Australia. Guide to Australia

Tokaido Shinkansen in Japan against the backdrop of Mount Fuji.

Proponents of high-speed rail in Australia say, that they have more benefits, than usual, because people are moving faster, simpler and with less emissions, than by car or air.

Mr. Albanese said, that it will also be able to unlock regional zones, reduce pressure on capital cities, increase economic and tourist opportunities, and ultimately Australia won't look like a state going upside down in the 21st century.

«I also think, that people will be able to travel more on a direct route on high-speed railways, they will be able to find another place to work, drive around and get great travel opportunities, more preferable to other modes of transport,» he said in an interview with a popular Australian online publication.

«Such transport can be found everywhere in the world and, among the tourists who took advantage of this type of transportation  there are many Australians, who experienced the same Shinkansen (bullet train) in Japan or high-speed railways from Paris to London or other routes and each of them, I think , thought to myself: "why don't we have that in Australia??»

Mr. Albanese said, that  Labour is proposing a comprehensive plan to build a high-speed rail network, up to the design of railway stations.

«A huge amount of work has been done., and it's a pity, that the Liberal government stopped any progress on the project and actually cut funding for the advisory body,» сказал он.

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. Albanese introduced a bill from a private member to parliament., for the second time, to resuscitate it and, so that it can be used to resume planning for the construction of the railway network.

Critics of high-speed railways in Australia have questioned the need for it, given the fact, that the east coast is not as densely populated as parts of Asia and Europe, in which these trains operate.

Chief Executive Stephen Bigrav said, that in addition to zero emissions, there is clearly a demand for high-speed railways, as two of the busiest air routes in the world run  to the east coast – Sydney-Melbourne is the fifth busiest route in the world, and Sydney-Brisbane is the 13th busiest.

«We have traffic volumes,which will fill these trains, and it will be cost effective. And besides,, thanks to this network, Australia will be able to reduce its transport emissions into the atmosphere», said Dr. Bigrav.

«Work, We have done, Shows, A what 60 percentage of Australia's population as rural, and urban areas will be within fifty kilometers of the high-speed rail network system. And 80 percent of the national population, living along the east coast of Australia, so that the network will cover all these populations.

«We are not like Europe, we have satellite cities, located at a great distance from each other and the population living along the lines of these routes so, that the creation of high-speed railways will go along these old routes and this is actually the perfect solution».

Dr. Bigrav counts, that high-speed railways also have an increasingly attractive commercial component..

«After the downturn in the mining industry, jobs have been vacated, perfectly suited for this kind of project,» сказал он.

«Every time, when we talk about it in the financial sector, we reply, that this is exactly the project, in which they want to invest because, that there will be a good income from it, and the Australian economy has the potential to, to implement such a project».

Extension, ч.5: Investors are ready to invest in the VZHD project at least now >>

Previous hour. 3: The high-speed railway project is again defined as a priority >>

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