North West. Rail link is a political project

Professor David Hughes, an adviser to Infrastructure Australia and involved on the NSW government’s 20-year transport plan, has described the O’Farrell government’s $8.5 billion north-west rail link as an “absolutely” political project, saying a high-speed busway would deliver the same result for one-fifth of the price tag. He said the project “struggles” on a cost-benefit analysis, according to The Australian Financial Review. Professor Hughes heads the University of Sydney’s Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies.