Liberals criticise ‘unimpressive and underwhelming’ rail loop plan as Victorian premier pushes ahead after hinting at pause

A day after suggesting other projects were more important to Victorians, Ben Carroll says train line will go ahead but at a slightly reduced costFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Victorian opposition has described Ben Carroll’s plan to scale back new train stations along the Suburban Rail Loop to shave just over 5% off its total cost as “incredibly unimpressive and underwhelming”.The premier on Tuesday announced changes to the scope of the first stage of the state’s largest-ever infrastructure project, known as SRL East – a 26km stretch of tunnels between Cheltenham and Box Hill – estimated to save $1bn. He also ordered an “independent, technical review” to identify a further $1bn in savings. Continue reading...