<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The federal government has poured another $230 billion into planning for a high-speed </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/trains" rel="" target="" title="rail"><span>rail</span></a><span> link between </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/sydney" rel="" target="" title="Sydney"><span>Sydney</span></a><span> and Newcastle it says will be "shovel-ready" in two years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The massive infrastructure development would connect Newcastle to the Sydney CBD in one hour, link the Central Coast to the capital in half an hour and add billions to the economy, according to a business case spruiked by the government.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Infrastructure, </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/transport" rel="" target="" title="Transport"><span>Transport</span></a><span>, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King will today announce the next steps in a project the Albanese government says will reshape the Newcastle, Hunter and </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/central-coast" rel="" target="" title="Central Coast"><span>Central Coast</span></a><span> regions.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-arrested-pm-anthony-albanese-throws-support-behind-push-to-remove-former-prince-from-line-of-succession/8efe37b6-5ff5-48ba-aa48-fe1834cc89cd"><strong><span>Albanese backs push to boot Andrew from royal line</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"High Speed Rail between Newcastle and Sydney will change the way people live, work and travel in our country's most populous region," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It will connect the Newcastle and Central Coast communities to Sydney in a way that has never been done before."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/prime-minister-anthony-albanese-teases-announcement-of-highspeed-rail-connecting-east-coast-cities/776b67a2-e778-4c28-83dc-0ab0a8bf4e32"><span>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began teasing an announcement last week</span></a><span>, arguing  high-speed rail connecting the most heavily populated parts of the country "absolutely makes sense".</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/highspeed-rail-australia-sydney-to-newcastle-link-to-be-shovelready-in-two-years-government-says/3776f232-1ad2-46bd-a731-85721758eafb" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have a small population relatively for a big nation, island continent. We're the only inhabited continent on earth that doesn't have high speed rail," he told the ABC. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And certainly Newcastle to Sydney to Canberra to Melbourne makes absolute sense. It's where most of our population is along that corridor. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And what makes it financially viable is the economic development along the route as well that regional economic development."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/major-superannuation-shakeup-set-to-impact-more-than-14-million-workers/9a0798ed-c450-43eb-838c-a6555a2535a3"><strong><span>The major change set to impact more than 14 million workers</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government said today's announcement would involve "detailed planning work" for a link from Sydney to Newcastle, costing $229.6 million, taking the government's total investment to $659.6 million for the development phase.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The High Speed Rail Authority will go metre by metre, to lock in the design, approvals process, scope and cost of the future rail line," the government said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"At the end of this two-year process, the project will be shovel-ready."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government said it was "the detailed work required to lock in the design, approvals process, scope and cost to ensure major construction contracts can be awarded".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While there has been some support for a high-speed rail network, some think tanks and experts, including the Grattan Institute, believe such a project is not suitable for Australia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"While a bullet train may be a captivating idea, it's not realistic for Australia," think tank transport program head Marion Terrill wrote in a </span><a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Fast-Train-Fever-Grattan-Institute-Report.pdf" rel="" target="" title="2020 report"><span>2020 report</span></a><span>, suggesting rail renovations to improve speed more modestly as a better alternative.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Our population is small and spread over vast distances; the countries most like us – Canada and the US – don't have bullet trains either."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government said it would today unveil a business case for the project showing it would boost the Australian economy by $250 billion over the next 50 years and produce more than 99,000 new jobs.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Albanese used his first term as prime minister to establish the High Speed Rail Authority to plan to build a network connecting Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, as well as Newcastle and Central Coast regional lines.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victorians-warned-to-brace-for-a-soaking-with-thunderstorms-flash-flooding-forecast/f1ec6a48-d4a2-4ae8-acfc-f4a86ae802a8" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Brace yourself: state set for epic drenching</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>An evaluated business case has proposed construction start by 2027 and completion by 2042.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The HSRA is also looking into potential public and private financing options.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>King said the development phase would lay the foundations for the rail link, "ensuring we secure the rail corridor and undertake detailed planning before we start building".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Carefully planned, costed and detailed preparation takes time, but it means when construction starts, it is built to last," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>