Australia could have a high speed rail connecting Melbourne and Sydney via Canberra within a decade, according to a new plan from Consolidated Land and Rail Australia (CLARA).
CLARA, a private company, is proposing to build eight new inland cities that are connected to Melbourne and Sydney via a high speed rail line
The plan aims to decentralise the Australian population away from the major cities.
The proposed cities will be compact, innovative and have minimal environmental impact. The plan for the high speed rail network also includes the construction of a station in the cities for the high speed rail and new platforms in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra
A video released by CLARA suggests the high speed rail will be able to travel up to speeds of 430km/hour, allowing commuters to travel over 200km within 30 minutes.
The first phase of the CLARA plan is to connect Melbourne to the Greater Shepparton region.
This phase will involve the construction of a $13 billion high speed rail into northern Victoria as well as the development of two new partner cities in the region over a 30 year period.
CLARA is aiming to begin phase one within five years, with the high speed rail connection and first stage of the new cities aiming to go online within a decade.