Sydney Metro executive Tim Parker will lead the agency working on high-speed rail between Newcastle and Sydney.
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King announced on Thursday that Mr Parker would be the inaugural chief executive officer of the High Speed Rail Authority.
The government appointed the HSRA board in the middle of last year but came under political pressure in December over the six-month delay in appointing a CEO.
Mr Parker has been head of project delivery at Sydney Metro since 2020, overseeing a portfolio of projects City and Southwest Metro, West Metro and Greater West Metro.
In the preceding 10 years he was principal at infrastructure consultancy Up Advisory Services, including 20 months as project director of the NorthConnex motorway project from 2013 to 2015.
The federal government has committed $500 million for planning and "corridor works" on a high-speed rail network on Australia's east coast, starting with the Sydney to Newcastle section.
Ms King said in Newcastle in July that the project would be "transformational" for the Hunter economy.
The Newcastle Herald reported last week that the HSRA was working towards preparing a business case for the Sydney-Newcastle line by 2026.
