Premier Ben Carroll Cuts Suburban Rail Loop Costs

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll announced cost-cutting measures for the first stage of the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL East), reducing the estimated total cost from $34.5 billion to $32.3 billion. The 6% reduction follows Carroll's recent assertions that other infrastructure projects, including Melton electrification and the Melbourne Airport rail, are more urgent priorities for the state.

To achieve these savings, the government is scrapping underground station interchanges at Glen Waverley and Box Hill, removing a second entrance at Clayton, and canceling pedestrian bridges in Cheltenham and Burwood. Carroll also ordered an independent technical review to identify an additional $1 billion in savings. While current tunneling work continues, the government will not award new contracts until the review is complete.

Administrative changes include merging the Suburban Rail Loop Authority into the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority. State opposition leader Jess Wilson responded to the announcement by pledging that the Coalition would pause and review the project if elected in November.