Etheus was engaged by the High Speed Rail Authority to develop a Strategic Plan for high speed rail, a critical input to informing the path to an east coast high speed rail network, and supporting detailed planning for the Sydney to Newcastle corridor. 

The Strategic Plan developed a clear and compelling customer value proposition to build momentum for high speed rail. It provided an objectives-based framework to enable decisions between competing outcomes. It also created a roadmap to implementation, that integrated organisation scaling and capability building whilst delivering on ambitious milestones. 

Our people’s involvement

• Produced an east coast High Speed Rail Strategic Plan and related attachments (including Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Plan, Risk Management Plan, Industry Engagement Plan and Case Studies)

• Outlined the strategic scope of work, benefits, risks, milestones, deliverables, critical interdependencies and timelines to achieve the Australian Government’s outcome, in particular a pathway for focusing on the development activities for the Sydney to Newcastle corridor

• Undertook research of international exemplar rail projects, including interviews on lessons learnt with CEOs and key executives

• Outlined strategies for engaging with multiple levels of government and key stakeholders

• Provided strategic guidance on governance arrangements, organisational design, workstream management, resourcing, and articulated a pathway for industry and market engagement

Key achievements and value-add

• Produced high-quality, mature and cohesive Strategic Plan

• Identified strategic directions, hallmarks and innovations unique to the east coast high speed rail network

• Underpinned the Australian Government’s high speed rail agenda on how to deliver an east coast HSR network starting with the Sydney to Newcastle section

• Kept the High Speed Rail Authority Board and Senior Executives engaged and involved in the development of the Strategic Plan

• Integrated key lessons learnt from exemplar projected around the world

• Mobilised and accelerated the work to assist the Australian Government’s to meeting their commitment of the production of a Strategic Plan