High Speed Rail (HSR) is the same thing as Very Fast Train (VFT) in Australia. It is proposed to construct it between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, the largest cities in Australia. Fast Freight Rail (FFR) would run next to HSR on separate dedicated electrified tracks. Passengers would be carried in comfort and convenience from CBD […]
Further letter to PM Turnbull
29.9.16 The Prime Minister of Australia Parliament House Canberra, ACT 2600 Dear Mr. Turnbull There is an acknowledged pressing need to increase growth and jobs to forestall potential economic shocks and to repair the budget. There is a strong case that the major infrastructure investment of $200b in the High Speed Rail Project would kick […]
SkyRail Negotiations
The optimum, highest value creating entry for HSR into Melbourne is from the east via Dandenong to Southern Cross Station HSR Terminus. It would be in a trench to the north side of the suburban train tracks which would also be in a trench for the 30km between Dandenong and Southern Cross. All level crossings […]
HSR Access through South Yarra Station
The optimum, highest value creating HSR entry into Melbourne is from the east via Dandenong along 30km to The Southern Cross Terminus in the CBD. HSR tracks would be in a trench on the north side of the east/west suburban railway, also in a trench, to avoid complications of suburban tracks entering from the south […]
Removing spoil from HSR trenches
A large amount of dirt (rock and soil) would be dug up in forming trenched for HSR into and out of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. It would need a means of disposal. Soil could be dumped in out-of-the-way places. It would be used to make embankments where necessary. The amount of soil produced is likely […]
HSR/FFR Entry to Melbourne
For economic reasons the High Speed Rail/Fast Freight Rail (HSR/FFR) route into Melbourne should be from the east via Gippsland, rather than the north via Albury/Wodonga. The latter route was mooted in the HSR Report of the previous Government. The addition of FFR makes a huge difference to project profitability and so counter-balances risk. In […]
ASSESSMENT OF THE SKYRAIL PROJECT
The cost/benefit ratio (total benefit divided by total cost), or more simply the cost/value created ratio, is the generally accepted measure for judging the value to the people of a government project. If it is too low, it should not go ahead. The Victorian Labor Government terminated the contracts to build the East/West project on […]
Conventional Wisdom and HSR for Australia
There are several serious negative forms of core conventional wisdom about High Speed Rail (HSR) for Australia, supported by those who oppose it, that are out of date and need reconsideration. Australia’s population is said to be too small for HSR. Patronage is said to be below what is necessary to justify construction of HSR […]
HSR Safety
I heard a story while in Singapore in August 2016 which is rather disturbing. Apparently, Singapore purchased some Metro train sets (admittedly not HSR, but indicative) from China. They were delivered with fanfare. It was later discovered that they had cracks in their bogies. They were returned to China for repair with the reverse of […]
Paying for High Speed Rail
Summary The good news is that revenue from the sale of housing built on the 21 square km of new ‘land’ created above the trenches in the inner-city of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane by HSR would be enough to pay for the whole capital cost of HSR, FFR from Melbourne to Brisbane and the housing […]