Shadow Transport Minister Anthony Albanese renewed the push to develop the Melbourne to Brisbane line, telling federal parliament on Monday Labor would establish a high-speed rail authority if it won the 2016 election.

He named Albury-Wodonga as one of the regions which could be transformed with new businesses from the train system.

"These station will position these centres to take some of the population pressure off our major cities," he said.

Labor Indi candidate Eric Kerr said the North East rail line needed to be fixed first, but it was important to start seriously planning high-speed rail before it became a political football or an ongoing joke.

“It is a wonderful potential that we need to realise,” he said.

“We know it’s a monumental task … for a long time we’ve let our focus drop off high-speed rail.”