Jacinta Allan deflected from her government’s failure to fund Albury-line carriages in this week’s budget .

“The Sydney-centric Turnbull Government hasn’t given Victoria a single cent to build better public transport,” Ms Allan said.

Border Rail Action Group convener Bill Traill pointed to a big hole in her statement.

“They haven’t got a single penny to date that’s true, but keep in mind passenger rail rolling stock has never been a Commonwealth responsibility,” Mr Traill said.

Federal Regional Development Minister Fiona Nash said in Albury on Monday the Victorian government “absolutely...has the responsibility to bring that rolling stock to the region”.

But she would not comment on whether the trouble-plagued track would benefit from money in next week’s federal budget.

Albury mayor Kevin Mack suggested the arguing between the Victorian and federal governments was not reflective of “very positive” talks he had with politicians and rail managers.

“I think there’s a junction point right now where budgets are being released, so let’s make it ‘winner or loser’ when in fact I think there’s going to be winners across the line,” Cr Mack said.

“I think this is going to happen, the rolling stock will happen, there’s no reason why they can’t build that rolling stock now.

“Instead of dressing up the pig and making it look like it’s something that it isn’t let’s start putting some new stock on the line, making access to our cities a lot easier.

“The federal government will...invest in that line.”

Mr Traill said the tit-for-tat between governments was “extremely frustrating because we’ve got a very good case in terms of the economic and social outcome that would derive from a successful service”.

“It’s a demeaning thing, the blame game,” he said.

The rail service campaigner said the inclusion of some funding for rolling stock in the Victorian budget would have reassured North-East passengers.

“Any of these things can be staged and staging is a pretty practical way, in a political sense, to appease the market,” Mr Traill said.