Modelling that was provided to Premier Jacinta Allan years’ ago — but kept secret — compared the likely patronage of the $200bn Suburban Rail Loop to existing lines, where passenger numbers are many times higher.
The team building the southern section of Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop East project will use fewer tunnel boring machines than planned to reduce disruption around work sites.
The mediator between the owners of Melbourne Airport and the Victorian government in a long-running dispute over a proposed railway station at Tullamarine has also been doing consulting work for the state-run Suburban Rail Loop Authority.
Major works on the $34.5 billion Suburban Rail Loop could be delayed or deferred amid concerns about the controversial project’s funding and state debt.
Victorians may still be slapped with another tax to plug the Suburban Rail Loop’s multi-billion budget black hole — with the Allan government refusing to be drawn on the issue.
Dozens of Big Build infrastructure projects have blown out yet again in budget overruns, costing taxpayers a hefty $83.6m every single day. See the full list here.
