TRAVELLERS who use the coach and rail network to get to Sydney will have to set their alarm clocks to make the bus which will connect them with the Bathurst Bullet return service.
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But at least now they will have that choice.
Some persistent lobbying by the Orange Rail Action Group and a receptive State Government has resulted in a new bus service to Bathurst and substantial fare savings.
It ends a ridiculous anomaly which meant passengers from Orange missed the so-called bullet service by 15 minutes and paid substantially more for their trip to Sydney.
The announcement of the trial schedule on Thursday underlines the importance of regional transport in this election and how much still needs to be done to bring transport up to scratch.
Even with a tight connection at Bathurst station the trip from Orange to Central Station in Sydney will take four-and-a-half hours.
The Bathurst to Sydney leg takes more than three-and-a-half hours, making it a bullet service in name only.
For those lobbying for the departure from Bathurst to be pushed back from 5:49am to a more civilised hour, this is the problem.
As welcome as the announcement is, until track speed is improved this service, and the service to replace the XPT, announced by the Nationals on Sunday, will keep travelling times far longer than should be necessary.
The Coalition is certainly making the running on transport links to Sydney but as it rolls out policies it must address concerns about the speed limitations of the track which remain an expensive brake on significant transport improvements which would reduce reliance on cars.
