Aussies one step closer to travelling the east coast in record time as drilling begins on high-speed rail route

Train passengers eager to travel along Australia’s east coast in record time can get one step closer as preliminary drilling officially begins.

The long-awaited east coast rail project will connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities in between.

Drilling has begun on the NSW Central Coast to determine the route of the first phase of the project, to connect Newcastle to Sydney.

Two rigs were set up on the Hawkesbury River and Brisbane Water in Gosford on Monday, with plans to drill six boreholes to a depth of 140 metres.

They will collect rock and sediment samples to determine the design and depth of potential rail tunnels.

About 27 boreholes will be dug in the Sydney-Newcastle region, with support from the federal government’s High-Speed ​​Rail Authority.

The government has committed $500 million for the planning and protection of the corridors of the first phase of the project.

The long-term infrastructure project would eventually allow passengers to travel at speeds of more than 250 km/h between major cities and key regional towns.

Two rigs (pictured) were set up on the Hawkesbury River and at Brisbane Water in Gosford on Monday, with plans to drill six boreholes to a depth of 140 metres.

Transport Minister Catherine King said the project would help shape the nation.

“High-speed rail means generations of new opportunities for regional Australia, creating more jobs in more locations and giving people more choice in where they live, work, study and play,” she said.

Tim Parker, CEO of the High-Speed ​​Rail Authority, said the project would deliver fast, comfortable and reliable journeys.

“We are currently working on how to build a new railway line in complex areas and the technical challenges we will face,” he said.

The business case for the Newcastle-Sydney stage is expected at the end of this year.