A high-speed train to tackle Sydney congestion

I’ve always had a strong interest in the transport industry and chose the 'High Speed Rail Network' Summer Studio subject to expand my knowledge, learn from industry leaders and gain some hands-on experience in modelling software. During the Summer Studio I worked with three other engineering students; Sonali, Yong and Maheen, to investigate population increases in Sydney and how the city’s infrastructure must be redesigned to accommodate this. 

As we started looking into this problem, it was pretty clear that Sydney’s high population was due to the job opportunities in the CBD. This problem then stems into the congestion of public transport services and much like every daily commuter in peak time, we wanted a solution.

To solve this problem, we focused on designing a high-speed rail line from Sydney to Newcastle. The idea was to reduce travels times by up to 75%, with trains travelling at speeds over 250km/h. In doing our research, we realised our project would help the surrounding communities as well as the environment and is equivalent to taking 365,000 cars off the road!

 - Fabiha, Civil and Environmental Engineering student

Selecting the route

Our proposed route consists of three stops: Central, Gosford and Newcastle. Our group chose to explore this route after we undertook data analysis, which revealed that up to 30,000 passengers travelled between these cities daily! My fellow team member, Sonali was in charge of the route selection and mapping process. One of the biggest challenges we faced, was making sure our project had minimal impact on the natural environment. To solve this, we proposed our track to include a number of tunnels, to run along the existing train lines as well as to follow the M1 route. We realised that a high-speed railway system would connect the Sydney CBD to a larger working pool and allow those living in congested Sydney areas to access affordable housing without increasing commute times.

Train selection

Yong, a mechanical engineering student, was in charge of the train selection process. The train we chose, the Shinkansen model or ‘bullet train’, has high speed, futuristic technology, and an ability to carry many passengers at once.

The current commute from Sydney to Newcastle takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, which we managed to cut down to only 40 minutes!

Modelling the track

We created a digital model of the track using PLAXIS 2D softwarePLAXIS is a program that has been developed specifically for the analysis of deformation, stability and flow in geotechnical engineering. showing the different layers of soil underneath the track as well as the dimensions of the track layers itself. It also determined how much the ground would ‘sink’ due to the weight of the train and its passengers. By adjusting the track dimensions, our track design met the requirements of having ‘sinkage’ of less than 6mm. Once these requirements were met, our track design was a success!

The costs

Finding ways of reducing project costs is also part of our job description as engineers. Our team member Maheen was in charge of calculating and reducing the overall project costs. We calculated the total initial cost for our project to a massive sum of $21.7 billion AUD! This would be enough to cover the initial implementation of a high-speed rail along our selected route including all materials (railway track, trains, electricity, labour, staff & station upgrades).

The results

Over the course of Summer Studio, the importance of an engineer’s role in today’s society became clear. I realised we have the potential to redesign and revolutionise the city, with just a simple yet innovative idea. In completing this studio, I was able to develop key skills in problem-solving, leadership and teamwork. These skills are vital for all engineering projects in practice. I was also able to connect with industry leaders, learn from highly experienced academics and most of all work together with my fellow engineering students. Personally, I envision the city of Sydney as the centre of growth for NSW. Being part of a Studio, which looks into the future of the transport network was extremely insightful and I look forward to hearing more about the potential developments of High-Speed Rail in NSW.