High speed rail services between Newcastle and Sydney could finally be on the cards under a Labor government.
Federal opposition leader Anthony Albanese is in town today on the campaign trail, spruiking a plan which would see major cities and regional centers on Australia’s east coast, from Brisbane to Melbourne, linked by high speed rail.
The first component would initially see a fast rail service run between the Hunter and Sydney, before expanding into a high speed network with speeds of more than to 250 kilometres per hour, cutting the commute to and from Newcastle down to about 45 minutes.
If his party wins the next election, Mr Albanese is promising to provide a $500 million down payment in his first budget to buy potential rail corridors and lay the groundwork.