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490:– is now about 90 km (56 mi) shorter than the rail line. Relatively high road speeds are possible because the highway now bypasses many of the towns where there were speed limits. Further, in 2013 the entire Hume Highway was completed as a dual carriageway, whereas the rail line is still single-track in some places – a significant impediment to continuous running.
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Maximum benefit, whether improved transit times and reduced diesel fuel consumption and emissions, accrues from routes being straightened, and gradients reduced, on a large scale. However, such proposals come with greater risk of delay or cancellation. In a climate of long-term failure to prioritise
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Another major impediment of the corridor is the prevalence of curves with small radii – some are only 280 metres (920 ft) – and the sheer number of curves, which are equivalent to rotating the train by 72 circles (36 circles to the right and 36 circles to the left) along the entire route.
622:
Most recently, phase 1 of a $ 20m high-speed rail study was released in 2011. It proposed a corridor similar to a 2001 study, with prospective stations located in
Melbourne, Tullamarine, Albury, Canberra, Goulburn, Sydney, Newcastle, the Mid–North Coast, Gold Coast and Brisbane. The cost was
548:
Modest proposals for straightening alignments in the Sydney–Melbourne rail corridor have included a minor 9.2 km (5.7 mi) Jindalee deviation, advocated in a 2006 report, and upgrading of sections for medium speeds, advocated in 2022. Another proposal involved use of
544:
was added in Sydney in 2012. This single track line (with two crossing loops) allows freight trains to travel into and out of the freight terminals during passenger peak times. Some works have also been made in
Melbourne to improve the flow of freight trains into the port.
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estimated at $ 61 billion, but it was noted that cost blowouts or adoption of more difficult alignments could raise the cost to more than $ 100 billion. The report urged the authorities to acquire land on the corridor as soon as practicable to avoid further price rises.
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A number of deviations have been variously proposed for improving the alignment between Junee and Sydney. About 260 km (160 mi) of winding track would be replaced by about 200 km (120 mi) of straighter track. Although a 2008
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A huge deficiency in interstate rail investment compared with investment in highways has existed since the 1960s. Although the standard gauge line is about 960 km (600 mi) long, the journey on the road equivalent of the corridor – the
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to form a double track section north of
Seymour. A 5 km (3.1 mi) double-track northern bypass of Wodonga was also constructed. The single track resumes just south of the Murray River and Albury. Several
583:
does not yet exist. Numerous proposals for high-speed rail infrastructure in
Australia (also known as very fast train projects) have been conducted since the early 1980s, but none has proceeded further.
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Consequently, some sections of the line are signalled for a top speed of only 65 kilometres per hour (40 mph). Even so, freight trains often struggle to reach that speed in places.
553:, which can travel through curved sections of track at speeds of up to 170 km/h (110 mph) and reduce the 11-hour journey time between Sydney and Melbourne to about six hours.
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in 2013. Building on the work of phase 1, it was more comprehensive in objectives and scope and refined many of the phase 1 estimates, particularly demand and cost estimates.
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of about 7 km (4.3 mi) length each have been added between Junee and Albury and between
Seymour and Craigieburn. These changes, and full
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investment in rail and with earlier completion in mind, funding has most often gone to projects with smaller deviations over shorter distances.
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856:"Interstate Rail Network Study, Improvements in Superfreighter performance: Sydney – Brisbane and Melbourne – Sydney Corridors, 2001"
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561:(ARTC) report documented plans for a few minor deviations to be completed by 2014, as of 2023 the work had not started.
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have been the subject of detailed investigation by prospective operators, government departments and advocacy groups.
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Based on the international definition of a minimum top speed of 200 km/h (120 mph) in passenger service,
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203:) and the lines immediately connected to it. Freight and passenger services operate along the route, including the
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784:"Parliament of New South Wales: Road Transport (General) Amendment (Heavy Vehicle User Charges) Bill 2007"
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were introduced on Sunday 25 November 2012. Before then, the XPT ran express from
Melbourne to Benalla.
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The XPT service runs two return trips each day between
Melbourne and Sydney, making scheduled stops at
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Since passenger trains receive priority over freight trains, a freight-only track known as the
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between
Melbourne and Albury was also replaced with new 60 kg/m (121 lb/yd) rail.
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in 2009) provides two daily train services in both directions between Sydney and
Melbourne
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888:"2008–2024 Interstate and Hunter Valley Rail Infrastructure Strategy – Executive Summary"
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295:. The two tracks were separated by an island platform 350 metres (1150 feet) long. The
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969:. Sydney: AECOM Australia Pty Ltd. Libraries Australia ID 50778307. Archived from
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26:
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229:– 307 km (191 mi) – from Albury to Melbourne's freight terminals and
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762:"Countrylink XPTs now stop at Seymour and Broadmeadows - Premier of Victoria"
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Freight Across the Nation: The
Australian Superfreighter Experience
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upgrades were completed by 2012. Old 47 kg/m (95 lb/yd)
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805:"NSW curve & gradient diagrams: section 2, south corridor"
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Work on phase 2 of the study culminated in the release of the
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Public transport routes in the City of Melbourne (LGA)
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836:. Australasian Railway Association. 10 January 2023
51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
718:"ARTC – Investment Strategies – Project Delivery"
477:All four daily XPT services take about 11 hours.
327:Sydney to Melbourne XPTs don't commonly used the
940:
938:
696:– some are 1:38 or 2.6% adjusted for curvature.
161:consists of the 953-kilometre (592-mile) long
16:Sydney–Melbourne railway and associated lines
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225:– 646 km (401 mi) – and Victoria's
8:
306:Intercapital passenger services such as the
1094:
1031:
1017:
1009:
913:"Australian Very Fast Trains-A Chronology"
587:Various combinations of the route between
148:Australia's inter-capital rail corridors.
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
481:Infrastructure shortcomings and upgrades
377:
919:. Parliamentary Library. Archived from
709:
686:
183:) standard-gauge main line between the
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993:. Brisbane: Copyright Publishing Co.
812:Australian Rail Track Corporation Ltd
509:from there on with a number of short
7:
1286:Standard gauge railways in Australia
628:High speed rail study phase 2 report
49:adding citations to reliable sources
286:New South Wales Government Railways
501:For a long time, the corridor was
14:
1301:Railway lines in Victoria (state)
559:Australian Rail Track Corporation
1296:Railway lines in New South Wales
1291:Rail infrastructure in Australia
963:AECOM Australia Pty Ltd (2013).
666:
652:
638:
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331:Between Lidcombe and Glenfield.
60:"Sydney–Melbourne rail corridor"
25:
911:Paula Williams (6 April 1998).
324:once operated in the corridor.
136:Sydney–Melbourne rail corridor.
36:needs additional citations for
966:High speed rail study: phase 2
946:"Report urges high-speed rail"
301:North East standard gauge line
159:Sydney–Melbourne rail corridor
1:
1316:Transport in the City of Hume
213:The corridor consists of the
1306:Interstate rail in Australia
1040:Interstate rail in Australia
571:High-speed rail in Australia
542:Southern Sydney Freight Line
1260:Southern Shorthaul Railroad
952:. Melbourne. 2 August 2011.
917:Background Paper 16 1997–98
1332:
568:
505:from Sydney to Junee, and
329:Main Southern railway line
240:
215:Main Southern railway line
565:High-speed rail proposals
125:
1197:Sydney/Melbourne Express
834:"Program 2022 - AUSRAIL"
253:5 ft 3 in
243:Sydney/Melbourne Express
742:. victorianrailways.net
446:with optional stops at
227:North East railway line
766:www.premier.vic.gov.au
391:
351:This section is empty.
231:Southern Cross station
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133:
1169:Intercapital Daylight
1077:Sydney–Adelaide–Perth
529:of the line and many
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321:Intercapital Daylight
144:
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1067:(under construction)
868:on 13 September 2009
772:on 28 December 2012.
45:improve this article
1235:Magnetic Rail Group
1183:The Southern Spirit
1131:New South Wales XPT
989:Avery, Rod (2006).
210:passenger service.
1190:Spirit of Progress
1059:Melbourne–Adelaide
973:on 14 August 2013.
923:on 7 February 2012
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374:Passenger services
309:Spirit of Progress
257:Victorian Railways
187:state capitals of
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303:was completed.
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56:Find sources:
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34:This article
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23:
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1137:The Overland
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971:the original
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925:. Retrieved
921:the original
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906:
894:. Retrieved
882:
870:. Retrieved
863:the original
850:
838:. Retrieved
828:
816:. Retrieved
811:
799:
787:. Retrieved
778:
770:the original
765:
756:
744:. Retrieved
740:"VR History"
734:
722:. Retrieved
712:
689:
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625:
621:
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555:
547:
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515:standardised
507:single track
503:double track
500:
496:
492:
488:Hume Highway
484:
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468:Broadmeadows
440:Campbelltown
396:Broadmeadows
393:
362:October 2023
359:
355:adding to it
350:
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264:1435 mm
249:1600 mm
246:
212:
163:1435 mm
158:
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107:
101:January 2011
98:
88:
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74:
67:
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43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
1098:Operational
1064:Inland Rail
424:Cootamundra
416:Wagga Wagga
260:broad gauge
1280:Categories
1000:1876344474
704:References
613:Gold Coast
531:signalling
527:sleepering
408:Wangaratta
241:See also:
185:Australian
71:newspapers
1218:Operators
1155:The Alice
1047:Corridors
872:18 August
605:Newcastle
589:Melbourne
581:Australia
436:Moss Vale
386:(here at
197:Melbourne
1111:The Ghan
927:26 April
818:26 March
746:29 March
724:29 March
617:Brisbane
597:Goulburn
593:Canberra
524:concrete
464:Gunning.
456:The Rock
448:Culcairn
432:Goulburn
291:line at
282: in
201:Victoria
181: in
1225:Aurizon
1147:Defunct
950:The Age
840:5 March
631:
472:Seymour
444:Central
404:Benalla
400:Seymour
388:Gunning
318:, and
277:⁄
237:History
176:⁄
85:scholar
1265:V/Line
997:
896:6 June
814:. 2020
601:Sydney
460:Harden
412:Albury
293:Albury
195:) and
189:Sydney
87:
80:
73:
66:
58:
891:(PDF)
866:(PDF)
859:(PDF)
808:(PDF)
789:8 May
681:Notes
452:Henty
420:Junee
92:JSTOR
78:books
995:ISBN
929:2012
898:2009
874:2013
842:2024
820:2020
791:2008
748:2008
726:2008
615:and
535:rail
470:and
462:and
442:and
382:The
157:The
64:news
579:in
357:.
221:to
208:XPT
47:by
1282::
948:.
937:^
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810:.
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