But Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and Deputy Premier Jackie Trad were at odds at just how any possible federal windfall should be spent in Brisbane.

When announcing his ministry on Sunday, Mr Turnbull gave the biggest signal yet the former Abbott government's ideologically driven reluctance to fund public transport projects could soon be a thing of the past.

"Integration is critical," he said.

"We shouldn't be discriminating between one form of transit and another. Roads are not better than mass transit or vice versa, each of them has their place.

"Infrastructure should be assessed objectively and rationally on its merits. There is no place for ideology here at all."

On Monday night, Labor Opposition Leader Bill Shorten also backed Brisbane's cross-river rail project and pledged to work with Mr Turnbull to make it happen.

Appearing on the ABC's Q&A program, Mr Shorten said "I believe Brisbane should have cross river rail" and went on to name other public transport proposals around the nation that should receive federal government funding.

Cr Quirk wasted no time writing to Mr Turnbull on Monday to spruik his preferred vision for public transport infrastructure in the Queensland capital.

"I'm encouraged by the Prime Minister's recent announcement about a renewed focus on funding of infrastructure in cities, particularly through his ministerial appointments for cities and for local government," Cr Quirk said.

"I am very supportive of the Prime Minister's view that infrastructure should be assessed objectively on its merits and we shouldn't discriminate between one form of transit and another.

"I look forward to having discussions about projects for Brisbane.

"The most significant infrastructure need in Brisbane right now is for additional river crossings for public transport."

On that point, the Labor deputy leader was in agreement. Partly.

Ms Trad said the "noises" out of Canberra gave her hope Brisbane's Cross River Rail project, which had been on the cards for more than eight years, could finally be built.

But she was adamant her vanquished rivals' plan for a subterranean public transport solution would not be built.

"The Newman government's design was the Bus and Train Tunnel," she said.

"That is not the project this government is proceeding with.

"We understand that, in terms of priority for our city, getting a second heavy rail crossing (in the CBD) is the critical issue that we need to confront.

"Nowhere in the world do they combine two different modes of public transport in the one tunnel, so I don't think we should be starting that here in Queensland."

Cr Quirk said the BaT Tunnel remained his preferred model.

"Both additional bus and rail river crossings are of critical importance for our city," he said.

"In any discussions for federal funding of an additional public transport crossing, I strongly urge the Prime Minister to include both rail and bus components in any final solution."

Cr Quirk said about 60 per cent of public transport commuters travelled by bus and the inner-city sections of Brisbane's busways were at capacity during peak periods.

"Four buses a minute are using existing river crossings, totalling 230 buses each hour," he said.

"Congestion is already at a critical point at the Melbourne Street portal, across the Victoria Bridge and through North Quay.

"By 2031, bus passengers are expected to double, however with current capacities, any growth of services is simply not sustainable."

Ms Trad said, politically, she would be happy to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Mr Turnbull, even in a federal election year, if his government helped deliver public transport infrastructure to Queensland.

"I am prepared to stand next to any federal member of Parliament who is prepared to fight for Queensland and give Queensland its fair share.

"I know that Malcolm Turnbull's already said some very positive things about funding public transport infrastructure in Queensland and I congratulate him for that, because Queensland needs federal government assistance in order to meet the congestion challenges of the future.

"That means federal government funding for public transport infrastructure."