Indeed! There were a number of world experts in high-speed rail at that Wagga conference, and there were dozens of reasons given why it is a no-brainer.

They include tourism: no-one has ever closed down a high-speed rail link because of a lack of patronage; high-speed rail links have opened up community developments along the route; proven productivity gains to households using the links; a high-speed rail link of 1600km from Brisbane to Melbourne via Sydney and Canberra would advance two-thirds of the nation's population; and, my notes included quotes from experts at that conference - with experience of European and Japanese high-speed rail - a non-stop Sydney-Melbourne link alone in 2012 would take less than three hours without the hassle of getting to and through airports.

There was much more that day, including this from a representative of the Japanese company which ran the Osaka-Nagoya-Tokyo link that moved 386,000 passengers a day in high-speed rail trains. He presented evidence the annual average delay per train was six seconds!

Compare that with the nightmarish delays of 1-3 hours these days for long-suffering customers of XPT services.

Before we move on, another speaker pointed to the fact that high-speed rail is not new. It began in Europe in 1938. Yes, as Sydney Morning Herald political editor Paul Hartcher, in his assertive and excellent column after the XPT derailment last month, wrote: "It was a sad reminder that the tracks are a 19th century technology delivering a preposterously slow 11-hour train ride that should have been replaced with 20th century fast train services decades ago."

Eight years on from that forum and like, today's XPT services, regional Australians are being left at the station.

Late last year, we spent a week in Broken Hill touring the Australian icon with 20 others from the western suburbs of Sydney who had caught the XPT. And while they enjoyed the experience, the frequent squealing from the train's wheels and brakes brought a retort from a staff member: "You only have to put up with it for today; we endure it every time we are rostered on." Seems maintenance budgets were to blame.

Federal and state governments in the past 20-30 years appear to have been unwilling and/or unable to invest in infrastructure work of any substance. Sure, Western Sydney Airport is finally being built, but little else is on the line, according to Hartcher's column.

Another aspect is that two of our best economists told Hartcher basic infrastructure is the key to allowing new cities to flourish. A Brisbane-Melbourne high-speed rail link "would allow new cities to be created or developed, relieving pressure on existing cities, bringing new vigour to the regions".

Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe weighed in, telling the SMH: "Infrastructure investment is actually the best housing policy. There's very little we can do to increase the supply of well-located land but there's one thing you can do - build great transport."

Where do we go from here? Governments listening to their constituents, instead of looking after themselves, might at least consider constructive advice from those above.

In addition, this from Jessica McLaughlin's article in the Daily Advertiser (February 26) headed "Derailment tragedy was avoidable", in which she quoted the dead driver's mate Clive Williams: "It is to be hoped that John Kennedy and his colleague's unnecessary deaths prick the conscience of federal politicians to do something radical about outmoded train service."

The great Snowy Mountains scheme - comprising 16 large dams, 80km of aqueducts, five surface and two underground power stations, more than 145km of tunnels, a pumping station and providing 2360Gl of water annually for the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers, amongst other engineering achievements - was built in 25 years, under budget and before schedule.

Considering the technology and machinery available now, is it not feasible to begin construction of the Brisbane to Melbourne via Sydney and Canberra high-speed rail as a matter of utmost urgency?

As McCormack said: Can we afford not to do it? All aboard!