HSR is another reason Malcolm Turnbull is where he is, he'll ensure windfalls profits blow the way of big business. And if he can ensure those windfall dollars are scooped from taxpayers, then he'll keep smiling without apology!

The author is quite right. If a business consortium thinks it can do this then let them dream - provided no tax payer money is involved they can only damage themselves. High speed rail projects seem to exert a fascination over the public, although a better freight network or faster connections to satellite towns (Bendigo? Newcastle?)represented vastly better returns for capital invested.

I'm Sorry, it's time to stop with all the business as usual prevarication and an over reliance on profit gouging private enterprise to get national interest, nation building projects done!

If we the taxpayers are to carry the can on this one by any means? Then let us shoulder the building burden as owner operators and finance much of it through the acquisition, rezoning and later resale of resumed for the purpose, land!

Done properly with enough vision and foresight, as already experienced, the later sales of rezoned urban land, should fund the bulk of the project!?

Which given it shares a transport corridor with the second busiest domestic air route in the world, simply has to be a very profitable venture!?

Always providing it can be kept out of the hands of undercapitalised debt laden private enterprise, whose borrowing costs almost invariably double that of governments! And all that's needed to entirely kill off an otherwise viable project!

Which along with the consequential profit gouging, is all one needs to destroy stillborn, a real competitor [and a nation building economic turbocharge,] to our budget domestic airlines?

Time to stop all the usual prevaricating and just get on with the job and this century's Snowy mountains scheme, which as any expert will tell you, is also undoable and unfundable, let alone completely pay for itself, [albeit to the Grandchildren of the foundation lenders,] and earn an eventual profit!
Alan B.

HSR is not much use for generating increased land values, particularly today.

The old land booms depended on the fact that rail was the only reasonably fast form of land transport. At their still relatively slow speed they could stop very regularly to gather passengers or agricultural produce, while delivering mail & bulk freight. Hell in the mid 50s we still had special dedicated trains doing the job school busses do today, carrying students to & from towns in country NSW.

Today such a system is not needed. Just look at the way small towns, once the lifeblood of the country are dying. People drive a considerable distances to major centres, rather than use small towns.

HSR of course can't stop too often, or it ceases to be HSR, & performs no better than Thomas the tank engine. It can only be designed to service capitals & major cities. If traffic was available other than very major cities the airlines would be servicing it. They are not.

It will only be a local nuisance, interfering with farming practices, & local traffic flows.

If they are allowed to start, they will fail, & pressure from vested interests will mean the tax payer will end up picking up the load & the mess.

No thankyou.

Sorry Has, but that airy fairy summation has simply not been the experience in Japan, with stops as close as 20+ klicks for their bullet train? which currently holds the speed record for VFT's of around 600 kilometres per hour?

While it is mostly acceleration and deceleration in between stops, with top speeds limited by that fact? Commuting at average speeds of 350 kilometres per hour, would beat the hell out of current commuter trains or gridlocked in the daily traffic jam.

Like most also failed hasbeens, I believe, you almost invariably know all the reasons it can't be done or won't work? And probably explains why we as a nation are incapable of any more visionary nation building projects?

I can live with failure, but only after a red hot go! My children and grandkids would expect no less!
Alan B.

Well' thank you Alan B. I guess you will be happy walking up to 10 kilometres to your local HSR station. That should reduce your commute time very well.

Get real mate, it is a furphy, & just another scam to waste taxpayer money. All it will ever do is allow some smarties to get a good bit of the money before the failure.

One advantage of being a hasbeen is we've been there, done that, watched the fall out of big dreams, & can see the next one coming.

Of course the never was is still dreaming.