The Federal Government has announced it will fund $2.1 billion worth of transport infrastructure in Victoria, to help cater for the state's growing population, as it prepares to go to the polls in May.

Key points: The promised funding will include $700 million to duplicate the South Geelong to Waurn Ponds track

The promised funding will include $700 million to duplicate the South Geelong to Waurn Ponds track The Government holds the seat of Corangamite by a margin of just 0.03 per cent

The Government holds the seat of Corangamite by a margin of just 0.03 per cent Another $1.4 billion will go towards road improvements on arterial and unsealed roads in other parts of the state

The package in tomorrow's budget includes $1.1 billion to upgrade 13 arterial roads in Melbourne's north and south-eastern suburbs.

The upgrades will come in the form of extra lanes added to a number of roads, as well as surface improvements in Langwarrin South and a new bridge over a rail line in Dandenong South.

Another $300 million will go towards sealing approximately 1,600 kilometres of roads in the Dandenong Ranges area, which the Government said would ease congestion and improve fire safety.

Liberal MP Jason Wood is vulnerable in the south-east suburban seat of La Trobe, where a number of the road upgrades are slated.

Mr Wood held the seat by a margin of 1.5 per cent after the 2016 election, but that edge has been improved by a redistribution to 3.5 per cent.

A further $700 million will help fund the South Geelong to Waurn Ponds rail upgrade — a joint federal and state government project in Victoria's most marginal seat of Corangamite.

Currently, trains run on dual tracks to Geelong's main station but are often bottlenecked by the single-lane track, which continues on to the southern half of the city.

Two of the three Geelong stations affected by the duplication and a handful of regional stations beyond that, are all in the seat of Corangamite.

Liberal MP Sarah Henderson holds the seat by just 0.03 per cent after the redistribution.

Geelong trains 'always packed, really packed'

Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population Minister Alan Tudge said the $700 million would provide vital improvements to the rail line, which is currently at capacity.

"We already have $150 million invested in that project to get the work underway," he said.

"This will enable the entire track to be fully duplicated from South Geelong to Waurn Ponds.



"That track is already at capacity because it's a single line."

While most people in Victoria's second-largest city welcome any rail improvements, it remains to be seen whether the announcement will help the Liberals hang on to Corangamite — a seat that covers Geelong's southern suburbs, the Bellarine Peninsula, Surf Coast and rural hinterland.

Geelong resident Jo-Ellen Malligan said duplicating the line to increase the frequency of trains was a "brilliant idea" but it would not change her vote.

"I think any government would see that there is a great need for it, so for me it wouldn't sway me to vote for the Libs," she said.

"It really needs the duplication because the trains are always packed, really packed. So good on them if they do it, and if it's just an empty promise, well, what else do we expect from them?"

Geelong resident Jo-Ellen Malligan (left) and friend Debra Adams, from Queensland, both welcome funding to improve rail services. ( ABC News: Cameron Best )

Debra Adams, who was visiting from interstate, said she had used the trains between Geelong and Melbourne and found them "quite good".

"I did have a bad experience where we were delayed for an hour and a half due to a near miss on the rail line but those things happen," she said.

Darren Gilmore said the funding was desperately needed, especially with Geelong's population expected to grow significantly in coming decades.

"I'm a Geelong [Cats] supporter, so I go to the football every second week in Melbourne and the trains are just terrible, absolutely terrible," he said.

"You can get a seat on the way up but you can never get a seat on the way home. Thousands of people want to use the trains and we're just treated like cattle."

Mr Gilmore said he supported Ms Henderson as the Corangamite MP and was not concerned about the timing of the announcement so close to an election.

"All governments give little incentives," he said.

"If it's going to work for Geelong, I say good."

Cats fan Darren Gilmore uses the trains to get to the footy and said capacity needed to increase. ( ABC News: Cameron Best )

'We're planning these projects now'

Last month, the Federal Government said it would invest $2 billion for a fast train service between Melbourne and Geelong if the Victorian Government matched that investment.

The announcement was dismissed by Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan, who called it a "thought bubble" on the eve of a federal election.

The Federal Government wants to create fast train services between Melbourne and Geelong. ( ABC News: Paul Sellenger )

South-east Melbourne upgrades: Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road, Pakenham South

Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road, Pakenham South Lathams Road, Seaford

Lathams Road, Seaford Hallam North Road, Endeavour Hills

Hallam North Road, Endeavour Hills Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, Cranbourne

Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, Cranbourne Pound Road West, Dandenong South (with a new bridge over the Cranbourne train line)

Pound Road West, Dandenong South (with a new bridge over the Cranbourne train line) Golf Links and Grant Roads, Langwarrin South (and the roundabout at Golf Links, Grant, Warrandyte and Baxter-Tooradin Roads) Northern Melbourne upgrades: Childs Road, Mill Park

Childs Road, Mill Park Sunbury Road, Sunbury

Sunbury Road, Sunbury Epping Road, Epping

Epping Road, Epping Bridge Inn Road, Doreen Dandenong Ranges roads: Approximately 1,600 kilometres of local roads will be sealed in the Dandenong ranges and surrounds

At the time, Ms Allan instead called on the Government to contribute to the more modest South Geelong to Waurn Ponds Rail duplication project.

This morning, after the Federal Government announced they would fund that project, Ms Allan criticised the timing.

"It does appear to be more about a political strategy for the Geelong area rather than about focusing on the projects that need to be delivered," she said.

"If it was about the projects that needed to be delivered, why didn't the Prime Minister when he was standing here in Geelong just two weeks ago, announce the Waurn Ponds projects?"

She said the duplication was the first step in securing faster rail services to Melbourne.

"It's pretty obvious that the Prime Minister, the Liberal Government, have been dragged kicking and screaming to support the Waurn Ponds project," Ms Allan said.

"We're pleased that they've finally got there, but it does seem to be more with an eye on the election than the importance of this project for the Geelong community."

The funding adds to billions of dollars already promised by the Federal Government to infrastructure projects in Victoria, including $5 billion towards the Melbourne Airport Link.