IF ever a "nation building" infrastructure program elicited groans of cynicism from the general public it's the idea of a very fast train (VFT) network joining the capital cities of our great island country.
For decades now, transport boffins have pointed to a VFT as the sort of transport leap we need to bring Australian land transport to world-class standard. Politicians, to varying degrees, have hopped on board with the idea of a VFT, but support has sometimes been more conceptual than financial. Planning studies have come and gone.
Even when the Labor opposition opened its election campaign with a pledge to join Newcastle to Sydney by VFT - together with an early funding commitment of $500 million - there was barely a ripple in response because people had heard it all before.
Yesterday, however, the Albanese government followed up its election promise by introducing legislation to establish a High Speed Rail Authority, and all eyes will be on the federal budget, due on October 25, in search of the necessary financial backing.
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King confirmed to parliament the intention to start the system with the Newcastle to Sydney leg.
At a state level, the Perrottet government is also making supportive noises about high-speed rail, with a promise in June to put $500 million into an overhaul of the rail corridor between Sydney and Newcastle, although only if Labor comes through with its pre-election $500 million promise.
So where does this leave us?
For years, the VFT lobby has called for the reservation of rail corridors to ensure that logical routes are set aside early as possible.
The time it has taken to get serious about the Hexham to Fassifern freight-rail bypass - a relatively modest project compared with an interstate VFT - shows how long these things can take.
In a related move, the NSW government is incorporating VFT planning in its important new "Six Cities Region" planning process under the auspices of the Greater Cities Commission, but it has a target date of 2056, which is 34 years, or a full generation, away from now.
We can do better than that, surely.
No one wants a white elephant, but environmental concerns over air travel are a new reason to question previous doubts about VFT economics, which centred on Australia's long distances and small population.
Now, if the numbers stack up, we should go hard, and the sooner the better.
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