Celebrations as the Bathurst Bullet turns 10

Since it's maiden voyage on October 21, 2012, the daily return service has transported an average of 24,000 commuters a year, expanding to two daily return services in 2019, due to heavy demand.

Chairman of Bathurst Rail Action, John Hollis, said getting the Bullet was a community effort and many people had benefitted from it.

"Irrespective of age or financial capacity everyone can use the Bullet. I honestly haven't driven to Sydney for years since the service was introduced," Mr Hollis said.

He said the road to a daily rail service from Bathurst was a long, but eventually rewarding process.

"It took about 15 years, it was a long process, it went back to 1995," he said.

"The first step was to get this railway station into the CityRail system. From then on, it was a long, hard slog.

"We had a petition in Bathurst which got about five or six thousands signatures, and after that and we had constant communication with the government of the day and it finally came to fruition with the election of the Coalition government," he said.

Asked if it ever felt like it was a pipe dream, he laughed and said, no matter what, he was determined to see it happen.

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"But like any process you always feel, 'Will I get there?'. What I did each time I met a minister, I really listened to what they had to say and then I would build on that for next time," he said.

Having seen the dream become a reality, Mr Hollis said he cant believe it's been 10 years since the train's maiden voyage.

"And I think it's important to also recognise in the 10 years the Bullet service in itself has also grown, so that important," he said.

Mayor of Bathurst Robert Taylor said the Bullet transformed the way people from Bathurst travel to Sydney.

"It took 15 years to come to fruition, but what a great addition to the town," Cr Taylor said.

"And to think we've now got a second one.

"I've personally used it a few times myself. It's fantastic you can get there (Sydney) early in the morning, have a day in Sydney and be home by 9pm that evening.

"You don't have to worry about parking or anything. You jump on the train, you know what time it's leaving and when you'll get back. The amount of people who used it is phenomenal. It's also very affordable."

Mr Hollis agreed the Bullet was a game changer for the people of Bathurst, saying he remembers what it was like in the days before the Bullet, where people had to rely on a coach service that would take them to Lithgow, before they could then board a train to Sydney.

Mr Hollis described the situation as "archaic".

He said then Member for Bathurst, Mick Clough, raised the seriousness of situation in Parliament in 1995, prompting the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association (CPSA) to start a campaign for change a few years later.

Eventually, the Bathurst council was brought into the conversation, and from there a dedicated committee was formed and was able to get some traction.

Mr Hollis said that Bathurst, as a growing regional city, needed to have a daily commuter service to Sydney.

"It was an important piece of infrastructure as Bathurst grew. We had an integrated transport service of buses and aircraft and trains. It was pretty archaic when you think of it, for a growing town like Bathurst that we had to catch a coach down to Lithgow and get on the electric train," he said.

Member for Bathurst and Deputy Premier Paul Toole, who was also instrumental in bringing the Bullet to Bathurst, said it was a great day to be celebrating.

"The people of Bathurst fought for a daily train service to Sydney for more than a decade - and when I ran to become the Member for Bathurst I promised to make it a reality. We delivered and now we are celebrating the Bullet's 10^th year in operation," Mr Toole said.

He said the train's popularity was due to it being a hassle free option for people to get to Sydney for work, study and medical appointments, and return home the same day.

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