Bathurst Bullet

The Bathurst Bullet is an express passenger train on the Blue Mountains Line operated by NSW TrainLink between Sydney and Bathurst. The service operates from Bathurst towards Sydney in the morning, and returns in the afternoon.

Bathurst Bullet
Endeavour at Sydney Central in October 2012
Overview
Service typePassenger train
First service21 October 2012
Current operator(s)NSW TrainLink
Route
TerminiSydney
Bathurst
Distance travelled240 kilometres
Service frequencyTwice daily in each direction
Train number(s)WN12, WN18, WN16
Line(s) usedMain Western
Technical
Rolling stockEndeavour railcar

History

At the 2011 election, the incoming Liberal/National coalition government committed to introduce a day return service from Bathurst to Sydney for those working in Sydney.[1][2]

Bathurst was already served by the daily Central West XPT and weekly Outback Xplorer services, but these were morning departures from Sydney, returning in the afternoon. The last day return service to Sydney had ceased in November 1988, being replaced by road coach services connecting with train services at Lithgow.[3]

The Bathurst Bullet commenced operating on 21 October 2012.[4][5] It is operated by a diesel-powered two-carriage Endeavour railcar. Upon reaching Bathurst, it returns to Lithgow to stable overnight.[6] During periods of high demand such as the Sydney Royal Easter Show, it is operated by two sets.[7]

In March 2014, a submission was made to extend the service to Orange.[8] The submission to extend the train service was not successful but a connecting road coach service commenced 15 June 2015 for a six-month trial instead.[9] Since October 2019, all Bullet services have a road coach connecting with Orange.

In August 2019, the NSW Government announced that a second daily return Bullet service will be started. The new service, known as Bathurst Bullet 2.0, commenced on 16 September 2019, with both Bathurst Bullet services now stopping at Tarana and Rydal.[10][11] On Wednesdays, the Bathurst Bullet 2.0 operates to a slightly delayed schedule, to accommodate for the Indian Pacific.[12][13]

References
  1. Bathurst to Sydney Rail Service Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine Hansard, Parliament of New South Wales
  2. O'Farrell announces daily rail Sydney to Bathurst Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine Lithgow Mercury 4 June 2012
  3. "Last Passengers" Railway Digest January 1989 page 20
  4. Changes to CityRail timetable CityRail 10 October 2012
  5. Bathurst Bullet embarks on maiden voyage Archived 17 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine Western Advocate 22 October 2012
  6. "Blue Mountains line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  7. Get to the show fast as a speeding Bullet Archived 17 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine Western Advocate 15 April 2014
  8. Orange Council leads the charge to reschedule train services from Bathurst to Sydney Archived 15 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine ABC News 6 March 2014
  9. Giving the Bathurst Bullet a shot: six trial for Orange Passengers Archived 19 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine Central Western Daily 21 March 2015
  10. Second Bathurst Bullet service added Transport for NSW 12 August 2019
  11. "Bathurst Bullet 2.0 turns one". Transport for NSW. 16 September 2020. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  12. Villages pleased that both Bullets will now be stopping Archived 30 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine Western Advocate 30 August 2019
  13. "Western timetable". NSW TrainLink. 7 September 2019.
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