Bathurst Rail Action Group's John Hollis says line upgrades essential

With the population of Bathurst and the Central West on an upward trajectory, more people are needing to make their way to metropolitan areas.

Following multiple multi-vehicle accidents in the last six weeks which have affected road access to Sydney, the need for an efficient alternate transport option is becoming increasingly important to reduce the number of vehicles travelling on the Great Western Highway and Bells Line of Road.

Mr Hollis says straightening out the lines and extending the passing lane at Rydal to prevent trains having to stop to let other pass through are the two main things that need to be addressed.

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"With Bathurst continuing to develop, it really should have a much faster connection to Sydney," he said.

"Don't forget in the future we're getting Badgerys Creek Airport too, so that's another point to consider to emphasise the need to improve the railway to reduce travel time.

"This area is growing so therefore a lot more people are travelling down that way, whether it's by road or rail, so therefore the future government should be very conscious of this and look at ensuring that we have a good connection."

While Mr Hollis says the existing passing lane on the Bathurst side of Rydal is "a very good one", he says it's essential it gets extended.

On a recent rail trip, Mr Hollis said he was held up by track works, so when the train reached Wallerawang it had to stop to let a passenger train through.

Mr Hollis said extending the double line between Tarana and Wallerawang would prevent trains having to stop to allow others through.

"To me, for a significant train like the Bullet, and also with the western line set to become more significant in time - particularly with the Inland Rail going through Parkes - plus the need to improve the rail connection for freight and passenger between Sydney and Parkes, it's absolutely essential that we replace the double line between Tarana and Wallerawang," he said.

According to Mr Hollis, it's the perfect time to make improvements to the train line as there's been a delay in the delivery of the new Bullet trains.

Mr Hollis says his suggestion would be to do the upgrades as soon as possible, so by the time the new trains arrive the tracks are ready to go.

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