Back in 2008, we were optimistic. It looked like Infrastructure Australia might break the long-standing hostility to rail projects on the part of state and federal bureaucracies, and their obsession with motorways, despite none ever fulfilling their congestion-busting promises. Unfortunately, it has reverted to form.
We can agree the Suburban Rail Link business case lacks detail in its cost estimates (“Alarm raised over SRL costings“, 22/3). At the same time, we already have a better idea how much the tunnels are to cost, since the contracts for these have been let and total $5.3 billion out of the $35 billion budget, for 27 kilometres of tunnelling. The balance of the $35 billion is for stations, rolling stock and operating costs, but for the tunnel component that carries the most technical risk, costs appear to be under control.
If only Infrastructure Australia had had less “confidence” in the North East Link in 2018 when it ticked off a $16 billion budget cost that has now ballooned to $26 billion. Apparently, big risky budgets are only acceptable when they’re for road projects.
Tony Morton, president of Public Transport Users Association
Letter to The Age, published 24/3/2025