Battle over South Yarra train station

Victoria’s Transport Minister has lashed out, accusing the Opposition Leader and some federal MPs of playing politics over the Metro Rail tunnel.

The Andrews Government is refusing to include a stop at South Yarra as part of the multi-billion dollar project.

Liberal MPs, including Kelly O’Dwyer and Matthew Guy, are furious the project will bypass the area.

They are pushing for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to pull federal cash unless a South Yarra station is included.

But Minister Jacinta Allan says the station isn’t on the plan because it simply doesn’t stack up.

‘These political threats from federal and state Liberal party members is just astonishing,’ she told 3AW News.

‘The Prime Minister himself has said he will support transport projects that stack up.’

A report by the state government’s Metro Rail Authority concludes the economic case for the new station is ‘very poor’. Part of the problem is existing platforms could not be used because new 234-metre long high-capacity trains which will eventually be used on the new line would not have the space to dive deeply enough underground before hitting the Yarra River.