aeroplane food.

Hassell's design, created by a Melbourne team of six over six months, was partly inspired by the iconic Australian 1960s Holden Monaro, which was well-known for its speed.

"The inspiration came from many different aspects, one being the Holden Monaro," said Loughnan. "The Monaro has an identity in Australia and conjures up an image for everyone. We wanted something that struck a chord with Australians, and was associated with speed."

The A-HSV would certainly offer speed - up to 400 kilometres per hour. A trip from Melbourne to Sydney would take under three hours, Hassell says. And with dining facilities, as well as a convenience store, commuters would be able to comfortably do their daily shopping or have a bite to eat before arriving at their destination.

The double-decker train offers a sophisticated, spacious and modern open-plan look; there are even private booths for business meetings. If Australia needs further inspiration, it need only look to its largest trading partner: China.

The country, already home to the world's biggest bullet-train network, plans to have 16,000 kilometres of high-speed track by 2015. Later this month it will open a 221 billion-yuan (NZ$42 billion) high speed rail line linking its two most important cities: Beijing and Shanghai.

For the moment, however, high-speed rail Down Under remains just a concept.

source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/5117191/Aus-travel-future-400kmh-trains

A great concept. However I doubt there are enough poilticians capable of rising above party politics and vested interests to make this a reality.  :(

Belgarion wrote on Jun 9^th, 2011 at 10:44am:

A great concept. However I doubt there are enough poilticians capable of rising above party politics and vested interests to make this a reality.  :(

Wonder what Bob Katter thinks?!!?

Belgarion wrote on Jun 9^th, 2011 at 10:44am:

A great concept. However I doubt there are enough poilticians capable of rising above party politics and vested interests to make this a reality.  :(

I doubt there are enough politicans able to find the amount of money needed to replace the existing rail infrastructure with one that would support those speeds safely...

gizmo_2655 wrote on Jun 10^th, 2011 at 1:23pm:

Belgarion wrote on Jun 9th, 2011 at 10:44am: A great concept. However I doubt there are enough poilticians capable of rising above party politics and vested interests to make this a reality.  :( I doubt there are enough politicans able to find the amount of money needed to replace the existing rail infrastructure with one that would support those speeds safely...

AINT MONEY A GAS!  :o :o :o

It will never happen here.
I travelled on the TGV in France in 1985 from Paris to Lyon & back.
The trip only took 2 hours one way.
That means we are at least 26 years behind France.

Out of 6 Collins Class subs that we built only 1 is in service.
That shows you what kind of expertise is available here. ie
practically zero.
We couldn't build a high speed rail network -
we don't have the money or the people capable of doing it -
we couldn't even put pink batts in people's roofs
without burning their houses down.

This country is finished - it's nothing but a quarry & a farm for other countries.

Bobby. wrote on Jun 11^th, 2011 at 12:49am:

It will never happen here. I travelled on the TGV in France in 1985 from Paris to Lyon & back. The trip only took 2 hours one way. That means we are at least 26 years behind France. Out of 6 Collins Class subs that we built only 1 is in service. That shows you what kind of expertise is available here. ie practically zero. We couldn't build a high speed rail network - we don't have the money or the people capable of doing it - we couldn't even put pink batts in people's roofs without burning their houses down. This country is finished - it's nothing but a quarry & a farm for other countries.

Australia is run by f.ckwits from the top down. The people with the real skills and knowledge are always sidelined in favour of incompetent word smiths who are only interest in maintaining their larger than life pay packets without giving back any value :(

The proof is in the eating of the pudding where we no longer manufacture or add value to anything but the same non productive word smiths are still rewarding themselves with very generous pay packets :(

Sir lastnail wrote on Jun 11^th, 2011 at 6:13pm:

Bobby. wrote on Jun 11th, 2011 at 12:49am: It will never happen here. I travelled on the TGV in France in 1985 from Paris to Lyon & back. The trip only took 2 hours one way. That means we are at least 26 years behind France. Out of 6 Collins Class subs that we built only 1 is in service. That shows you what kind of expertise is available here. ie practically zero. We couldn't build a high speed rail network - we don't have the money or the people capable of doing it - we couldn't even put pink batts in people's roofs without burning their houses down. This country is finished - it's nothing but a quarry & a farm for other countries. Australia is run by f.ckwits from the top down. The people with the real skills and knowledge are always sidelined in favour of incompetent word smiths who are only interest in maintaining their larger than life pay packets without giving back any value :( The proof is in the eating of the pudding where we no longer manufacture or add value to anything but the same non productive word smiths are still rewarding themselves with very generous pay packets :(

Unions send manaufacturing overseas!

It's as natural as a declining birth-rate is with education!! This is capitalism as Unions are just another business case filling a need in the end!!!

People feather their own nests....  :o :o :o ...the trains will be built when Peak Oil dictates it necessary as far as I can see!  :-? ;) ;)

Cut 'n paste again!.

Doesn't anyone get sick of this crap?

VFT has been on the board for years and will stay there as long as the Alice to Darwin line was in planning. About 100 years. I used to work in the same office as the person whose official job was planning that railway. He had a wooden toy train on his door and it was never opened, nor was the light ever on.

Great job, until one day they said "It's happeninmg". He'd heard that before and ignored it. By the time he dropped in again, it was done. He got the job back. After all he'd carried all those jokes for so long he deserved it.

In SA the suburban trains are slower today than they were 55 years ago, pulled by steam locos, and Adelaide still has a dead-end Railway Station, because the SA politicians do not believe in tunnels, but they are all well paid.
Australia lives on dreams and most politicians are in there for their own benefit as the late Professor A.Marshall wrote
as quoted in the book “Equality and Authority” by S Encel on page212:

“Most Australian politicians, he wrote, aspire to parliamentary seats ‘to better their salary, to inflate their egos and feather their nests’.

A lovely dream is all I can say.

Having used the Rail Network between Bris and Mel a number of times, I'd have to say - it's impossible. :(

Sad it is..  A decent rail network would be a boon to this country, but -  it has languished and been neglected since someone had the bright idea that Trucks were cheaper - and planes were faster. :-?
And sadder, we do not have the capacity to do such a thing - not anymore,......    :(
Driven interstate lately??
Caught a train?


And here we are today.  Great ain't it?? ;)

While we're at it: public librarys should go back to a card system cos it'd be faster looking for a book that way!

Most people will be using Jetpacks and Submersibles by then.

;D ;D ;D :)Humour  - no less. !!

But no-one owned up to interstate train travel.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss. ;)
Nonetheless  ( :))  - it is an experience - that's probably the best way to put it. :-[