Australia: PM puts high-speed rail to Sydney's second airport on fast track

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has underscored the need for a high-speed rail link to be operating to Sydney's second airport as soon as possible after the first commercial flight takes off in a decade. In a speech to be delivered on Friday, Turnbull will emphasise that a rail link will be crucial not only for the new airport at Badgerys Creek but to spur the western Sydney economy. "[The airport] will be well connected by roads when it opens. But roads are not enough," he will say. "World class airports share a common ingredient – fast and convenient public transport links." He will cite remarks last week from Qatar Airways boss Akbar Al Baker, who said the the lack of high-speed rail links meant the airline would not fly to the new airport. While traffic forecasts suggested the airport would not justify a dedicated rail link until the 2040s, Turnbull will highlight that transport infrastructure would add "enormous value and amenity" to the people of western Sydney. "Instead of resigning ourselves to a two­-decade delay, let's lift our ambitions and ask, ­'What would it take for rail to be operational at the airport when it opens? Or, if not, how soon afterwards?' " he will ask.<br/>