I live in regional Victoria and would walk over hot coals to be able to have a 30 min train trip to melb or 50 min trip to Albury. 2 hrs to Sydney huh.....where do I buy my ticket. When I go to Syd by the rat, its 3 hrs just to get down to melb, park the car, jump on the bus, check in and get my butt on the seat in the 737.
High speed rail radiating from the capital cities is vital, as is high speed rail linking capital cities. If this proposal kicks off, Shepparton will go gang busters, as will Albury and all the stops in between. Finally living in the country and working in the city will be viable.
I have travelled all over japan on the Bullet train, France on the TGV and Germany on ze very fast train. It opens up the regional areas like nothing else. Had an interesting chat with a German on a train one day out of Fankfourt, he was complain how his line had to put up with the sub standard (slow) trains that only did a measely 200km/h. he nearly had a heart attack whe I told hime the average speed of our Shepparton to Melb train( 110 km/h ...occasionally).
So bring the high speed train on....with all haste.