Victoria Secretly Added a Charge to Train and Bus Tickets for New Rail Project

On 26 August 2026, Victoria's Auditor-General found the state government quietly added a 1% yearly charge to every public transport ticket from 1 January 2025. Most of the money — about $4.8bn by 2062 — goes to the Suburban Rail Loop. The government never told passengers about this extra charge in 2025 or 2026 fare announcements.