In brief:

• Work will begin this year on upgrades to speed up train travel between Sydney and Canberra.
• A joint $100 million investment from the Australian, NSW and ACT Governments will fund infrastructure improvements and future planning.
• The upgrades will benefit many communities and make rail a more attractive travel option.

Train travel between Sydney and Canberra will get faster and more reliable, with work starting this year.

The Australian, NSW and ACT Governments are working together to upgrade the rail line between the two cities.

Initial work on the Sydney–Canberra rail link will focus on quick infrastructure improvements between Goulburn and Canberra, to complement work the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) already has underway between Goulburn and Sydney.

Planning will also begin to map out longer-term upgrades.

$100 million joint investment

The Australian Government will invest $50 million in the project as part of the 2026–27 Federal Budget.

This will be matched by:

• $25 million from the ACT Government
• $25 million from the NSW Government.

The aim is step‑by‑step improvements that bring journey times below four hours, while setting the corridor up for long‑term growth.

What will be done?

Upgrades are expected to begin this year and continue for up to five years.

Work is likely to include:

• investigating new express services
• upgrading level crossings with new boom gates and lights to improve safety and allow higher speeds
• improving track layouts and switching equipment
• upgrades to stations and train storage facilities
• planning and design for possible future works, such as passing loops and track straightening.

The section between Goulburn and Canberra will be worked on first.

Why this matters for Canberra

The current condition of the track impacts travel time and service reliability for passenger train services between Canberra and Sydney.

Congestion on the rail network also affects the performance of passenger rail services. Canberra passenger trains share the corridor with some of the busiest freight movements in regional NSW.

When freight trains cannot be overtaken, passenger services are often delayed.

Once complete, these upgrades will:

• improve on time performance for Canberra services
• reduce flow on delays caused by congestion
• make timetables more resilient during disruptions
• support future increases in services.

All this amounts to fewer delays and more reliable trips to and from Canberra.

Planning for the future

These infrastructure upgrades also prepare the line for new regional trains later this decade. This will ensure Canberra passengers get the full benefit of modern trains on a better‑performing railway.

The funding will also support a business case to plan further upgrades and timetable improvements.

At the same time, it adds to the NSW Government’s investment in new Regional Rail Fleet trains. These will begin operating on the line after testing is complete.

It also builds on the Australian Government’s:

• investment in strengthening the national freight rail network
• commitment to high-speed rail between Newcastle and Sydney.

Travel impacts

There will be some weekend shutdowns and bus replacements as works continue.

These short‑term disruptions are part of delivering long‑overdue improvements to Canberra’s rail connection with Sydney.

Regional benefits

More than 3,000 people travel between Sydney and Canberra by air or bus each day, and many more drive.

Faster train services will provide a more convenient alternative and better connect communities along the route, including:

• Queanbeyan
• Bungendore
• Tarago
• Goulburn
• Bundanoon
• Moss Vale
• Bowral
• Mittagong
• Campbelltown.

The upgrades will increase the rail line’s capacity, reliability and efficiency. This will make train travel a more attractive option for more people.

Canberra Station upgrade

The NSW Government is also improving accessibility and safety at Canberra Station in Kingston.

The work aims to make public transport safe, inclusive and easy to use for all passengers.

This includes:

• people with disability
• older people
• people with prams or luggage
• anyone experiencing mobility problems.

Read more about this work on the Transport NSW website.

What’s being built right now?

The improvements will complement track upgrades already underway between Sydney and Goulburn.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation ARTC is progressing the Southern Highlands Overtaking Opportunities (SHOO) project.

There is currently major construction taking place near Moss Vale (Werai) and south of Goulburn (Joppa Junction).

The SHOO project is delivering:

• new overtaking infrastructure
• additional track crossovers
• modern signalling upgrades
• track and embankment improvements.

The project will help address reliability issues that have affected Canberra services for years.

Construction began in 2024. It is expected to be completed in late 2026.

ARTC is also implementing a wider program of track rehabilitation work between Sydney and Goulburn aimed at improving reliability, ride quality and overall network performance. Early works commenced in 2025 with construction activity planned through to 2030.

Additionally, ARTC are progressing feasibility work into upgrades to interlocking and signalling systems to enable bi-direction train operations at key locations along the corridor. This will allow trains to operate in either direction on adjacent tracks.

Improvements from these additional upgrades will be incorporated in future timetable changes to support incremental reductions in journey times.

Who is involved?

The Sydney–Canberra rail line is managed by several Rail Infrastructure Managers along the route. These include:

• Sydney Trains (Sydney to Macarthur)
• Australian Rail Track Corporation (Southern Highlands to Goulburn)
• UGL Regional Linx (Goulburn to Canberra).

The ACT Government will support the NSW Government to work closely with these Rail Infrastructure Managers and across transport departments to deliver the most effective upgrades.

Read more like this:

• Everywhere you can fly to from Canberra
• Light Rail to Woden alignment confirmed
• Upgrades on major Canberra roads continue

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