Is the Doncaster rail link price tag 'ludicrous' a deliberate attempt by the government to put off building a heavy rail to Doncaster?

It is very common in business for businesses to quote excessive prices if they don’t want the business. The question that comes to my mind with the reported “ludicrous” price tag is this part of a strategy so the Liberal Party doesn’t have to deliver on their promise. Seems to me like it could be.

A proposed multibillion-dollar Doncaster-to- city rail link has come under fire for its ‘‘ludicrously inflated’’ price tag... Read More

The government and municipalities involved need to get real and come up with a plan. Put all the costed options on the table so they can all be considered. I recall a few years ago a figure of 400 million, then under a billion and now three billion. Seems to me there is more talk than actual desire to make something happen.

I’m not for or against the Doncaster rail. I can see advantages for and against. A number of people have expressed concern that heavy rail brings crime to an area and given we now have armed guards patrolling stations the government has effectively endorsed that view. People are concerned about safety. If you check the blog I maintain for Eltham you’ll read about a number of violent encounters at Eltham station.

I’ve seen no balanced discussion about the options. Just government and local councils pushing their agendas. A station at Chandler Highway very close to Alphington and Fairfield Stations doesn’t seem to be a good design providing additional services to an area already serviced. Even a station at Bulleen Road appears a little too close to Heidelberg Station. I can’t help feeling there have to be better options.
 
- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.