The Australian Government is planning for a future high speed rail network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast of Australia. During 2024 the High Speed Rail Authority completed a business case for the first stage of the national network which would connect Sydney to Newcastle, the two largest cities in New South Wales.

Greg Byrnes, the Authority’s General Manager Environment, Sustainability and Safety will provide an overview of the proposed high speed rail network and an update on the current status of planning for high speed rail in Australia.  He will explain how the Authority intends to contribute to the Australian Government’s Net Zero targets and become a leader in sustainable transport.