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High Speed Trains

A scoping study was commissioned in December 2000 to conduct a comprehensive examination of options for an East Coast very high speed train network connecting Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne with major regional centres along the way.

The East Coast Very High Speed Train Scoping Study Phase 1 - Preliminary Study Final Report was released in 2002.[ PDF PDF: 41942 KB ]

Executive Summary

Very high speed railways on Australia's East Coast have been under consideration for over fifteen years. To date these have been brought forward by the private sector for consideration by governments. Of these none have proven commercially viable without significant public sector funding contribution and /or other forms of financial concession.

This study, commissioned by the Commonwealth Government, is the first step in developing the Commonwealth's own view on very high speed trains (VHSTs). It examines the issue from the perspective of the "national interest".

The study is broad and considers:

policy issues
international VHST systems
potential corridors
technology options
potential demand
national interest economics
regional development potential
financing and operating possibilities
capital and operating costs
and benefit to users, non-users and the Australian public at large.

In this study, VHST means train technologies and systems which can operate in the range from 250 km/h to 500 km/h.

The study aimed to provide a realistic first assessment of the viability of an EC VHST by considering what role it might play in the future transport task in the East Coast corridor of Australia which stretches nearly 2000 km from Brisbane to Melbourne.

on behalf of:

TMG International Pty Limited - Peter B. Thornton - Study Director
Level 3, 225 Clarence Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Australia
Ph: (02) 9262 4111
Fax: (02) 9262 4110

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