Sir Richard Branson plans to take tourists into space well before work on the fast rail get started. Source: News Limited
SELF-DRIVE cars will be the norm, tourists will travel to outer space and refrigerators will automatically order groceries by the time a high-speed rail network is fully operational in Australia.
Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday unveiled the final feasibility study into the 350km/h rail network on the eastern seaboard of Australia, connecting Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
''I believe high-speed rail will happen in Australia,'' Mr Albanese said.
But the $114 billion project, which is not yet government policy, won't become reality for some time with construction not due to start until at least 2022 - four years after billionaire Richard Branson is expected to take his first tourists into space - and due for completion by 2058.
Computer science expert at the Australian National University, Stephen Gould, said there would be a myriad of futuristic inventions in our everyday lives before the rail network would be finalised.
''We will certainly have more intelligent robots, cars that drive themselves will be the norm, there will be intelligent fridges that can sense if you're running low on something and order it online,'' Dr Gould said.
''Washing machines will be able to tell if you've put whites or colours in the load, there will be less congestion because cars can talk to each other and simply drop people off at work and drive home. We will be a lot more connected.''
Mr Albanese said the final study into the high-speed rail, a 500-page independent report which cost $20 million to complete, would be opened up for public consultation until June 30.
A total of 1750 kilometres of track would be laid as part of its construction to facilitate 84 million trips a year in 50 years time.
Up to 67km of tunnels, equating for 30 per cent of the overall cost of the project, would be required for the fast train in Sydney alone.
The Coalition yesterday said while high-speed rail was in-principle a good idea there were lots of priorities in the budget that needed to be balanced.
Opposition transport spokesman Warren Truss said it would be hard to attract the private sector, with a current less than 1 per cent return on investments.
Ultimately taxpayers would foot the bill under the current plan, he said.
''Most of the people paying will be retired before they can start using the train,'' Mr Truss said.
Greens Leader Christine Milne said she was encouraged by moves to progress high-speed rail.
She suggested ''cashed up'' superannuation funds could be used to prop up the project.
But Financial Services Council chief executive John Brogden said there would be no way super funds would invest in a project which delivered such little returns.
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