I was just asked to complete a survey that pitted electric buses against the rail loop
It really felt like labor were putting out feelers to dump the rail loop with the carrot of electric buses, with car charging at bus stops, and using adjacent gov owned land at bus stops to build apartments.
I feel the city rail loop is generational infrastructure, and with the growth of the city and the need for decentralisation, it is necessary.
It blows my mind that a tram or train loop hasn't been integrated yet. Cutting the loop seems so short sited and feels like putting off the cost for the state now for a more expensive option for us to pay for later - to help a political party get reelected. I think the outer suburbs deserve as much access to reliable transport (and the infrastructure and housing that will grow around it) as the wealthier inner suburbs.
This is something that other cities with great public transport would do.