The Transport for NSW figures show 4000 more people tapped on – using their Opal Card - at Bathurst Railway Station in the morning to get on the Bullet than tapped off at the local station to get off the Bullet in the evening.

The figures also show patronage for the service in both directions increased in the second half of 2016.

The Bathurst Bullet daily return limited stops service to Sydney was introduced in October 2012 after years of lobbying locally for a better connection to Sydney.

Orange residents connect to the service via a coach which departs the train station on weekdays at 4.50am to connect to the bullet.

The train leaves Bathurst at 5.49am and stops at Lithgow, Mount Victoria, Bell (if demanded) Katoomba, Springwood, Penrith and Parramatta before arriving at Central at 9.27am.

The evening train departs Sydney at 5.52pm, arriving in Bathurst at 9.35pm. The coach connection returns passengers to Orange at 10.55pm.

The statistics for 2016 show 14,306 people using the service tapped on at Bathurst Railway Station during the year, while only 10,123 tapped off at the local station.

For the figures for those tapping on at Bathurst, the worst month was January (897 people) and the best month was December (1544).

The monthly total cracked 1000 for the first time in 2016 in June and stayed above that level for the rest of the year, rising each month.

For those tapping off at Bathurst, the worst month was May (654 people) and the best month, again, was December (1097).