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That isn’t the issue.
The real problem is the $$,$$$,$$$,$$$ to build it, and how to fund it long term. In Australia the population centres are too small, by 2-3 orders of magnitude, and high speed rail is quite simply an impossible pipe dream.
Here we’d be lucky to fill 1 service a day, which means high speed rail simply isn’t viable financially.
By way of comparison China has cities of 20M people about 300km apart, and runs services at 20minute intervals 24 hours a day - and all seats are fully booked. That’s what makes high speed rail possible.
Their average routes are short enough that aircraft cannot compete, and the population centres are so large they guarantee every seat is filled, 24 x 7 x 20 minute services. That’s what makes it work.
Melbournes population would have to be 30+M and that of Geelong 20M. Likewise Shepparton or Ballarat. Not going to happen anytime soon.
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