Eastern seaboard high-speed rail a key to decentralisation
Posted on Wednesday, September 11 2013 at 11:10 AM
A high-speed rail (HSR) system between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane could be strategic in alleviating capital city infrastructure pressures and decentralising communities, according to a PRDnationwide research report.
The
High Speed Rail
Property Report is a comprehensive look at how the proposed
HSR system could affect the property landscape along Australia’s east coast.
The
second phase of a Federal Government study into HSR was released in April this
year.
It’s
anticipated that the HSR network would comprise about 1748 kilometres of
dedicated route between Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Trains would
run at an average of 300 kilometres per hour on a dedicated track.
Aaron
Maskrey, director of research at PRDnationwide, says the HSR could prove
critical in alleviating future pressure on existing capital city amenities,
despite the estimated cost of around $114 billion.
“Population
forecasts for metropolitan centres in Australia indicate that unless we
facilitate change, there’s going to be an enormous strain on (the) infrastructure
and amenities of our capital cities to accommodate growth,” he says.
“The
proposed high-speed rail project can potentially serve as the catalyst for
changing the face of public transport for the whole eastern seaboard, reducing
congestion on our already bulging highways and crowded airports, and offering
commuters an alternative means to live and work.”
The
report says the 11 regions that should benefit directly from HSR are South
Brisbane, Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Newcastle, north Sydney,
South Sydney, Canberra, Wagga Wagga, Albury Wodonga and north Melbourne.
The
system could be the catalyst for creating new non-metropolitan business
districts, Maskrey.
“We
may see business, health and industrial precincts pop up as companies consider
relocation along the HSR to reduce operating costs and increase accessibility too
for their clients, suppliers, staff or patients.”
Tony
Brasier, managing director at PRDnationwide, suggests locating stations next to
capital city international airports to bolster the country’s reputation as a worldwide
business hub.
Brasier
says rather than spending $20 billion on the Sydney Airport upgrade, the funds
could be put toward a HSR connection between Canberra Airport and Newcastle
Airport, which would reduce congestion at the Sydney facility.
“Recent
estimates of the cost of a new Sydney Airport have been quoted as in the
vicinity of $20 billion. This could go a long way towards funding a Canberra –
Sydney – Newcastle HSR as a first stage to a Brisbane – Melbourne service. Anyone
who has experienced high-speed rail between Hong Kong and Shanghai airports and
their respective city centres will appreciate the impact it could have on
efficient airport accessibility.”
The
Commonwealth Government report on the HSR claims it will provide journey times
that would be competitive to the airline industry, allowing for the
complications of check-in and security at airports.
“Travel times between Brisbane/Gold Coast and
Sydney and between Sydney and Melbourne are less than three hours for the inter-capital
express services and up to 3.5 hours for the
inter-capital regional service.”
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