Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop is a multibillion-dollar vision for a ‘city of centres’ – but how long will it take?

The Victorian government business case for the Suburban Rail Loop describes it as ‘much more than a transport project’ and says ‘it will transform Melbourne’. Photograph: Suburban Rail Loop Authority

When the Andrews government released the business case for the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) in 2021, in the middle of yet another Covid-19 lockdown, much of the coverage focused on the cost – $34.5bn for the first stage alone.

But contained within the 400-page document was also a new vision for the city of Melbourne.