Australia’s high-speed rail should be rolled out in small stages with Sydney to Canberra first, experts say

Exclusive: Progressive upgrades of existing sections will pave the way for a proper link between major cities, lobby group says

• Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Labor should pursue its high-speed rail ambition by progressively upgrading sections of the existing train corridor, starting between Sydney and Canberra as the cheapest and quickest way to deliver fast trains by the end of the decade, transport planning veterans argue.

Committing to an inaugural section of track that is relatively straightforward to build - as opposed to the tunnelling megaproject required for the Sydney to Newcastle corridor earmarked as a priority by the Albanese government - will prove high-speed rail as a concept in Australia after decades of inertia, according to advocacy group Fastrack Australia.