High Speed Rail Authority

Authority executivesParent departmentDepartment of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA)Websitehttps://www.hsra.gov.au/

The High Speed Rail Authority (abbreviated as HSRA) is an Australian government agency established in 2023, tasked with advising on, planning, developing and overseeing the construction and operation of an eventual high-speed rail network along Australia’s eastern seaboard. The Authority is currently developing a business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail network, with $500 million allocated by the Australian Government for planning and corridor works.^[1]

Establishment and previous incarnation

In September 2022, the then-recently elected Albanese government introduced legislation to establish a new national High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA), fulfilling a promise made during the 2022 election.^[2][3] The Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the Authority would have an expert board and be tasked with overseeing "the construction and operation of a high-speed rail network along Australia's eastern seaboard" between Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.^[4] The authority would consult with state governments, give advice to the federal government, and develop standards to ensure an interoperable high-speed rail network across jurisdictions.^[3] King announced the Authority would advance the government's first priority of providing higher-speed rail between Newcastle and Sydney, to which the government committed $500 million to commence early works and secure corridors.^[2] The Bill would abolish the National Faster Rail Agency and absorb its functions into the new authority.^[4] The Bill was passed by both houses on 24 November 2022, and gained assent on 12 December 2022.^[3]

The authority commenced operations on 13 June 2023, and the permanent CEO Tim Parker was appointed on 11 January 2024.^[5][6]

National Faster Rail Agency

In the 2019–20 Budget, the Australian Government established the National Faster Rail Agency (NFRA), its purpose being to support "economic growth and social opportunity through faster rail connections between major capital cities and growing regional centres", and was tasked with producing a number of business cases for higher-speed rail between capital cities and regional centres.^[7][8] The Government allocated $40 million to assess five fast rail corridors:^[7][9]

• Sydney to Wollongong
• Sydney to Parkes (via Bathurst and Orange)
• Melbourne to Albury-Wodonga
• Melbourne to Traralgon
• Brisbane to the Gold Coast

These assessments were in addition to the three business cases already underway, started under the Turnbull government, examining the following corridors:^[9]

• Melbourne to Greater Shepparton
• Sydney to Newcastle
• Brisbane to the regions of Moreton Bay and the Sunshine Coast

On the commencement of the operation of the Authority, the Agency ceased operations, and all employees were transferred to either the Authority or the DITRDCA.^[10]

Board structure

Per the High Speed Rail Authority Act 2022, the board of the Authority consists of the Chair and four other members, who are all appointed by - and report to - the Minister. The board is required to hold at least four meetings a year.^[11]

As of 2024, the Board members are:^[11]

• Jill Rossouw, Chair
• Gillian Brown, Member
• Ian Hunt, Member
• Dyan Perry OBE, Member
• Neil Scales OBE, Member

Planning

Sydney to Newcastle section

Business case

On 30 January 2024, it was announced that $78.8 million of funding would be released for the development of a business case for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail network.^[12][13] The tenders for the business case were released in March 2024 and were split into eight packages, including:^[14]

• Project controls (costs, schedule and risk)
• Rail operations planning
• First Nations participation and engagement, and
• Commercial, delivery strategy and industry engagement.

In response to tender documents suggesting the consideration of a potential station at Broadmeadow (in contrast to the 2013 Phase 2 report, which suggested a station "located outside the current urban areas" of Newcastle), Tim Parker said that a line from Sydney to Broadmeadow was "achievable".^[15][16]

The successful tenderers were announced on 13 June 2024, with the contracts being awarded to the following companies:^[17][18]

Package	Successful tenderer(s)
Project Control Services (Costs, Schedule and Risks)	KPMG
Economics, Funding and Financing, Demand Modelling and Economic Development Strategy	EY
Commercial, Delivery Strategy and Industry Engagement	EY
Transport, Land Use and Property	WSP
Technical Advisory, Environment and Sustainability, Community and Stakeholder Engagement	WSP and Arcadis[Note 1]
High Speed Rail Network Operations Planning	Arup
First Nations Participation and Engagement	GHD
First Nations Culture and Heritage	GHD

Notes

See also

• High-speed rail in Australia

References