There was a time you could tell an election was in the air. Mention of high speed rail or very fast trains was a reliable indicator we'd soon be off to the polling booths.
As infrastructure minister in past Labor governments, Anthony Albanese was a bit like Punxsutawney Phil, the American groundhog dragged from his burrow each February to offer his prediction for an early arrival of spring or a winter that would drag on.
If Albo mentioned high speed rail, you knew an election was in the offing.
So the fanfare that accompanied the Albanese government's injection of almost $230 million to advance the high speed rail project felt eerily like Groundhog Day.
The business case was accompanied by slick computer animations, showing what the $90 billion line between Newcastle and Sydney might look like. Oh, and a hint that if all went to plan, the project could be shovel ready in 2028, when we just happen to be due for another federal election.
Don't get me wrong. I love the idea of high speed rail, especially after experiencing it in Japan. But after decades of false starts. hollow promises and business cases that didn't stack up, my scepticism meter is redlining.
When touting the benefits the high speed rail project could deliver, even Transport Minister Catherine King said she could understand the scepticism. After all, high speed rail was first mooted in 1984. Back in 2013 when he was transport minister Albanese proposed a high speed rail link between Brisbane and Melbourne. It never left the platform.
King knows that despite millions poured into past efforts to realise the high speed rail - the plans, the business cases - the dream has consistently derailed. The naysayers have always argued there's not enough population density to support it.
The High Speed Rail Authority has settled on the Newcastle-Sydney line as the best place to start because it boasts some of the highest population densities in Australia, denser even than Japan. The problem is NSW would have to come on board with funding and Premier Chris Minns has all but ruled that out - understandably given the eye-watering cost of expanding Sydney's shiny new metro system.
The PM concedes that significant private investment will be needed if the project is to succeed and the business case promises a bonanza of return on investment. More jobs, more homes, more business along the rail corridor. Albanese also concedes he will no longer be PM when the project is delivered. And there's a problem in that.
Shortly after Labor announced its Brisbane-Melbourne fast rail plans in 2013, with the first stage linking Newcastle and Sydney, it lost the election and the incoming Abbott government killed off the idea.
Such a huge infrastructure project will have to overcome the physical challenges in its path including some 115km tunnelling. The political obstacles would probably be even harder to overcome.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Is high speed rail a pipe dream or will it actually get moving this time around? Have you used high speed rail on your travels? Did you prefer it to air travel? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
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THEY SAID IT: "The advantage of trains over planes is that there is much less hassle. You can get up from your seat and stroll about; you're more likely to meet people, and, particularly if you're making a long journey, you can actually see the terrain." - Michael Portillo
YOU SAID IT: Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes World War III has already begun, started by Russia. An exaggeration perhaps but as the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, the conflict has been globalised.
"I prefer to think that World War III hasn't started yet, and won't," writes Ian. "Ukraine's allies could have brought about the end of this war much earlier, simply by better supporting Ukraine's war effort. It's outrageous that they only give as much support to maintain a stalemate, perpetuating the slaughter on both sides. Russia probably needs to be given something though. As most of the Donbas was pro-Russian before the war, it's reasonable to allow them to secede to Russia, if it stops the fighting. Ukraine would need security guarantees, but Ukraine has had Western security guarantees before, so any new guarantees would have to be worth a lot more than previous ones."
Stuart's outlook is bleak: "We live in a country that is rich in natural resources: coal, uranium and many other metals. We are poor in population numbers. Australia is as ripe for the picking now as it was when Captain Cook arrived. And we are sitting here, virtually indefensible. Does that outline our parlous situation?"
"As two of the world's most corrupt oligarchies, Russia ranked 157th of 182 countries and Ukraine 104th, in the 2025 Corruptions Perception Index, are engaged in a turf war, mercenaries, the media and munitions manufacturers make the most of it," writes Mick. "The conflict continues over Ukrainian territory in which the inhabitants are confused regarding their statehood. The UK, since the collapse of the USSR has homed these oligarchs and welcomed their investment while selling arms to both and NATO. Therein lies the problem."
Arthur writes: "We are on the brink of World War III. All it will take to tip us over the edge is for China to invade Taiwan. China is waiting for America to be distracted from protecting Taiwan. That distraction would be something like America invading Iran or Venezuela.Our best hope is for China and Taiwan to come to some sort of agreement but that seems to be a long way off."
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