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AuRORa: Australian Rapid Overland Rail

A concept for a continent-spanning high-speed rail network connecting Australia's major cities and regional centers.

Australia has the population density for high-speed rail—we just don't have the network. This proposal shows what a serious commitment to connecting the continent would look like: 10 interconnected lines, 5,200km of track, and journey times competitive with flying.

The case for high-speed rail

We're one of the most urbanised nations on Earth—90% of us live in cities—yet our cities are separated by vast distances with almost nothing fast connecting them. Sydney to Melbourne is 880km. Perth to Adelaide is 2,700km. We fly between them, or drive, or take slow regional trains designed for freight.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Benefits

The network

Central Sydney Roma Street Brisbane Southern Cross Melbourne Canberra City Centre Keswick Adelaide Darwin City East Perth Sydney Airport Central Coast Parramatta Lake Macquarie Newcastle Taree Port Macquarie Coffs Harbour Grafton Casino Lismore Western Sydney Airport Byron Bay Gold Coast Gold Coast Airport Brisbane Airport Sunshine Coast Ipswich Lockyer Valley Toowoomba Parkes Blue Mountains Bathurst Orange Dubbo Tamworth Armidale Warwick Albury Wangaratta Wagga Wagga Canberra Airport Gympie Bundaberg Fraser Coast Rockhampton Gladstone Mackay Townsville Whitsundays Cairns Emerald Longreach Mount Isa Winton Goulburn Seymour Melbourne Airport Sunshine Warragul Traralgon Ararat Geelong Ballarat Bendigo Stawell Bordertown Murray Bridge Shepparton Salisbury Broken Hill Barossa Valley Port Augusta Alice Springs Katherine Bunbury Mandurah Perth Airport Geraldton Margaret River Busselton Kalgoorlie Merriden Northam Darwin Airport Horsham

The Lines

Pacific Line
920km Route length
16 Stations
4h 45m End-to-end

The coastal corridor connecting NSW and Queensland's major cities, serving 12 million people along Australia's most densely populated route. Following the Pacific Highway corridor, including the NSW north coast and the Gold Coast.

  1. Sydney Airport
  2. Sydney Central
  3. Central Coast
  4. Lake Macquarie
  5. Newcastle
  6. Newcastle Airport
  7. Taree
  8. Port Macquarie
  9. Coffs Harbour
  10. Grafton
  11. Casino
  12. Lismore
  13. Byron Bay
  14. Coolangatta (Gold Coast Airport)
  15. Gold Coast
  16. Roma Street Brisbane

Barrier Line
1340km Route length
11 Stations
8h 30m End-to-end

Crossing the Great Dividing Range and the Barrier Ranges to connect Sydney with Adelaide via the mining hub of Broken Hill. HSR to Parkes, then upgraded conventional track shared with freight to Adelaide, replacing part of the aging loco-hauled Indian Pacific.

  1. Sydney Central
  2. Parramatta
  3. Western Sydney Airport
  4. Blue Mountains
  5. Bathurst
  6. Orange
  7. Parkes
  8. Broken Hill
  9. Barossa Valley
  10. Salisbury
  11. Keswick Adelaide

Capital Line
880km Route length
12 Stations
3h 45m End-to-end

Connecting Australia's two largest cities via the nation's capital, this is the most critical corridor in the network. The route serves 40% of Australia's population and would be the highest-frequency line, with trains departing every 30 minutes during peak periods.

  1. Sydney Central
  2. Parramatta
  3. Western Sydney Airport
  4. Goulburn
  5. Canberra Airport
  6. Canberra City Centre
  7. Albury
  8. Wangaratta
  9. Seymour
  10. Melbourne Airport
  11. Sunshine
  12. Southern Cross Melbourne

Flinders Line
980km Route length
11 Stations
End-to-end

Named for the Flinders Ranges and explorer Matthew Flinders, this line connects South Australia with Victoria's Gippsland region via Melbourne. The route serves the wine regions of the Barossa, the goldfields of Ballarat, and the agricultural heartland of western Victoria. Ararat station serves as the broad/standard gauge interchange point.

  1. Keswick Adelaide
  2. Murray Bridge
  3. Bordertown
  4. Horsham
  5. Stawell
  6. Ararat
  7. Ballarat
  8. Sunshine
  9. Southern Cross Melbourne
  10. Warragul
  11. Traralgon

Nullarbor Line
2700km Route length
8 Stations
End-to-end

The transcontinental service: crossing the Nullarbor Plain to connect Australia's east and west coasts, replacing the Indian Pacific. This 2,700km route requires overnight sleeper services with upgraded track allowing 160-200 km/h operation on straightened sections. Intermediate stops at Merredin and other small towns provide necessary crew changes and passenger breaks on the long journey.

  1. Keswick Adelaide
  2. Salisbury
  3. Port Augusta
  4. Cook
  5. Kalgoorlie
  6. Merredin
  7. Northam
  8. Perth Airport
  9. East Perth

Western Line
720km Route length
7 Stations
End-to-end

Western Australia's coastal connector, serving Perth and the southwest tourism region. This line would open up WA's wine country, beaches, and regional centers to rail access for the first time since the closure of regional passenger services in the 1980s.

  1. Geraldton
  2. East Perth
  3. Perth Airport
  4. Mandurah
  5. Bunbury
  6. Busselton
  7. Margaret River

Territory Line
3000km Route length
7 Stations
End-to-end

The Red Centre route: Adelaide to Darwin via Alice Springs, replacing and upgrading The Ghan. Following the existing corridor but with track improvements allowing 160-200 km/h operation where viable. Sleeper services essential with potential day-long stops in Alice Springs for Red Centre tourism experiences.

  1. Keswick Adelaide
  2. Salisbury
  3. Port Augusta
  4. Alice Springs
  5. Katherine
  6. Darwin Airport
  7. Darwin City

Inland Line
1650km Route length
13 Stations
End-to-end

The agricultural backbone: connecting regional centers from Victoria through NSW to Queensland without touching the coast. This line serves productive farmland, regional universities, and cities currently poorly served by interstate transport. Most economically viable non-coastal HSR corridor due to strong regional city populations.

  1. Geelong
  2. Ballarat
  3. Bendigo
  4. Shepparton
  5. Wangaratta
  6. Albury
  7. Wagga Wagga
  8. Parkes
  9. Dubbo
  10. Tamworth
  11. Armidale
  12. Warwick
  13. Toowoomba

Outback Line
1920km Route length
15 Stations
End-to-end

Queensland's inland connector: from the Darling Downs through Brisbane and the coast to Rockhampton (HSR, shared with Capricorn Line), then upgraded conventional rail through the mining regions to Mount Isa. High-frequency coastal services transition to infrequent long-distance inland services. Small outback towns like Longreach and Winton provide necessary service breaks on the remote western section.

  1. Toowoomba
  2. Lockyer Valley
  3. Ipswich
  4. Roma Street Brisbane
  5. Brisbane Airport
  6. Sunshine Coast
  7. Gympie
  8. Fraser Coast
  9. Bundaberg
  10. Gladstone
  11. Rockhampton
  12. Emerald
  13. Longreach
  14. Winton
  15. Mount Isa

Capricorn Line
1680km Route length
13 Stations
End-to-end

The tropical coast: Gold Coast to Far North Queensland via Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn, this line would connect Queensland's tourism destinations with its largest city, serving the Great Barrier Reef gateways of Townsville and Cairns. Named for the Tropic of Capricorn which the route crosses near Rockhampton.

  1. Coolangatta (Gold Coast Airport)
  2. Gold Coast
  3. Roma Street Brisbane
  4. Brisbane Airport
  5. Sunshine Coast
  6. Fraser Coast
  7. Bundaberg
  8. Gladstone
  9. Rockhampton
  10. Mackay
  11. Whitsundays
  12. Townsville
  13. Cairns
This is a conceptual project exploring what a comprehensive high-speed rail network could look like in Australia. All route planning, station selection, and technical specifications are hypothetical.