Australian Government selected three business cases for faster rail which will be developed under the governmental AUD 20 million (USD 15.7 million) Faster Rail Prospectus. The process will develop detailed proposals for faster rail services between major cities and surrounding regional areas. The successful proposals in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria were selected following a competitive assessment process for their potential to substantially improve the efficiency of rail links between key regional centres and major cities.
The business cases are expected to be delivered over the next twelve months, and the Government’s funding for the business cases will be combined with funding provided by the project proponents.
If these proposals prove to be viable, they offer the potential to significantly reduce journey times on these key corridors, meaning better options for people who want to have the lifestyle of a regional centre but access to the job opportunities of a big city.
Following a competitive selection process, the three proposals selected for business case development involve the NSW Government proposal for Sydney to Newcastle, the Consolidated Land and Rail Australia’s (CLARA) proposal for Melbourne to Greater Shepparton and the North Coast Connect consortium’s proposal for Brisbane and the regions of Moreton Bay and the Sunshine Coast.
In the Faster Rail prospectus, the Government stated that wants to look at both ‘evolutionary’ and ‘revolutionary’ proposals, and the three proposals chosen for further development are at different points along this spectrum. One involves upgrades to existing track, another proposes entirely new track, and the third sees a mix. The government also ensured that three different transport corridors, in three different states, are being considered.
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