One of the world’s top infrastructure tsars says planners and the prime minister should forget high-speed rail between the eastern capitals and focus on faster trains around Sydney and other sprawling urban areas.
Higgins – who joined Sydney Airport’s board earlier this year – will address the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue’s Boomtown conference on Thursday, as will federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King, who alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is a key fast rail proponent. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet will also speak.
King said the project’s “time had come” and noted high-speed rail was replacing domestic air travel in other countries – this week the European Commission approved France’s ban on short-haul domestic flights if there is a train that takes less than 2.5 hours.Higgins said Australia was better off maximising train speeds within big population zones such as Campbelltown, Penrith and Liverpool to Sydney CBD, or between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
The Commonwealth had “expressed a lot of enthusiasm for high-speed rail and we’re waiting for clear signals from them about what their plans are”, Stokes said. Higgins, who lives in London but returns to Sydney often, will use his speech on Thursday to tell policymakers the masses of new infrastructure in the city’s west must serve a social purpose.
Higgins said governments and planners didn’t pay enough attention to parks, citing Bicentennial Park at Olympic Park as a green space that should play a much greater role as the “lungs” for that part of Sydney. Higgins was also chief executive of London’s 2012 Olympics delivery authority.
michaelkoziol Horse owner says cars are a fad.
michaelkoziol Id get a second opinion..
michaelkoziol Infrastructure tsar? What were the assumptions in his study, I wonder!
michaelkoziol We are not interested in his view. Full high speed rail Brisbane to Melbourne NOW
michaelkoziol Says a bloke who’s invested in airports..conflicted..NOT
michaelkoziol Is it true ? After reading article i now feel duped
michaelkoziol Literally every other advanced country in the world had high speed rail connections. Get out of the way
michaelkoziol Would prefer the views of a Spanish, French, Italian or Japanese expert on this matter. Fast trains in the UK are a myth.
michaelkoziol WSLDialogue flyWSA No oil supply or emissions calculations included. It's now too late for HSR Sydney - Melbourne. At the same time, if the World/Asian economy ever improves to generate more air traffic, jet fuel prices will go through the roof. Solution is night trains, NOW
michaelkoziol 'Higgins – who joined Sydney Airport’s board earlier this year' Are you kidding me?
michaelkoziol We've already missed the opportunity. The more stations along the way, the slower it'll be, making it redundant. But also the land corridor needed is already built in now
michaelkoziol The guy's on the board at Sydney Airport for fuck's sake, OF COURSE he's going to talk down a high speed rail solution! Think for yourselves, SMH!
michaelkoziol The man who was in charge of Engerland's disastrous exercise in 'very fast rail' is hardly one to give advice. Appoint someone from your own Asian region: Japan, Korea Republic, PR China or Taiwan to design and build, not just this one short route, but a bullet train network.
michaelkoziol Disruption is a key word of his - perhaps WSA will be a key disruption when air pollution shuts down western sydney..? ALP may intend fast, like NBN, but LNP will et in and make - slow train ( to increase market capture by airline sponsors?)
michaelkoziol Duh, it needs to be Newcastle, Central Coast, Sydney and Wollongong.
michaelkoziol Tsar? Fix Gatwick.
michaelkoziol Completely agree. Focus on intrastate HSR & forget just making it about mode shift from planes; it’s about mobility driving economic & social benefits Also cheaper, more manageable incrementally, no interstate/federal bureaucracy hurdles
michaelkoziol Is SMH purpose now just to find the absolute worst hot take possible? 🤪
michaelkoziol Infrastructure tsar.......lolololol
michaelkoziol Tell him to fix his mess at Gatwick...before he gives us crap advice
michaelkoziol Lol seriously a dick that fked up Gatwick..
michaelkoziol He’s right. Fix up the suburban and intercity network first. I caught red rattlers in the 70s to school and they went a lot faster than the modern trains do now.
michaelkoziol I’d listen to a few more experts before settling on the advice of a guy who works for an AIRPORT that’s located in one of the cities that may get fast trains. Perhaps we could ask what would the world leaders in train tech do? China, Japan, Germany, Spain and France.
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