Badgerys Creek Airport and interstate High Speed Rail are mutually supportive and necessary.
The HSR Project would connect Badgerys Creek Airport and Kingsford Smith Airport quickly and directly into Sydney CBD at Central Station. It would be by HSR loops to the airports from the interstate mainline and on to Central. HSR would connect to BCA by a loop direct from Campbelltown for passengers from the south, instead of into Central and out again to BCA. HSR would connect BCA and KSA via Central for passenger convenience.
HSR would connect passengers from Newcastle, Newcastle Airport and from the north to the two Sydney airports via Central. HSR would connect a new city of up to 1 million people to the north beyond Newcastle to the three airports and the CBD. It would connect another new city of 1 million to the south between Sydney and Canberra. The two new cities would be less than an hour commuting time to Sydney CBD. Sydney’s population increase would be more than 2 million less than the 8 million projected now. Sydney’s liveability would be protected and congestion contained.
HSR would connect Canberra Airport as its population doubled, partly as a dormitory for Sydney, only an hour commute away to the CBD.
Loops from the HSR main-line to Melbourne would connect the three Victorian airports: Tullamarine, Avalon and Sale (when converted to military/commercial like Canberra and Newcastle airports). HSR would connect two new cities of 1 million to the east and west to the Melbourne CBD. Melbourne airports and CBD would be linked up in a similar way to Sydney. Two new cities would be built on the HSR north and south of Brisbane connecting to airports and CBD within 60 minutes commuting time.
The HSR express line would be direct (not via loops) to provide an intercity service between Melbourne and Sydney, Sydney and Brisbane in less than 3 hours.
The HSR Project objective is not primarily an interstate service, as it once was. It is regional population settlement and interconnection of airports for the distributed population. The overall objective is to settle 10 million of the 24 million population increase in the next 4-5 decades in the regions around Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, not in these cities. If HSR proceeds soon, the new cities would capture population increase well before it doubles in the major cities.
Jobs that would be available in CBDs to new settlers in fringe suburbs of major cities would be available to the same settlers, who instead move to the new, lower cost regional cities. In other words, the same jobs in CBDs would be available to those living in the new cities by HSR. The commuting time from new cities by HSR would be less than from fringe suburbs. Commuting from new cities would cost less than from outer suburban fringes. Commuter fares would be subsidised by a small increase in major city land taxes. This would spread the benefit of lower congestion and greater liveability from people in the major cities to the regions. It would ensure the new cities get a good start.
HSR would connect the population to all the major airports on the east coast.
Airlines should be invited to become members of the private consortium to build and operate the HSR Project. They would contribute passenger management IP. They would profit from their loss as daily HSR commuter revenue exceeded interstate revenue as population doubles. Airports should become members and contribute station, terminus and parking station expertise for an even larger throughput.
HSR would be ready to serve BCA in 2027 when it is due to open. A feasibility study for HSR undertaken now would take 18 months. HSR would be ready to go ahead when viability is determined in 2019.
For further information please visit the web site: www.veryfasttrain.com.au
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