The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) welcomes the appointment of the Chair and Board members of the new High Speed Rail Authority, which will formally commence operations on 13 June 2023.
The Australian Government today announced the appointment of Jill Rossouw as Chair of the High Speed Rail Authority Board and the four other board members as Gillian Brown Diane Crowther OBE, Ian Hunt and Neil Scales OBE.
The High Speed Rail Authority will oversee the development of the high-speed rail network along the east coast of Australia, which will travel at speeds exceeding 250km per hour from Brisbane to Melbourne.
ARA CEO Caroline Wilkie said high speed rail will transform interstate travel on the East Coast, providing a fast alternative to air travel and connecting people from regional areas to major cities.
"High Speed Rail in Australia is a visionary and nation-building project that has been discussed for decades. It is great to see the Government finalising the HSRA Board appointments and we look forward to engaging with the Authority moving forward," Ms Wilkie said.
"Rail is the backbone of sustainable transport in this country and it is wonderful to see the High Speed Rail Authority formally begin this transformative project, which will connect and bring great economic benefits to many communities."
The Commonwealth Government said the first priority of the Authority will be planning and corridor works for the Sydney to Newcastle section of the high-speed rail network.
