If the government makes good on promises for high-speed rail between Newcastle and Sydney, good design will make all the difference.
Do we need a new high-speed main line with limited stops, or a somewhat faster version of the existing rail line? Wrong question.
We need a hybrid of both, a new high-speed main line, built in three stages and integrated with the existing rail network. The secret is well chosen points of interconnection and interchange. We can have both speed and local access.
Under my proposal, the existing rail line will provide high-speed trains with local access plus a conventional connecting service for minor stations.
High-speed trains will directly access Newcastle and Gosford cities. They can also stop at Broadmeadow, Glendale (new), Morisset, Wyong, Tuggerah, Ourimbah and Woy Woy.
In addition, there will be two new stations on the high-speed main line at Tarro and Tuggerah.
This is about decisively competing with car travel door to door, not just station to station. If we succeed, then we avoid spending tens of billions on augmenting the M1.
This is about ordinary people doing everyday things. Connecting with other people. Accessing work, education, health care, recreation, commerce and so on.
High-speed travel means more choice, more opportunity and more social connections.
The entire system (not just the high-speed backbone) should be simple, affordable and accessible. Tap your Opal card and take a seat.
CONNECTIONS
The graphic illustrates that a connection at Woy Woy allows high-speed trains from Sydney to enter the existing track and arrive at Gosford station.
Woy Woy becomes a cross-platform interchange between high-speed and conventional trains. A new high-speed track connects the main line to the existing line at Cockle Creek. This allows high-speed trains to directly access Newcastle city.
A new high-speed track connects the main line to the existing line at Watanobi, north of Wyong. This allows high-speed trains to access the existing Central Coast stations after bypassing the slow track south of Newcastle.
NEW STATIONS
Tarro HSR station provides timely access to destinations in the Hunter such as Maitland, Kurri Kurri and Port Stephens. It provides direct access to the Hunter rail line, the M1 and the New England Highway.
Tuggerah HSR station, just east of the M1 interchange, provides a transport hub for the central and northern parts of the Central Coast. The existing Tuggerah station will primarily serve local travel.
STAGED CONSTRUCTION
Stage one (blue) is the high-speed main line from Sydney interchange to Woy Woy. After this, Gosford to Sydney will take 35 minutes and Newcastle to Sydney will take 95 minutes. Stage two (red) is the high-speed network from Newcastle and Tarro to the Central Coast, including the Cockle Creek and Watanobi interconnections. At this stage, Newcastle to Sydney will take 75 minutes and Newcastle to Gosford will take 40 minutes.
Stage three (green) is the missing section of high-speed main line between the Central Coast (north of Tuggerah) and the Hawkesbury River junction, including the Tuggerah HSR station. At this stage, Newcastle to Sydney will take 50 minutes and Tarro (Lower Hunter station) to Sydney will take 40 minutes.
OPERATION OF NEW NETWORK
Under my plan, a high-speed train will depart from Newcastle every 20 minutes, stopping at Broadmeadow, Glendale and Tuggerah HSR before crossing the Hawkesbury to Sydney. A high-speed train will depart from Tarro every 20 minutes, stopping at Tuggerah HSR then heading to Sydney. These frequencies are required to be competitive with car travel. Tuggerah HSR will see a departure every 10 minutes. This frequency enables an efficient supporting coach network. There will also be high-speed train departures from Newcastle, stopping at Broadmeadow, Glendale and (via the high-speed bypass) Wyong, Tuggerah (existing), Ourimbah, Gosford and Woy Woy. This is the fast Gosford service.
Improvements to the conventional rail service are anticipated, including higher frequencies on the Hunter and Newcastle to Central Coast lines. This will benefit users of minor stations.
This plan is designed to be part of a larger HSR network proposal linking Newcastle to Sydney, Wollongong and Canberra, which has been in development since 2014.
Good design is crucial.
Russel Lunney is an engineer and high-speed rail consultant
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