More than 160 people attended the inaugural ARA High Speed Rail Conference in Sydney which heard from several experts about the potential economic, environmental and social benefits High Speed Rail (HSR) would deliver for Australia.  

ARA CEO Caroline Wilkie opened the conference emphasising it is time to think very differently about HSR – it is not just about faster trains but an important investment in the future of our cities, our environment, and our economy.   

Ms Wilkie said HSR creates a more connected, more liveable Australia and addresses the challenges of housing affordability, workforce shortages and reducing congestion and carbon emissions.  

Keynote speaker Tim Parker, CEO of the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA), spoke passionately about it being a “national investment” that would open up the regions and generate economic growth across the country. Tim argued that Australia’s growing population already justifies a HSR network, with 60 per cent of people concentrated in just 2 per cent of our land mass – along the busiest East Coast transport network that is nearing capacity.   

Mr Parker outlined the business case for the Sydney to Newcastle route, and spoke about how opening up the regions would generate significant economic growth for the country by providing an infrastructure pipeline for 20 to 30 years. The ARA is looking forward to seeing the HSRA’s business case for the Sydney to Newcastle route due at the end of this year. 

It was great to see the Sydney Morning Herald publish a detailed story on the HSRA’s proposed Sydney to Newcastle project and take an interest in our HSR conference.  

We have recently seen an incredibly positive response to the new Sydney Metro, reinforcing that the community loves rail when it delivers on speed, efficiency, and comfort.   

The conference also had panels on several topics including funding HSR, the potential for Sydney and Newcastle, passenger experience and engagement and the economic potential of HSR. 

There were also presentations on the networks overseas, including in France, Italy, Japan, and the value capture of HSR.