By Hayden Sinclair
Imagine catching a train from Brisbane to the Gold Coast in 20 minutes. Or going between Sydney and Melbourne in under three hours, without having to go through security at an airport.
This is the reality of high-speed rail, and it’s time to implement it in Australia.
For too long, massive air travel companies like Qantas and Virgin Airlines have lobbied our government to block any long-distance travel options other than aeroplanes.
These policies have done so much damage to long-distance domestic travel that the Sydney to Melbourne flight route is the most flown in the world, with 37 flights per day between the two cities.
Being the only two major airlines in Australia, Qantas and Virgin can continue to raise their prices, and there is nothing the average traveller can do about it.
We need to implement a form of competition for these massive airline companies, and high-speed rail is the perfect solution.
In Japan, the high-speed ‘Bullet train’ has existed since the 1960’s, and can cost from $50 for a trip between Tokyo and Osaka (a similar distance from Brisbane to Sydney) to as little as one dollar for shorter trips.
Not only is high-speed rail fast and environmentally friendly, but it’s also cheaper than catching a plane, which would force the massive air travel corporations to lower their prices in order to compete.
And now, at a time where the two major airlines are struggling, the federal government should begin plans on high-speed rail to improve the lives of Australian citizens.
The upsides are endless; cheaper fares, lower carbon emissions, reducing traffic, increasing tourism, supporting economic growth, creating jobs, forcing the airlines to change their predatory pricing systems, keeping our government accountable for fare prices, and so much more.
Despite being around for over 60 years, high-speed rail is the way of the future, and the Australian government should implement it to enhance the lives of the Australian people.
Hayden is a Meanjin (Brisbane) based journalist currently undergoing a double bachelor’s degree in Communications Journalism and Business Marketing at QUT. He has a particular interest in sports and politics and is especially enthusiastic about public transport. He writes about the topics he feels most passionate about, while using data to inform both his opinions and readers.
