New South Wales high-speed rail plans appear to be bypassed

Prime Minister Dominic Perrotet says the government’s long-term vision of building a statewide high-speed rail remains intact despite reports that the government will abandon plans for a high-speed train from Sydney to Newcastle. .

Guardian On Friday, the NSW government reportedly shelved plans to build a dedicated high-speed rail line between Sydney and Newcastle after spending nearly $100 million planning the project.

“What we do as a government during the budget period is to make investment decisions based on the plans we have set,” Perrotet told reporters on Friday.

But the prime minister insisted that the project would be deployed in an economical manner and that the government’s ultimate goal of creating a high-speed rail link across NSW was on track.

“As you move forward, we prioritize projects in an affordable and sustainable way that sets a vision for the future,” he said.

“That’s what we’ve been doing as a government.”

call for report release

Opposition Transportation spokeswoman Joe Halen said the government had revealed a big black hole in their spending plans.

She called on the government to release a report on the feasibility of a potential high-speed rail route, carried out by British rail expert Andrew MacNaughton.

The $4.6 million high-speed rail panel, led by McNaughton, was unveiled by Gladys Berejikilian in December 2018.

“The fact is, at the end of the day, liberals promise a lot about infrastructure,” Halen said.

“But we know that after the election there is only one way they will pay for this and that is through privatization.”

The Perrotet government has pushed infrastructure ahead of state elections and most recently attacked the Labor Party by cutting funding for the business case for a subway line connecting the suburbs of Western Sydney to the new Western Sydney airport. there is

Opposition parties have defended the decision to scale back the metro line, citing the state’s growing and out-of-control deficit.

lack of clarity

The Government’s 20-year ‘Six Cities’ strategy includes improved transport links between the Illawarra Shoalhaven, Western Parklands, Central River (Parramatta), Eastern Harbour (Sydney City), Central Coast and Lower Hunter regions. is included.

Deputy Labor Party leader Prue Kah asked the prime minister to clarify his stance on the project, saying faltering on the high-speed rail was tantamount to breaking a promise.

“[The prime minister]really needs to assure the people of NSW whether this is happening,” Carr told reporters on Friday.

“He has committed to this vision in the past, but has not said whether he will actually commit to it going forward.”

-AAP