Overview
- The federal government, which announced an extra $3.8 billion on Friday, brings its total commitment to $6 billion for Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop.
- The funds support SRL East, a 26-kilometre underground line with interchanges at Cheltenham, Glen Waverley, Box Hill and Clayton, with tunnelling due to start late 2026 and services targeted for 2035.
- The $6 billion falls short of the roughly one-third share Victoria sought for the $34.5 billion stage, with the state planning to fund a third directly and raise another third through levies on development near stations.
- Officials say the project will cut cross‑suburb travel times, shift trips from cars to trains, and support up to 70,000 new homes over 30 years, and Infrastructure Australia has now listed it as a top national priority.
- Critics cite the high price and trade‑offs with other projects, and the state opposition says it would pause the line if it wins November’s election, even as early works have been underway since 2023.