All this fuss about fast-rail between Sydney and Newcastle makes me laugh. China is building hundreds of kilometers of fast rail every year at a fraction of the cost.

And for reference: in China fast train means 250-350km/hr (soon to become 450km/hr). In Australia apparently fast means 150km/hr,

@sasanb that's only 20-30kph faster than what the Perth Metropolitan trains are speed-limited to. They are designed to reach 150kph.