Re: Very fast train fiasco

[dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage)]

I would prefer to see an incremental approach over the next 15-20 years,
starting with a diesel tilt train and culminating in a 350km/h electric
service at the end. This way you can start earning revenue before you
start building any infastructure.

There would be immediate benefits from the start, and things would only
keep improving. A 160km/h tilting DMU could do Sydney - Canberra in 3.5
hours, Sydney - Melbourne in under 9 hours. Sydney - Brisbane in under 12
hours. You can also reduce travel times to other regional centres, e.g.
Sydney - Dubbo in about 5 hours.

You can then start up upgrade the infrastructure to, say, 200km/h with
deviations where necessary, but on alignments to take much higher speeds.
Then start electrifying and increasing to 300km/h and beyond. By 2020, the
norm could even be 400km/h.

Some sections such as Newcastle - Taree, Tarago - Canberra - Yass and
Murwillumbah - Gold Coast - Brisbane will require completely new track, so
this can be built at the outset to whatever new alignment will be required
for very high speeds. You can build to LGV standard track but you don't
need to put up the wires for some time.

There are certain technologies, e.g. Talgo or Adtranz, which will allow
changing from electric to diesel haulage en route. For example, an
electric set could run Sydney - Junee at high speed and then change to
diesel haulage through to Griffith at a lower speed. Or, the locomotive
could be changed en route during progressive electrification. This can
also be done with TGV, but requires dead hauling by suitable diesel
locomotives - SNCF is doing this to a limited extent.

Other advantages are that you don't have to raise billions of dollars of
capital (or seek billions in tax concessions) at the outset, and the
political advantage of being to announce things on a regular basis rather
than a big bill up front and nothing for 4 years.

Cheers
David