The total cost for 1.7 kilometres of light rail stage 2A will cost more than $1.46 billion, based on answers from the Chief Minister to the Assembly’s Budget Review Committee.

Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee described the cost as “astronomical” and almost three times the $577 million previously announced by Andrew Barr.

Here’s how the costings look:

• $52.2 million for early planning and design
• $129.8 million for raising London Circuit
• $265.4 million for supporting stage 2A delivery
• $149.7 for new vehicles, depot expansion and retrofitting to enable wire free operations for stage 2A
• $576.8 million for capital expenses
• $168.2 million for maintenance and operation costs and,
• $124 million for interest costs

“Andrew Barr boasts that the federal government is contributing 50/50 of the cost of stage 2A, but this shows them contributing $288.5 million, it is actually less than 20 per cent of the total cost,” said Lee.

“Canberrans should be very concerned about the true costs of this project and the impact this will have on the Territory’s skyrocketing debt, which will reach over $18 billion in the forward estimates, costing the ACT almost $2 million a day in interest repayments alone.”

Opposition transport spokesman Mark Parton said it was now clear why the Labor-Greens government had refused to give any costings for Stage 2B to Woden, which is significantly further than 2A and a much more complex project.

“The figures we are now looking at for Stage 2B are mind blowing,” Mr Parton said.

“With the rapid bus between Woden and Civic currently taking 15 minutes and that same journey anticipated to be over 30 minutes on the tram continuing with this project is madness.”