Victoria continues to be severely short-changed on infrastructure, with the Turnbull government pinning its Victorian electoral hopes on an Abbott-era promise to hand over $3 billion to the first government prepared to build the East West Link.

Despite a state Labor pledge to "go it alone" and fully fund the Melbourne Metro Rail project, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has attempted to nuzzle his way in, demanding that $857 million previously promised from the Commonwealth's Asset Recycling Initiative for unspecified state projects be spent on the $10.9 billion cross-city rail tunnel.

The budget includes $26.9 billion for national infrastructure projects over the next four years. But much of the largesse is once again being flung at the key battle grounds of Queensland and Western Sydney, with Victoria set to claim a relatively meagre 9.7 per cent, compared to NSW's 31 per cent and Queensland's 28 per cent share.