A high-speed rail network connecting Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane should happen sooner rather than later, former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer says.
Mr Fischer, who's just written a book on rail transport, believes a train taking just under three hours to get from Melbourne to Sydney is achievable by 2024.
"The Melbourne-Canberra-Sydney-Brisbane corridor is one of the busiest in the world for air traffic," he told AAP on Monday.
"It makes a great deal of sense to build high-speed rail sooner rather than later."
His comments come as the federal government prepares to release the first part of a $20 million feasibility study into a line linking Australia's east coast.
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A spokesman from Transport Minister Anthony Albanese's office confirmed the report was due for release on Thursday.
The initial report is set to include estimates on cost, potential timetables and routes.
Mr Fischer is in Australia on leave from his post as Australian ambassador to the Vatican and is due to speak about high-speed rail in Brisbane on Tuesday and in Melbourne on Wednesday.
