A preferred route identified by a feasibility study in 2013 with a stop just west of Casino rather than at Lismore is “indicative” of where the Labor Party’s High Speed Rail Link would likely go, a Labor Party spokesman says.

Labor today announced a $1 billion commitment to the project to begin to purchase land to secure the rail corridor and establish a High Speed Rail Authority.

The party said in a press release the plan built on the work of the former Labor government, which completed a feasibility study for the project in 2013.

The feasibility study found that the inland alignment option was preferred. IMAGE: Supplied/High Speed Rail Study Phase 2 Report.

The High Speed Rail Study Phase 2 Report - which identified a 1,748km route from Melbourne to Brisbane - considered a potential “coastal corridor” past Lismore through the Gold Coast to Brisbane.

However, it was found it would be “more difficult to construct, would have a negative impact on populated and environmentally sensitive areas, and would cost $2.7 billion more” than an inland alignment.

The report found an alignment with a station just west of Casino was preferred. PHOTO: Supplied/High Speed Rail Study Phase 2 Report.

The report also considered inland alignments east of Casino and east of Lismore but the existing road and rail corridors were considered unsuitable due to their abrupt and multiple changes in direction.

“Alternatives passing to the east of Casino, allowing a station between Casino and Lismore, would attract more user benefits from Lismore and the coastal centres,” the report says.

“However, the increased capital cost of this option relative to the preferred alignment ($1.2 billion) was greater than the increase in user benefits ($0.5 billion).

“A second option to the east of Lismore not only had larger increased capital costs compared to the preferred alignment ($3.5 billion), but also reduced user benefits (-$1.0 billion) due to the additional train transit time.”

Instead, the report said an alignment with a station 9km west of Casino was preferred because of its good access from the regional road network, regional airport, conventional rail station and proximity to Lismore.

A spokesperson for Shadow Transport Minister Anthony Albanese, Matthew Franklin, said the preferred route was “indicative” but subject to change.

“Our policy is to create a High Speed Rail Authority that will look at that study and determine the final route,” Mr Franklin told the Lismore App.

The feasibility study proposed a staged project starting with Sydney to Canberra then Sydney to Melbourne before moving north up to Newcastle, then the Gold Coast and Brisbane.