Slashing public transport fares could lead to overcrowding, but Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy insists that's a "good problem".
In the lead up to the November 26 poll, the coalition has pledged to halve fares on V/Line trains and make replacement bus services free for at least four years if it regains government.
Under the plan, the opposition says a daily commuter would save $1762 a year travelling from Geelong to Melbourne, $2074 a year from Ballarat to Melbourne, and $2408 a year from Bendigo to Melbourne.
The policy is expected to cost $185 million, although the Liberal-Nationals are yet to release independent costings from the state's Parliamentary Budget Office.
Mr Guy is adamant the lost fares revenue won't lead to V/Line service reductions for commuters.
"The system is subsidised as it is now. We're just going to subsidise it a little bit more," he told reporters at Ballan.
"That means we can get more people on the trains; a greater revenue box from more people being on the trains we can invest back into the system again. Sometimes you've got to spend money to create more money."
No modelling has been carried out on how many extra passengers could flow into the network on a daily basis, potentially leading to overcrowding.
"If services are crowded that means more people are on the trains," Mr Guy said.
"That's a good problem to have. That means I have to invest, as a premier, in more trains, and we'd do that."
Opposition transport spokesman Danny O'Brien said the plan would also reinvigorate regional tourism and declining public transport patronage following the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We need to stimulate our economy locally," he said.
The V/Line pledge complements the coalition's $2 daily flat fare promise for metropolitan trains, trams and buses, announced at the weekend.
Deputy Premier and Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan suggested regional Victorians would get the rough end of the stick under the differing coalition commitments.
"The Liberals are leaving behind regional Victoria again by asking us to pay up to 20 times more to use a train than people in Melbourne," the Bendigo East MP said.
The director of RMIT's Centre for Urban Research, Jago Dodson, said the cash would be better spent on making more public transport available.
"The best way to improve use of public transport is to improve the service and the coverage of the service," he told AAP.
Professor Dodson said while there was some merit in expanding concession rates in Victoria, blanket fare subsidies would not benefit Victorians evenly.
"The greatest proportion of the benefit of this fair cut will be experienced in the inner and middle parts of our cities where the public transport network is of good quality," he said.
"Those also tend to be the wealthier areas."
