ANOTHER Victorian state budget will pass without any money for new North East train carriages, prompting scorn from the area’s MPs.
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Premier Daniel Andrews and his Transport Minister Jacinta Allan announced on Sunday a $1.45 billion Regional Rail Revival package.
But only $20 million of it will be spent on signalling and infrastructure upgrade work for the North East line.
The rail money will be part of Tuesday’s budget which Ms Allan’s spokesman said would not bankroll replacements for the 1980s carriages on the Albury route.
“The budget won’t commit to new rolling stock,” he said.
The Labor state government wants the Coalition federal government to fund repairs to the rail line before it orders carriages.
“North East Victoria needs better trains and better services,” Northern Victoria Labor Upper House member Jaclyn Symes said.
“We’re doing our bit for the line – it’s time for the Federal Government to do its job and fix the track.”
But Victorian Nationals MP for Euroa Steph Ryan said it was “pretty hypocritical” of Mr Andrews to demand Canberra spend up while not showing the colour of its money.
“The state government does not need the federal government to make its own investment,” Ms Ryan said.
“I think it’s appalling of the state government to use that as an excuse to yet again put off any investment for the North East line.”
Liberal MP for Benambra Bill Tilley was also critical.
“Let’s not forget Daniel Andrews on the front page of The Border Mail said ‘I’ll fix the trains’ and he’s had two years in government and in their third budget comes out with a grandiose announcement about rail and there’s two lines about the North East line,” Mr Tilley said.
“He keeps saying ‘I’m a local boy’, well tell me what you’ve done for the North East.
“Don’t spin this crap to us, I get it in the neck every day and so should he.”
Ms Allan’s spokesman said if the federal government funded a track upgrade there was scope for new trains to be budgeted for in the Victorian government’s mid-year financial update.
The state government’s $1.4 billion package is being funded through the receipt of money from the Commonwealth for privatisations.
Ms Ryan said in effect Canberra was picking up the tab for rail work and queried when a $1 billion in Port of Melbourne sale money earmarked for regional transport by the state parliament would flow.