Canberra-Sydney rail funding backs shorter trips

Canberra-Sydney rail funding worth $100 million has been announced for route upgrades. The works are expected to help cut the journey to under four hours. They also support longer-term planning for a possible three-hour trip. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The service currently takes about four hours and 15 minutes.

The announcement was made at Canberra Railway Station on Monday, 11 May. Politicians and media gathered on the platform as a full train left for Sydney.

The ministerial media release gives the funding split. The Albanese Government will provide $50 million for priority infrastructure works. Those works are on the Canberra-Sydney route. The NSW Government and the ACT Government will each contribute $25 million.

Canberra-Sydney rail upgrades to focus on speed and safety

Also, the announcement raised the prospect of more services from 2028. It also raised the prospect of express services and new trains in 2028. Still, no rolling stock is currently available for another carriage on the busy service.

In addition, work is expected to begin this year. It is expected to continue for up to five years. The likely scope includes changes to track alignments and turnouts. It also includes station and stabling upgrades. New boomgates and lights at level crossings are also likely. These works are intended to improve safety and allow higher train speeds.

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Separately, further investigations will examine whether new express services are viable. Planning and design will also cover a later stage of works. That stage may include passing loops and track straightening. It may also include restoring the original track alignment.

Operators and route focus

Improving the 321-kilometre corridor is complicated because three operators are involved. Sydney Trains operates the section from Sydney Central station to Macarthur. ARTC manages the Southern Line through the Southern Highlands to Goulburn. UGL Regional Linx runs the Country Regional Network branch line into Canberra.

The Federal Government will work with those operators and transport departments. It will identify the most cost-effective works. The immediate focus will be the section between Goulburn and Canberra. That work will complement trackwork already under way between Goulburn and Sydney. The trackwork is on ARTC’s Southern Highlands line.

Business case will map future network upgrades

The package covers physical works on the line. It also covers planning for later network and timetable changes.

Also, part of the funding will go towards a business case. It will cover network upgrades and timetable changes. The aim is to improve efficiency. It is also intended to reduce passenger travel times over the coming years.

In addition, the works are intended to improve capacity, reliability and efficiency on the corridor. They are designed to complement the NSW Government’s investment in new Regional Rail Fleet trains. Those trains could start serving the route in 2028. Testing and commissioning must be complete first.

Barr says more funding is needed

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the funding had taken a long time to secure. He described it as a positive announcement for the region. He said it would support economic development, tourism and more comfortable Canberra-Sydney travel.

“I’ve had a very simple objective for a long time now to make it cheaper and easier for people to visit Canberra,” he said.

“We’ve recognised over more than a decade now the need for investment, but just also how complex improvements on this service are going to be.”

At the same time, Mr Barr said more funding would still be needed to cut the trip to three hours. He said that would make rail more competitive with flying, buses and driving. That was especially true for passengers heading to Sydney CBD.

He also said the new trains could run faster and more smoothly. The track would need to be brought up to the required standard.

New Regional Rail Fleet trains expected from 2028

NSW Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison said the package would focus on practical changes. For example, drivers would help guide those changes. They understand what is needed to keep trains moving and avoid delays.

“Every difference we make is going to make a massive difference in the overall journeys,” she said.

“This will be a big benefit for communities in Queanbeyan and Goulburn. We’re looking at not just the three services we’ve got currently, the morning, noon and night, but looking at putting in additional services if we can do that.”

Also, Ms Aitchison said the existing 43-year-old trains had received $40 million in upgrades. She said the new Regional Fleet Trains were now being tested. They would hopefully enter service across NSW, including on the Sydney-Canberra route, by 2028.

In addition, she said the work would take five years. That period would include preparation for the next stage of improvements. It would also include the introduction of more services using new trains.

“$100 million of work, including a business case, doesn’t just get us to the end of a project and then we stop dead, which I think has been part of the problem we’ve had,” she said.

“We’re actually going to have the pipeline that gets built out.”

Passengers and local groups welcome faster rail step

Separately, Steve from Sydney arrived on the 11:20 am train to visit his mother in Canberra. He said he regularly uses the route.

He said the train could easily support another carriage.

“I’ve always found it a reasonable trip, but, you know, my main complaint is that it could do with another carriage so it’s booked out less often,” he said.

“If we could probably do this with some more speed, it would make it a lot easier to commute.”

Also, ACT Senator David Pocock, the ACT Greens and the Property Council welcomed the package. They described it as a first step towards faster rail between Canberra and Sydney.

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