The opening of the planned railway link to Melbourne Airport is expected to be postponed by at least four years to 2033 due to cuts in government funding. On 7th May 2024, the government of the Australian state of Victoria presented its budget, reducing spending on infrastructure from €14.7 billion (AU$24 billion) in the financial year 2023/24 to €9.6 billion by the financial year 2027/28. These cuts are hitting the airport railway project particularly hard. The delay to the project is partially due to a conflict between the airport operators and the Victorian government over the location of the planned airport station. While the government favours an above-ground station to save costs, the airport operators are in favour of an underground station. At the beginning of 2024, mediators were appointed to settle this dispute. The Suburban Rail Loop project in Melbourne will also be affected by the budget cuts, with the completion date for the early phases of the eastern section being postponed from mid-2025 to early 2026.
