NewsBite

Trains

December 2024

The Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks show is estimated to be worth many millions of dollars to the economy.

Pub baron welcomes deal to save Sydney’s New Year’s Eve

Pub baron Craig Laundy says commonsense has prevailed to end a rail strike threat to Sydney’s annual harbour fireworks worth $280 million to the economy.

  • Neve Brissenden and Luke Costin
Many thousands of people use Sydney trains to get to and from the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks show.

Sydney’s New Year fireworks may be axed over train strike

NSW’s police commissioner says she fears for the safety of people who will gather on Sydney Harbour if they can’t use the rail network because of industrial action.

  • Updated
  • Luke Costin

November 2024

Trump picks former wrestling CEO as education secretary

Donald Trump says Linda McMahon will fight “tirelessly” to expand universal school choice; Anthony Albanese agrees to renewable energy partnership with India at G20. How the day unfolded.

  • Updated
  • Lucy Slade and Timothy Moore

Major train network to grind to a halt in pay stand-off

A train network used daily by more than one million people in Sydney could be out of action for days because of industrial action, throwing the transport system into chaos.

  • Luke Costin
Sydney Metro boss Peter Regan was more into finance than trains as a child.

Sydney Metro’s boss learnt from London’s ‘failed experiment’

Peter Regan found out the hard way how to strike a good public-private partnership for transport.

  • Jenny Wiggins
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October 2024

Ratepayers’ council secretary Lynne Bodell and president Chris Roche want Inland Rail to build a bypass around Wagga Wagga.

Why $31 billion will not be enough to build Inland Rail

Australia’s grand plan to transport goods by rail from Melbourne to Brisbane in less than 24 hours is cutting corners to stay on track, say residents of one city on the route.

  • Jenny Wiggins
Aurizon has been trialling importing cars into Darwin and putting them on trains to South Australia

Aurizon investors impatient for Top End contracts

Aurizon is in “regular” talks with potential customers for its ambitious land bridge scheme, but scepticism abounds over whether it can pull the bold plan off.

  • Jenny Wiggins

September 2024

Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Danny Pearson on Thursday revealed that the Metro Tunnel, expected to open next year, will cost taxpayers an extra $1 billion.

Victorian taxpayers to be slugged another $1b for Metro Tunnel

The cost of the Melbourne Metro Tunnel has blown out again, this time to $13.48 billion, with the state government blaming unprecedented cost overruns.

  • Gus McCubbing
Kos Samaras says Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has made a smart move in more strongly connecting the Suburban Rail Loop to the government’s tackling of the housing crisis.

Rail loop is housing, not just infrastructure: Labor

Pollsters say the Victorian government’s more explicit linking of the Suburban Rail Loop to its tackling of the housing crisis is a savvy but overdue political move.

  • Gus McCubbing
The George Street section’s construction battled cost blowouts.

KKR’s John Laing snatches 95pc stake in Sydney Light Rail

Construction of the tracks through George Street caused years of disruptions for pedestrians and sent several businesses packing from the area.

  • Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport

August 2024

John McAslan

Keep building ambition, says key architect behind Sydney Metro

UK-based John McAslan says Sydney Metro was a smoother ride than London’s recent Elizabeth Line.

  • Matthew Drummond
Heavy rain strikes pedestrians in Kagoshima, western Japan, ahead of Typhoon Shanshan.

Three dead, factories shut as typhoon hits Japan’s Kyushu

Major vehicle makers, including Toyota and Nissan, suspended operations in domestic factories, while chipmaker Renesas temporarily halted production.

  • Updated
  • Kaori Kaneko

July 2024

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King during a tour of the Metro station at the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.

King sets up infrastructure project review amid CFMEU scandal

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King has directed her department to review major construction projects including the Western Sydney Airport and Inland Rail. 

  • Ronald Mizen
Premier Jacinta Allan announcing a tunnelling contract for the Suburban Rail Loop.

Victoria’s secrecy stalls cash for Suburban Rail Loop

Victoria has failed to hand over critical information about its controversial rail loop for almost two years despite seeking $11.5 billion from taxpayers.

  • Ronald Mizen

Transport needs to avoid becoming the nation’s biggest emitter

Without dramatic changes, this may be the last industry to decarbonise. Aurizon, the winner of the Logistics and Transport category, aims to change that with its electric locomotive.

  • Agnes King
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June 2024

The slick design on show inside Martin Place’s new metro

Designing the station below the city’s “civic heart” was a three-dimensional puzzle, says its architect. Which makes the feeling of calmness inside all the more remarkable.

  • Stephen Todd
Queensland government increases infrastructure spend to $107 billion.

Queensland Labor’s infrastructure bill soars to $107b

Treasurer Cameron Dick has flagged cost blowouts amid increased infrastructure investments ahead of next week’s state budget.

  • James Hall

May 2024

Labor stashes away billions for road and rail projects in its own seats.

Two-thirds of new road and rail money flows to Labor seats

Labor has allocated $4.1 billion for 64 new priority infrastructure projects, $2.7 billion of which has gone to Labor seats in Tuesday’s federal budget.

  • Ronald Mizen and Tom McIlroy

April 2024

Linfox boss Mark Mazurek.

Linfox has been ‘let down’ by fragile rail networks

Some of the logistic group’s customers now refuse to put goods on trains due to severe disruption from floods, bushfires and derailments, says chief executive Mark Mazurek.

  • Jenny Wiggins

Inland Rail now almost 20 per cent complete, says CEO

Construction of the 1600-kilometre rail link is progressing but the government-owned agency building it still doesn’t have a clear view on its ultimate cost and finish date.

  • Jenny Wiggins

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/trains-jas