PLANS to develop a high-speed train link between Sydney and Melbourne will be jeopardised unless the state and federal government work together, the NSW Business Chamber has warned.
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A report commissioned by the chamber shows that integrating high-speed rail into Sydney’s existing train network would reduce the cost of the proposed high-speed rail by $10 to $15 billion.
However, regional manager of the Murray-Riverina NSW Business Chamber Ben Foley said the state government’s plans to develop Sydney’s north-west rail link and add a second Sydney Harbour rail crossing will lock out the most cost-effective of establishing the high-speed rail through the city’s CBD and wider rail network.
“We don’t want to see an outcome where a Sydney-centric focus closes the door on the most effective way to deliver high-speed rail,” Mr Foley said.
“This is not just a Sydney issue.
“It is about integrating an entire network and if they don’t get it right in Sydney initially then there is not much hope to integrate the regions into the system.”
Initial plans for the high-speed rail network had included Wagga and Albury in the link.
With the Riverina Oils and Bio Energy (ROBE) development set to begin within the next few years, the proposed rail network was seen as an integral factor in establishing the Riverina as a hub for transport and industry.
“The NSW government needs to take the benefits of a high-speed rail network into consideration when pursuing the state’s transport plan,” Mr Foley said.
The Liveable Sydney: How would high-speed rail change Sydney and NSW? report has recommended a single transport vision for Sydney be developed and that the state government revise its rail plan Sydney’s Rail Future to ensure it does not prevent high-speed rail from being implemented in the CBD.
