Australian Institute of Urban Studies City Briefing

Not So High-Speed Rail

A government plan to spend serious money on examining the feasibility of fast trains in Australia, the publication of high profile train buff Tim Fischer’s book Trains Unlimited in the 21st Century, airline strikes, and the continuing tyranny of distance make any informed opinion of speedy transport by railway a matter of considerable interest.

Frank Szanto will speak about Not So High-Speed Rail. He will outline the current status of the inter-city rail network in Australia, identify what needs to be done to increase average speeds to compete better against road transport, and assess the prospects for high-speed rail in the longer term.

Discussion will be led by former AIUS chairman Jim Colman, who managed AIUS’s study of the Sydney-Canberra corridor in the 1990s.

Speaker: 

Frank Szanto studied science and engineering at Sydney University and has worked for 25 years in the design and manufacture of passenger and freight railway vehicles. He is the Freight Design Manager at Downer Rail.

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