The High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) is an Australian Government authority tasked with advising on, planning, developing and overseeing the construction and operation of an eventual high-speed rail network along Australia’s eastern seaboard.
The Authority was part of a commitment made in November 2021 by the then-opposition Labor Party (and a further announcement by its leader Anthony Albanese in January 2022) to build a high-speed rail line from Sydney to Newcastle, and an eventual network from Melbourne to Brisbane. Legislation to establish the Authority was introduced in September 2022 and gained assent in December 2022. The Authority commenced operations on 13 June 2023, and its CEO was appointed on 11 January 2024; the National Faster Rail Agency was abolished on the commencement of the Authority.
The Authority is currently developing a business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail network, with $500 million allocated by the Australian Government for planning and corridor works.[1] Tenders for the development of the business case were released in March 2024 and successful tenderers were announced in June 2024. These announcements were followed in August 2024 by the commencement of geotechnical investigations and a briefing for industry. As of October 2024, the business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section is expected to be provided to the Government by the end of 2024 along with a Product Definition Report[note 1] for the entire network.[1][3]
Establishment and previous incarnations
In a speech in Newcastle on 2 January 2022, then-Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese promised, if he was successful in the 2022 federal election, to build a high-speed rail line between Sydney and Newcastle. Part of this commitment included an allocation of $500 million for planning, land purchases and early works, along with establishing a dedicated authority to deliver an eventual line from Melbourne to Brisbane.[4] This mirrored a similar announcement by the Labor Party in November 2021,[5] and a similar promise made at the 2019 federal election.[6] The promise was criticised by members of the Liberal Party, with the then-Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher saying that Albanese "[needed] to come clean" regarding the cost and the party vice-president Teena McQueen saying the proposal was "not cost effective".[7][8] In contrast, The Australia Institute's Ebony Bennett said that it was a "smart announcement", adding that it would be popular "in areas [...] that stand to benefit a lot", including Newcastle.[9]
In September 2022, the then-recently elected Albanese government introduced legislation to establish a new national High Speed Rail Authority.[10][11] The Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the Authority would have an expert board and be tasked with overseeing "the construction and operation of a high-speed rail network along Australia's eastern seaboard" between Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.[12] The authority would consult with state governments, give advice to the federal government, and develop standards to ensure an interoperable high-speed rail network across jurisdictions.[11] King announced the Authority would advance the government's first priority of providing high-speed rail between Sydney and Newcastle, to which the government committed $500 million to commence early works and secure corridors.[10] The Bill would abolish the National Faster Rail Agency and absorb its functions into the new authority.[12] The Bill was passed by both houses on 24 November 2022, and gained assent on 12 December 2022.[11]
The authority commenced operations on 13 June 2023, and the permanent CEO Tim Parker was appointed on 11 January 2024.[13][14]
National Faster Rail Agency
In the 2019–20 Budget, the Australian Government established the National Faster Rail Agency (NFRA), its purpose being to support "economic growth and social opportunity through faster rail connections between major capital cities and growing regional centres", and was tasked with producing a number of business cases for higher-speed rail between capital cities and regional centres.[15][16] The Government allocated $40 million to assess five fast rail corridors:[15][17]
These assessments were in addition to the three business cases already underway, started under the Turnbull government, examining the following corridors:[17]
On the commencement of the operation of the Authority, the Agency ceased operations, and all employees were transferred to either the Authority or the DITRDCA.[18]
Board structure
Per the High Speed Rail Authority Act 2022, the board of the Authority consists of the Chair and four other members, who are all appointed by - and report to - the Minister. The board is required to hold at least four meetings a year.[19]
On 30 January 2024, it was announced that $78.8 million of funding would be released for the development of a business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail network.[20][21] The tenders for the business case were released in March 2024 and were split into eight packages, including:[22]
Commercial, delivery strategy and industry engagement.
In response to tender documents suggesting the consideration of a potential station at Broadmeadow (in contrast to the 2013 Phase 2 report, which suggested a station "located outside the current urban areas" of Newcastle), Tim Parker said that a line from Sydney to Broadmeadow was "achievable".[23][24]
The successful tenderers were announced on 13 June 2024, with the contracts being awarded to the following companies:[25][26]
Package
Successful tenderer(s)
Project Control Services (Costs, Schedule and Risks)
Geotechnical investigations (starting with drilling of 27 boreholes along the Sydney to Newcastle corridor) commenced on 26 August 2024, ahead of an industry briefing the next day.[30][31] Starting in November 2024, six of these boreholes were drilled in Brisbane Water and the Hawkesbury River on the Central Coast using two drilling rigs.[32][33]
The Authority's geology advisor David Och said that the area along the proposed route had a diverse range of landscapes (from "spectacular sandstone plateaus" to "deeply dissected valleys"), fault zones and igneous dikes, along with varying types of vegetation. These features, Och said, were "the primary focus" of the investigations. Another focus of the geotechnical investigations was the Hawkesbury River, due to the need to determine the "sediment thickness, bedrock depth and quality" on the river. These investigations, according to Och, were aimed at enabling "future drilling to target any geotechnical risk" that was identified during the initial geotechnical investigations and to ensure "safety and efficiency in future construction".[34]
At an industry briefing for the Sydney to Newcastle section on 27 August 2024, Tim Parker gave a presentation suggesting the following:[35]
Up to 100 km (62 mi) of the line would be in tunnels, including beneath the Hawkesbury River and Brisbane Water,
The section between Gosford and Newcastle would largely be above-ground, and
The first construction contracts could be signed by 2027 if the federal government made an investment in 2025.
Parker also gave the following target travel times:[35]
An information hub and office were opened in Newcastle in December 2024. Parker said that the hub would enable people to "come in and have a discussion" about the project, and to enable people who were "very excited [...] but not sure" what high-speed rail was to see "what [high-speed rail] will look like".[36]
Criticism
At the time of the industry briefing in August 2024, the shadow transport minister Bridget McKenzie commented that while the Coalition would "[deliver] the business case" for the Sydney to Newcastle section, she also commented that details were yet to be provided on "where it's [sic] proposal is going, what it will cost or who will be paying for it".[37] When drilling commenced on the Central Coast in November 2024, McKenzie labelled it a "Utopia-like stunt" that suggested "‘work has started’ on a [sic] high-speed rail" and opined that unless details were provided on funding and delivery, high-speed rail would be "just another infrastructure fantasy project".[33]
In November 2024, former Liberal member for Bennelong John Alexander suggested building stations just outside of major towns and cities to allow for new housing development. Alexander opined that this would allow for significant value capture and therefore allow the government to recoup the cost of the project. He criticised the potential station locations for this reason, saying that a station in Gosford would not result in an "uplift" in property values due to it being built up and surrounded by water, while saying that a potential station in Broadmeadow was "equally flawed".[38]
Future sections
Melbourne to Canberra section
In October 2024, Tim Parker said that the Victorian end of the line should start at Southern Cross railway station (although he thought a link to Geelong "would make sense") and include a stop at Melbourne Airport. The line would extend on to Shepparton, Albury and would eventually connect with the line from Sydney. Parker also said that the line should both be built and start operating in small segments.[39]
Notes
^The report, per the Authority, would include advice on corridor preservation, stakeholder engagement and environmental planning for the entire network.[2]
^With assistance from specialist partners (including Ineco)[27][28]
^"Albanese's high-speed rail plan criticised for lacking detail". The Australian. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2024. '[Albanese] needs to come clean with the Australian people, that's $200-$300 billion on any credible estimate,' Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher said.
^"Labor's high-speed rail line 'is not going to happen'". The Australian. 3 January 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2024. Labor's proposed high-speed rail line between Sydney and Newcastle is never going to happen because it is "simply not cost effective," according to Liberal Party federal vice-president Teena McQueen.
^ abVisontay, Elias (2024-11-05). "Drilling for Sydney to Newcastle high-speed rail begins but Labor accused of uncosted 'fantasy project'". The Guardian. ISSN0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-11-06. Six holes in the ground at the end of the first term of the Albanese government is a Utopia-like stunt to suggest 'work has started' on a high-speed rail," [Bridget] McKenzie told Guardian Australia. "We are waiting for the Albanese government to provide any details at all on how they intend to fund a [sic] high-speed rail and then build it. Minister King can put out a press release with a stamp that says 'work has started' but until the prime minister comes clean on how he will deliver on his election promise, it is just another infrastructure fantasy project.
^"High-speed rail team must show how it can get passengers on board". Newcastle Herald. 2024-08-28. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-29. The Coalition is committed to delivering the high-speed rail business case," Senator [Bridget] McKenzie said. "To date, Labor is yet to provide any details on where it's [sic] proposal is going, what it will cost or who will be paying for it.
