Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Politics
Rachael Ward and Callum Godde

FOUND: Pitch to ditch rail loop risks referendum on trains - What They Never Told You

A pledge over rail funding risks the election becoming a quasi-referendum on Melbourne trains. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

The coalition's "calculated" move to scrap spending on a controversial rail project in a key battleground state has sparked calls for a broader discussion on how federal governments fund infrastructure projects.

If elected, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would cancel $2.2 billion in federal funding for the first stage of Melbourne's Suburban Rail Loop and spend it instead on a long-awaited train line to the city's airport.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.