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   Planning body says high-speed rail should be a ‘high-priority
   initiative’ for Australia

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   [ ] Infrastructure Australia has called on Queensland, New South Wales
   and Victoria to preserve a land corridor for a high-speed rail line to
   run from Brisbane to Melbourne Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP

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   It has also called on Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria to
   preserve a land corridor for a high-speed rail line to run from
   Brisbane to Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra, Albury-Wodonga
   and Melbourne, saying high-speed rail should be a “high-priority
   initiative” for Australia.

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   and 15 years to build.

   It said an east coast high speed rail line is a high priority
   initiative, because by 2075, the combined population of Melbourne,
   Sydney and Brisbane is projected to exceed 30 million people.
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   of existing and planned rail, road and aviation services,” the priority
   list stated. “Protecting a corridor would significantly increase
   options for future development of high speed rail infrastructure to
   meet future demand for inter-city and regional travel.”

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   protecting and acquiring the corridor would be $30.1bn. It said the
   corridor should be based on the one set out in the federal government’s
   High Speed Rail Study Phase 2.

   Some of the projects Infrastructure Australia has identified as