A $2 billion rail project aimed at speeding up the journey from Newcastle to Sydney is up in the air after government officials refused to confirm the status of the project.
The federal and state governments in the first half of 2022 committed a combined $1.5 billion towards track and platform improvements between Wyong and Tuggerah to enable faster rail on the existing track.
The $2 billion project includes 10 kilometres of upgrades, two new electrified rail tracks, new platforms and station upgrades at Wyong and Tuggerah, new dual track bridges over the Wyong River and safeguarding future fast rail connections to the north and south.
The two extra tracks would allow faster services to overtake slower passenger services and freight trains.
The project differs from high-speed rail, which involves a dedicated new line and has the potential to cut travel time from Newcastle to Sydney to less than an hour.
Faster rail could ultimately cut 35 minutes off the Newcastle to Sydney journey, making the trip two hours long.
The Tuggerah to Wyong project was announced by the former federal Coalition government in March 2022, two months before the federal election.
The section sits within the seat of Dobell, a tightly contested seat that was held by Labor on a 1.5 per cent margin at the time. That lead extended to 6.5 per cent at the May election.
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King this month announced a snap 90-day review of projects in the nation's $120 billion road and rail works pipeline.
A spokesperson for Ms King would not disclose if the Wyong to Tuggerah project was on the chopping block.
"The Australian Government has made clear that projects that are under construction and Commonwealth election commitments will continue to progress," the spokesperson said.
"The independent strategic review will be undertaken within 90 days and we will not pre-empt or speculate on the outcomes of the review by commenting further.
"We will continue to work with the NSW government to identify, fund and deliver priority infrastructure projects."
A federal Department of Infrastructure spokesperson said the Commonwealth's $1 billion commitment to the Tuggerah to Wyong project "remains budgeted".
NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen would not confirm the status of the faster rail project.
"Transport for NSW is progressing business cases for faster rail improvements to existing lines while planning progresses with the Australian Government for a national high speed rail network," a spokesperson for Ms Haylen said.
The former NSW government said in June 2022 site investigations as part of the Tuggerah to Wyong project were scheduled to start before the end of 2022.
Central Coast Commuters Association has expressed scepticism about the project, saying it will not make much difference to travel times.
Association president Eddie Ellis said he had not heard about any progress on the project since it was announced.
He believed the work may cut "a few minutes" off the journey but would not make a vast difference for the money required.
The 2023 federal budget allocated $13.58 million towards a High Speed Rail Authority.
The budget said the existing National Faster Rail Agency, established in 2019 to lead development of a faster rail network, would be absorbed by the new High Speed Rail Authority.
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