Australia’s High-Speed Rail still on Track

Australia's long-term high-speed rail vision has reached another milestone, with the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) appointing Bechtel as the Delivery Partner for the Development Phase of the Newcastle to Sydney High Speed Rail project.

The appointment marks the beginning of a two-year development phase aimed at preparing the project for construction, pending a final investment decision.

What Does This Mean?

The Newcastle to Sydney corridor is planned as the first stage of Australia's future national high-speed rail network, which will eventually connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities along the east coast.

Under the proposal, trains would travel at speeds of up to 320 km/h on dedicated tracks, reducing the journey between Newcastle and Sydney to around one hour. Travel between the Central Coast and either Newcastle or Sydney would take approximately 30 minutes.

According to the HSRA's Business Case, the network could contribute up to $250 billion to the national economy over 50 years and support the creation of up to 99,000 jobs.

Why Bechtel?

Bechtel is one of the world's largest privately owned engineering and construction companies, with more than 70 years of experience delivering projects across Australia.

The company is currently the delivery partner for Western Sydney International Airport and is also supporting Perth Airport's expansion program.

Dr Richard Freer, Managing Director of Public Infrastructure, Australia at Bechtel, said:

"Bechtel is proud to partner with the High Speed Rail Authority to help deliver one of the country's most significant and forward-looking infrastructure programs."

He added that the company's global rail experience and decades of delivering major Australian infrastructure projects would help "turn the vision of High Speed Rail into reality for Australians."

Government Commitment

The Australian Government has committed $500 million towards planning, corridor protection and early works for the project.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King said the investment demonstrates the Government's commitment to progressing the project.

"High-speed rail is central to the Australian Government's vision for how we want Australia to develop, not just next year or the next decade, but the decades from now."