The Victorian government has blamed increased building costs for the additional $837m spend, with the project now more than $3bn over its initial budget.
The State Government invested $31 million to expand the stabling facility at Bairnsdale to house two three-carriage VLocity trains overnight, which has enabled this change.
Why has the Victorian ALP sold this multi-billion dollar programme of work as a must do for rail services when it primary outcome is the better flowing traffic after the level crossing has been removed?
Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Danny Pearson, announced a cost blowout of $837 million today, with the project now expected to cost $15 billion, $4 billion more than the original cost.
The business case used by Victoria to request $11.5 billion for the first phase of its controversial Suburban Rail Loop contained information gaps and used a questionable methodology to calculate the project’s benefits.
