IT'S not quite fast rail, but there's still a lot to like about the faster rail put forward recently by two rail experts.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Associate professor Philip Laird of the University of Wollongong and Max Michell made a presentation to the recent Ausrail conference in Sydney that proposed a (relatively) cut-price plan for cutting rail times between Sydney and the Central West.
Talk of a brand new fast rail service remains on the drawing board but it is a medium-term option, at best. Instead, Professor Laird and Mr Michell argued that significant travel time reductions could be achieved by simply realigning sections of the western rail line.
The plan proposes replacing curves with straighter track at three major sites - between Rydal and Tarana, Locksley-Brewongle and Newbridge-Blayney - along with smaller changes at other sites, achieving (they say) a lift in the average running speed from 68km/h to 84km/h.
Their plan remains uncosted but it is bound to come in at a very small fraction of the cost of completely replacing the entire line to accommodate a fast rail system.
And, you would imagine, it could be done much, much sooner.
These are important questions for Bathurst, because - as strange as it seems - rail travel is likely to become increasingly popular in years to come.
Bathurst's proximity to Sydney actually makes rail a more attractive - and much cheaper - option than flying for most travellers and, as our population ages, there will be more travellers looking to leave their cars at home.
So while the anticipated time savings - in the vicinity of 20-25 minutes - are not enough to make a daily commute to Sydney a viable option, saving almost an hour on a single day return trip is not to be sneezed at.
So let's keep looking at fast rail as a truly game-changing project for the Central West but, in the meantime, let's also make the most of what we have already.