A HIGH-speed rail link between Melbourne and Sydney would remove the need for a second airport, according to a Sydney Liberal MP.
Member for Bennelong John Alexander said the decision on where to build a new airport should not be made until after a decision had been made on whether to proceed with an east-coast high speed rail network.
"It's one of the busiest air corridors in the world," Mr Alexander said.
"High-speed rail would mitigate the capacity problem and it would also give us other opportunities for where a second airport could go.
"You shouldn't be thinking of where to put the airport unless you have categorically ruled out high-speed rail."
Mr Alexander's comments highlight a growing divide within the coalition ranks about how best to solve Sydney's aviation problem.
Shadow transport spokesman Warren Truss this week suggested Badgerys Creek while Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has backed maximising the use of Mascot.
Transport Minister Anthony Albanese, whose electorate of Grayndler is heavily affected by aircraft noise from Mascot, has ordered a study to determine whether a new airport can be built at Wilton, 81km southwest of Sydney.
Despite a recent joint state-federal study on Sydney's aviation capacity recommending Badgerys Creek, federal and state Labor have ruled it out, fearing a ballot box backlash.
The government is also studying the best route for high-speed rail running between Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.
The report, which is expected to be ready early next year, will also determine whether high-speed rail is economically viable.
NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has called for a high-speed-rail line to Canberra and expanded operations at the ACT's airport.
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