That long-talked of dream, the apex of every public transportation wishlist, High Speed Rail is rail built to the same standards as European intercity rail (or occasionally, for the really ambitious, to the same standards as Japanese intercity rail). Inevitably, it will consist of a link between Sydney and Melbourne, which may or may not include a stop at Canberra, or continuations to Brisbane, Adelaide, or both. (No one seems to think extending it to Hobart is necessary.)

Today, most intercity trains in Australia run at a top speed of 160km/hr, and usually much slower. High Speed Rail could operate at anywhere from 200km/hr to 320km/hr, depending on the trains used and the route taken. There is a long history of proposals for and government feasibility studies of High Speed Rail – Wikipedia has a decent summary of them – but as of June 13, 2023, there is actually a High Speed Rail Authority, established by the federal government.

In 2024, preliminary works – mostly geotechnical investigations – began on the first leg of the project, a line between Sydney and Newcastle. It has been suggested that rather than build the line extending on what has gone before, it could be built in discrete sections, with Melbourne to Canberra being suggested as a possible second leg. As the High Speed Rail Authority is a federal government authority, it is currently in caretaker mode during the election campaign, but its website is worth a look if you’re curious.

Oh, and because there is zero chance of it not being mentioned if HSR comes up during the campaign, here is the legendary Utopia episode about it.

Politically, this means that it is the avowed policy of the Australian Labor Party, but it remains a popular choice with other parties as well – not all of whom seem to be aware that it is already happening. As we come across these parties, we’ll be adding them to this list: