Nine level crossings in the south-east will be removed and five stations rebuilt including Murrumbeena and Clayton. An artist's impression of the planned sky rail. Public Transport minister Jacinta Allan said there would be minimal disruption on Melbourne's busiest train corridor, with train line shut-downs limited to weekends and two longer shut-downs towards the end of construction in 2018. These two line shut-downs would last for 19 and six days. "This is in stark contrast to the alternative approach that has been proposed by some … to take an open trench approach which would see this line shut for eight months and require 2.3 million people being moved on buses which would cause significant disruption." Ms Allan said.

There has also been inquiries about voluntary property acquisitions Ms Allan revealed, although she declined to say how many. Following consultation, Ms Allan said more car parking would be added as well as better integration between stations and buses. The first works will include erecting construction fences and trimming trees. Ms Allan said the project would create 11 MCGs of new public space. She also said the design would not prohibit extra lines being added by a future government.

Quizzed on community fears that sky rail may be replicated along the Frankston, Ms Allan said that line presented a very different scenario. "The approach to be taken on this corridor is not necessarily the outcome that will be taken on the Frankston corridor, and I think its wrong to assume it will be," Ms Allan said. The alliance includes Lend Lease, Aurecon, Metro Trains, CPB contractors and WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff. Residents' advocate Edward Meysztowicz said a sense of community betrayal remains over the unveiling of the sky rail project. "A lot of people living in this community are deeply upset and dismayed by the way this project has been bulldozed through," Mr Meysztowicz said.

The recent announcement by the Andrews government of voluntary home acquisitions was "hollow", he said, given many residents whose homes directly back onto the rail line are not eligible. "The process is convoluted and certainly not clear," he said. "There are four stages of approval to go through and no one has clarity about their future," he said. Shadow Planning Minister David Davis said Victorians had been hoodwinked by Labor and that the process was a "travesty" with a lack of proper planning and environmental studies. "Victorians did not want this," Mr Davis said. "Nobody voted for this sky rail monster through the suburbs." Mr Davis warned that graffiti and other anti-social behaviour would be rife under sky rail.