Rail chiefs spend $147k on public service credit cards

Saturday, June 20, 2026

Executives and staff involved in the Suburban Rail Loop project charged about $147,000 to government credit cards over the past year, including questionable expenses like a festival ticket and numerous catering and coffee purchases. This spending has drawn scrutiny amid incomplete federal funding for the $34.5 billion infrastructure initiative, underscoring ongoing concerns about financial oversight and accountability.

Executives and staff involved with the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) project collectively charged approximately $147,000 to taxpayer-funded credit cards in the past year, according to financial records obtained from the SRL Authority. The large-scale infrastructure project, which aims to connect Cheltenham to Box Hill through a new underground rail line, has faced scrutiny over spending habits and incomplete funding commitments.

Notably, on January 14, 2025, an SRL employee used a corporate card to pay $53 at the Midsumma Festival, a well-known event celebrating queer culture with contributions from local and international artists. The authority acknowledged the expense was made in error and said the individual repaid the amount within the same month.

“The Suburban Rail Loop will slash travel times, cut congestion and help busy families – while connecting people to Monash and Deakin by rail for the first time,” an SRL spokesperson said, emphasizing that only a limited number of cards are issued and are intended solely for legitimate business purposes. The spokesperson also noted that internal processes exist to ensure accountability for these expenditures.

While the project has received about $5.5 billion in funding to date, the Albanese government has yet to approve the full $11 billion in federal funds Premier Jacinta Allan has sought for the estimated $34.5 billion project.

In addition to the disputed festival charge, the records reveal a series of smaller expenses incurred by public servants overseeing the project. These include numerous catering and coffee charges near Parliament House and the SRL Authority’s central Melbourne office. Examples include payments at Bobby’s Coffee ranging from $16 to $43, a $107 catering bill at Piatella Cafe Bar in Glen Waverley, and charges totaling nearly $300 for online purchases made at Woolworths.

Other transactions documented in the financial reports include a combined $412 spent at Sir Osborn Cafe in East Melbourne, and larger purchases such as a $974 reimbursement from Autobarn for office equipment and roughly $1,700 for IT software, both of which were later refunded after errors or order cancellations.

The SRL Authority also documented thousands of dollars spent on “community trader support vouchers,” which aim to assist small businesses affected by ongoing construction work related to the rail project.

This pattern of credit card use follows similar incidents in prior years. Last year, credit card records revealed thousands of dollars spent on coffee and a $1,500 repayment made for public funds used on 10-pin bowling and arcade games. In 2023, executives were required to reimburse approximately $1,000 for alcohol purchased at dinners and mistakenly charged to government cards.

The SRL Authority has reiterated that any incorrect charges identified are promptly rectified and reimbursed to maintain transparency and fiscal responsibility as the project progresses.