NEW estimates have slashed the proposed building cost of a high speed rail link between Brisbane and Melbourne, reigniting the push for the project to go ahead.
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Albury-Wodonga, Wagga and Shepparton have all been included in a proposed stage one of a high speed rail line between Sydney and Melbourne.
A forum in Canberra saw the launch of the study by the Australasian Railway Association, whose chief executive Brian Nye says the government needs to commit to high speed rail and put the project to market.
The study says it would cost $63 billion to build proposed Brisbane to Melbourne link, a 45 per cent reduction on the $114 billion predicted in a previous federal government report.
Mr Nye says the new project cost is not the result of cutbacks, but rather a reflection of international construction costs that estimate high speed rail along Australia’s East Coast could be build for $35 million a kilometre.
A nod for high speed rail has the potential to markedly change regional Australia in terms of shifting populations from crowded metropolitan cities.
Yesterday’s forum drew leaders from both sides of politics who should be looking closely at the study results.
