This Month
Taxpayers paid $907m for NSW projects that went nowhere
The Coalition has blasted nearly $1 billion of capital spending on no new infrastructure, but Labor defended its ditching of projects it said were unviable.
Super-fast trains, Melbourne rail loop added to ‘priority’ list
The Albanese government’s controversial Newcastle-Sydney high-speed rail proposal has been added to Infrastructure Australia’s new list of national priority projects.
IFM Investors wants to pump $10b into Canada
Canadian PM Mark Carney has shown “a real willingness to welcome inbound, like-minded capital”, says IFM’s global head of infrastructure, Kyle Mangini.
February
Hong Kong’s metro giant wants to help develop Sydney transport sites
MTR Corporation chief executive Jeny Yeung says running public transit systems and developing the land around stations makes it easier to be sustainable.
Why the PM’s $93b high-speed rail project will never happen
Australia’s track record of delivering infrastructure bodes poorly for the proposed Sydney-Newcastle high-speed rail line.
High-speed rail an expensive dream the NSW government won’t pay for
Anthony Albanese’s love of high-speed rail is colliding with indifference from the Minns Government and a new brand of NSW Labor fiscal conservatism
$93b high-speed rail link forecast to hit headwinds
Long tunnels and dodging power utilities near the new Western Sydney airport will create challenges for the proposed fast train from Sydney to Newcastle.
Case to test if it’s OK to call workers after hours about next shift
A national freight operator is resisting a right-to-disconnect case that would bar it from calling staff out of hours to confirm working the following day.
Labor’s $93b high-speed rail hobby horse has no price tag
Taxpayers deserve frankness about whether they may ultimately be forced to pay for an economically unsound project for decades to come.
High-speed rail for real, or just another episode of Utopia?
Governments have been pledging high-speed rail for almost 50 years. In that time all that has grown is the cost.
Sydney-Newcastle $93b high-speed rail plan ‘far-fetched’
The assumptions behind the government’s case for a $93 billion high-speed rail line from Newcastle to Sydney have been criticised by a leading academic as unrealistic.
Australia’s first high-speed rail line ‘shovel ready’ in 2028
The Albanese government has pumped in an extra $230 million of funding to design and plan the 194-kilometre high-speed rail line between Sydney and Newcastle.
The appealing fantasy of high-speed rail gets real
Anthony Albanese is about to announce another big spending commitment on high-speed rail. The idea is popular – it’s just a shame none of it adds up.
Aurizon to keep Queensland rail network after review
Aurizon rejected offers for minority stakes rail tracks business because the rail group believes investors will reap higher returns by retaining it.
GIP restarts $565m-a-year Pacific National sale; flyers sent
A sale flyer, sent to potential buyers in recent weeks, shows the rail freight group is making close to $600 million in EBITDA.
January
LVMH’s Belmond blames Carlyle unit for fatal Machu Picchu train crash
In a letter to the office of the prime minister, it said Inca Rail had transited through an unauthorised part of the tracks, leading to the head-on collision.
December 2025
Victoria’s AA credit at risk under rail loop funding plan: S&P
The agency had already singled out the SRL as a big risk when it reaffirmed Victoria’s AA credit rating in July, saying there was a danger of cost blowouts.
Developers to be taxed $34k for each new home near Melbourne rail loop
Jacinta Allan has unveiled new levies on dwellings in the transport precinct to help pay for the $34.5 billion first stage of the mega infrastructure project.
Former Victorian auditor warns on federal bailout
The auditor who examined Victoria’s debt-laden finances during the 1990s warns the state appears on track for another bailout.
Albanese government to stump up $10b for Victorian rail loop
The Allan government will sign a mammoth new contract to build and operate the Suburban Rail Loop after the federal government pitched in with funds.
