Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister Andrew Barr

Faster Rail Between Canberra-Sydney Takes Shape

Victor P Taffa

Chief Minister Andrew Barr welcomes faster rail travel between Sydney and Canberra.

“I welcome the announcement from the New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian and the Deputy Premier John Barilaro that a New South Wales Coalition Government will fund work to improve rail travel times between Sydney and Canberra.” Chief Minister Barr said.

“Australian Capital Territory Government has been working closely with our New South Wales counterparts over the past 2 years on improvements to the service, having jointly bid for Federal funding for the project.”

Earlier this year, the Australian Capital Territory Government committed up to $5 Million in matched funding for business case development on the project, which was matched by New South Wales Labor.

“We know that Canberrans will use a faster train service. In a recent Government survey, 57% of respondents said they would be more likely to travel via train between Canberra and Sydney if the travel time was between 2-3 hours.” Chief Minister Barr said.

With both major parties in New South Wales making funding commitments for this work, I call on both major parties at the federal level to also commit to being a funding partner for the Canberra-Sydney faster rail project ahead of the 2019 federal election.

“We look forward to working with the New South Wales Government in the months ahead on the business case development and, once that work is complete, the speedy implementation of improvements to the service.” Chief Minister Barr said.

Canberra Light Rail Stage 1 is likely to commence operating in April 2019.

New South Wales Minister for Transport Andrew Constance is also planning for a Railway Line from Canberra to Eden in southern New South Wales.

While Canberra Railway Station is located in the Australian Capital Territory it is a part of the New South Wales Railway Network as rail services operate from Sydney Central Railway Station in New South Wales.

Eden is a fishing town that is very busy when the Sydney-Hobart yacht fleet passes down the coast to Tasmania.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light Rail Extension To Canberra Railway Station

Recently editor Victor P Taffa wrote to Chief Minister Andrew Barr, Minister for Transport Meegan Fitzharris and Opposition Leader Alistair Coe supporting an extension of the Light Rail to Canberra Railway Station when Capital City-Capital City High Speed Rail at 500 Km/h is introduced.

Response from Minister Fitzharris was that Transport Canberra will consider editor Victor P Taffa’s Light Rail extension plan.

Capital City-Capital City High Speed Rail at 500 Km/h is long overdue and badly needed.

When Capital City-Capital City High Speed Rail at 500 Km/h is introduced a second platform will be required for Canberra Railway Station in addition to other station improvements.

In 1984 the Federal Hawke Labor Government rejected a VFT between Sydney and Canberra.

Simply put, Airlines do not want a VFT or High-Speed Rail anywhere. QANTAS Airlines staff even assaults former neighbours for supporting such plans.

Assault which was not a one-off problem with the former neighbours is no allegation. It is fact that neatly had no independent witnesses leaving New South Wales Police so far unable to lay charges.

 

Abbreviations:

ACT                Australian Capital Territory

HSR                High Speed Rail

VFT                 Very Fast Train

Caption:

Canberra Metro’s Light Rail Vehicle Inside Mitchell Depot