A city building with 49 apartments is one of 44 that will be compulsorily acquired for Melbourne's $11 billion Metro Rail project.

The 15 residential and 29 commercial buildings will be vacated by 2017, with construction due to start in 2018.

Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said letters had gone out to affected owners detailing the purchase process and timelines, and most of those impacted had been contacted.

“There are still some more people to be contacted and that work is ongoing,” she told reporters.

There are 14 free-standing houses and 49 residential apartments that will be acquired, totalling 94 individual titles.

“This is a difficult process, particularly for those people who have been contacted over the past few hours,” Ms Allan said.

“A lot of work has gone in by the authority to ensure that people are treated with respect and fairly.”

Ms Allan would not confirm which properties had been selected, but said fewer properties were being acquired than originally anticipated.

She said the government was still in negotiations with the federal government about funding for the project.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said he is willing to consider contributing funding to the project.

ACQUISITIONS

• 5 CBD buildings
• 22 in Kensington
• 5 in South Yarra
• 2 in Parkville