FUTURO CONCEPT "Fast Freight Rail (FFR) / High Speed Rail (HSR AUSTRALIA"
Sydney-Melbourne, via Wagga Wagga, is the corridor generally preferred by the HSR2 report 2013.
FUTURO has investigated Variations with prefeasibility "google earth" corridor studies. Feasibility studies are still required and strongly recommended.
A) HSR and Containerised Freight concept. A dedicated Two Track System.
B) HSR with Containerised Freight and Bulk Freight concept. A dedicated Two-Four Track System.
The proposals in A) would be augmented with another twin track alongside it for Bulk Freight.
However we don't believe a Bulk freight additional two tracks as necessary if all freight is containerised to suit smaller containers to maximum axle loads of 20 tonne net. Due to diminishing coal demends zero emissions target this seems to be the trend.
In Addition a Port Kembla Newcastle corridor would also connect into the Intermodals at Moorebank, Port Enfield. It is understood that the NSW government is deploying the Botany Port to Moorebank.
C) Feasibility Study
The Feasibility Study for the Melbourne – Sydney (with Canberra Loop) can be managed by the Futuro Infrastructure Innovation Group along the "Futuro HSR/FFR Concept Australia" corridor and will involve be a mixture of University, Engineering, Transport, Rolling Stock and Operator Companies inclusive of Federal, State, Regional Development and Local Governments.
Phase 1 - Feasibility Study would require a $85 million for a high-speed rail network linking Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, with a particular focus on the Melbourne-Sydney. The proposed study will identify corridors, estimate construction costs, undertake preliminary geotechnical investigations and utilising all existing Federal, State and Council geotechnical report of the selected corridors and the financial and economic modelling necessary to determine the project’s viability. It is expected to take about 15 months to complete.
The same process will be used in planning the inland heavy freight rail feasibility study to identify reduction of costs and develop a more reliable fast delivery of containers as apart of heavy and/or bulk freight.
Please note that, if deemed necessary during the planning and design phase, high-speed passenger and fast containerised freight trains will operate on separate tracks from heavy freight trains.
Phase 2 – Control Study would require a $330 million for a high-speed rail network linking Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, with a particular focus on the Melbourne-Sydney. The proposed study will identify corridors, estimate construction costs, undertake preliminary geotechnical investigations and utilising all existing Federal, State and Council geotechnical report of the selected corridors and the financial and economic modelling necessary to determine the project’s viability. It is expected to take about 24 months to complete.
The Feasibility Study for the Wagga/Wagga - Brisbane, Inland Rail, will be managed similarly to above by the Futuro Infrastructure Innovation Group with the "Futuro HSR/FFR Concept Australia".
Phase 1. The Feasibility Preliminary Study would require a $120 million for a high-speed rail network linking Wagga/Wagga – Brisbane (Inland Route), with a particular focus on the following towns Forbes, Parkes, Dubbo, Goondiwindi, Toowoomba and Ipswich. The proposed study will identify corridors, estimate construction costs, undertake preliminary geotechnical investigations and utilising all existing Federal, State and Council geotechnical report of the selected corridors and the financial and economic modelling necessary to determine the project’s viability. It is expected to take about 18 months to complete.
The same process will be used in planning the inland heavy freight rail feasibility study to identify reduction of costs and develop a more reliable faster delivery of containers. Again: Please note that, if deemed necessary during the planning and design phase, high-speed passenger and fast containerised freight trains will operate on separate tracks from heavy freight trains.
Phase 2 – Control Study would require a $350 million for a high-speed rail network linking Wagga/Wagga – Brisbane (Inland Route), with a particular focus on the Forbes, Parkes, Dubbo, Goondiwindi, Toowoomba and Ipswich. The proposed study will identify corridors, estimate construction costs, undertake preliminary geotechnical investigations and utilising all existing Federal, State and Council geotechnical report of the selected corridors and the financial and economic modelling necessary to determine the project’s viability. It is expected to take about 24 months to complete.
The Feasibility Study for the Sydney – Newcastle - Narrabri will be managed similarly to above by the Futuro Infrastructure Innovation Group with the "Futuro HSR/FFR Concept Australia".
Phase 1. The Feasibility Preliminary Study would require a $95 million for a high-speed rail network linking Sydney – Newcastle - Narrabri (Inland Route Connection), with a particular focus on the following towns Forbes, Parkes, Dubbo, Goondiwindi, Toowoomba and Ipswich. The proposed study will identify corridors, estimate construction costs, undertake preliminary geotechnical investigations and utilising all existing Federal, State and Council geotechnical report of the selected corridors and the financial and economic modelling necessary to determine the project’s viability. It is expected to take about 12 months to complete.
The same process will be used in planning the inland heavy freight rail feasibility study to identify reduction of costs and develop a more reliable faster delivery of containers.
Again: Please note that, if deemed necessary during the planning and design phase, high-speed passenger and fast containerised freight trains will operate on separate tracks from heavy freight trains.
Phase 2 – Control Study would require a $280 million for a high-speed rail network linking Wagga/Wagga – Brisbane (Inland Route), with a particular focus on the Newcastle and Narrabri. The proposed study will identify corridors, estimate construction costs, undertake preliminary geotechnical investigations and utilising all existing Federal, State and Council geotechnical report of the selected corridors and the financial and economic modelling necessary to determine the project’s viability. It is expected to take about 22 months to complete.
This second, Control Study (Phase 2. In all three sections) will determine an optimum route alignment, identify patronage levels, develop cost estimates and investigate financing options. Will developed and include for the required cost of Integrated Owner Management Team (IOMT) and include land and buildings acquisition, for which a preliminary figure has been derived at $A10.5B (2023) for the entire route of 3,000 km dual tracks HSR-FFR
Final Design will be administered through an Integrated Owner Management Team (IOMT)
A At 4 years engineering, design and land/building acquisition
The IOMT cost above is the total cost for 3000Km of dual rail HSR/VFT.
In our first leg Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Newcastle, the time is around is around 30 months study with a costs of $A6.3B.(2023)
Scope of the Study; Futuro Infrastructure Innovation Group with the "Futuro HSR/FFR Concept Australia" is able to release a full terms of reference for the Feasibility Study and design.
A Closing Note
I am sure there has been some great persons in the pass (eg. Bradfield, Hudson), with grandiose schemes that exemplified the thinking that can transform Australia’s future. In those cases Government has taken the lead.
As many of you know we are endeavouring to push through with the Concept via a Consortia of our Group, which include importantly a mixture of the international companies in HSR technologies.
In discussions on the financing of the project, with some of these company consortia appears not to be a problem and I have had it said that there is some preliminary interest from private institution to invest in our project and we would like very much to hear from any Financial entity if they would like to discuss this project further.
We believe our group has the right mix for the High Speed model by the inclusion of containerised freight and possibly in future, Bulk, that with its the integration of it into the regional areas will allow in itself a revaluation on all land uses along the corridor.
I can’t think of anything better for any political and financial persuasion, to galvanise and give outright confidence to the Australian people at this time. Reforming the Rail Network.
We need funding for Feasibility Studies (FS) and we estimate $85M for the first leg Melbourne – Sydney (with Canberra in line included), it has to to have Federal bipartisan and State Governments support. It could come from the internationals within in our group but in that case there must be a license for the project in place. Either way the Australian Government must take the lead.
For and on behalf of
FUTURO INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION GROUP
"FUTURO HSR/FFR CONCEPT AUSTRALIA"
PAOLO GIAMMARCO (Managing Director),
GIANCARLO VIMERCATI (Technical Advisory)
FUTURO CONCEPT “HSR/FFR” AUSTRALIA
HSR and CONTAINERISED FREIGHT
RE: High Speed Rail (HSR)/FAST FREIGHT RAIL (FFR)
No. 2 Newcastle – Sydney – Melbourne
We do appreciate any support for the Inland Rail Melbourne to Brisbane, bypassing Sydney is fancy land. However as you might agree with it a couple of facts:
Though we did not start our mission involving the Bulk and Containerised Freight Corridor, its becoming increasingly evident that an opportunity exists here to marry the FUTURO HSR Concept with High Speed Containerised Freight (max. 20T axle load) along the same but completely new dedicated corridor that would then bypass/eliminate the congested Sydney network. The importance of serving Sydney is fundamental as is borne out in our presentation.
On this basis, within the FUTURO Concept we have identified the IR rail link between Wagga Wagga (North Albury) and Narrabri, common with our masterplan concept, as having very low priority and could be kept as contemporary designed and used as a shuttle service, using the existing technology upgrade but becomes integrated via intermodals with the FUTURO innovative network at the South of Wagga Wagga (North Albury) and to the North of Narrabri, connecting to a Brisbane-Narrabri-Newcastle – Sydney – Wollongong-Nowra-Canberra-Jindabyne-North Albury-Melbourne
The day I attended the Moss Vale seminar on the HSR in 2013. I asked a question about the validity of having a high speed bulk freight network to which a answer was given back that for bulk freight the high speed was not warranted. Since then I have attended other Rail conferences eg. Moree in March 2014, where the industry in fact has been calling for a high standard network be built which in fact would see bulk freight trains travel at much higher maximum speeds than the 80km/hr and in fact could be in the order of 190 - 200 km/hr. We suggest Containerised freight at average speeds 120-160km/hr.
Recently (2014), I attended an EOI meeting in Wollongong, by the NSW government, for the completion and operation of the Maldon to Dumbarton Railway. The overall feeling of the participants was that it would not be able to operate on its own and needed integration and upgrading of interconnecting components, like Port Kembla end, the Sydney and Sydney SW network and possibly the Newcastle network. This is, indeed, evidence of the Sydney congestion mentioned above, and a sincere requirement by industry for it to be resolved for better productivity. It became obvious to us after the EOI meeting that a marriage of the Melbourne Brisbane Inland Rail (IR) and the High Speed Rail for the SE and East Coast is definitely something to consider.
What’s happening in Europe and also the US?
The Bulk rail process is becoming more and more a suitable option in the European system, if we look at the next step on the Lyon–Turin HSR there is a slotted night time were Heavy freight will be allowed on the rail line to alleviate the burden of the road and also to reduce the CO2 emission, the report states the following;
The bulk/heavy freight transportation;
Lyon-Turin Freight (LTF) estimated that the historical line saturation will occur between 2015 and 2020, about 3 million trucks will cross the Alps, while the new line will allow:
In Australia, we are not about asking the Federal Government reversing its program on the MBIR apparently now increased from the 2.5B to $4B and Dr. Kerry Schott independent report 2023 estimated it at $31B, our thoughts more like $100B to complete and with old technology. This capitalisation however only allows the missing links to be built, but does nothing towards raising the level of standards being built. The motto of the Moree conference (2014) was "do it once and do it right". There is an industry call for the Inland rail be built to high standards. These high standards are also harmonious with standards of the HSR. ie. Gradient and Geometry. In discussion with accredited participants a new word description was born "General" HSR rail concept.
Some of this $31B should be redirected to at least fund feasibilities of our FUTURO concept.
