It was a cranky crowd that met with Member for Bathurst Paul Toole yesterday to demand a guarantee that he do his best to ensure the Newbridge Railway Station is reopened.
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Members of the Newbridge Progress Association presented Mr Toole with a petition containing 400 signatures urging the state government to open the station so trains would stop on their way through the village.
However, the 12-strong group was asking for guarantees from Mr Toole that he was not prepared to give.
Instead, they had to make do with the promise that he would lobby the relevant people about this issue once the state election had been decided.
“There is a sense of frustration that nothing is happening because it’s too hard,” association member Wayne Moore explained.
He said access to the station was blocked a few years ago and, because of that, trains won’t stop.
Mr Moore said Newbridge has no public transport, with community members forced to make their way to Blayney, 15km away, if they want to catch a train to Sydney.
He explained that running a coach wasn’t an option because they can’t fit under the rail bridge.
Newbridge has 90 residents and Mr Moore believes about a dozen would use the rail service each week if one was available.
He said Newbridge also receives a lot of out-of-town visitors and a regular rail service would increase tourism opportunities for the village.
“We have three big events in Newbridge each year – the swap meet, the winter solstice and the family picnic day,” he said.
In addition, Newbridge will be a stop on the Boomerang component of the Cooee March re-enactment in November.
Mr Moore said there was also potential for steam train runs between Newbridge and Blayney.
“A lot of people would come up for that,” he said.
“We want to put Newbridge forward as a tourism destination and there is one thing stopping us – the fact that the train doesn’t stop here,” Mr Moore said.
He said the progress association has been lobbying for the station to re-open since 2013.
Residents said they would be willing to have a working bee to get the station back up to scratch, however, Mr Toole said it was not that simple, with today’s rules and regulations complicating the matter. However, he said he was pleased to receive the petition and would ensure it got to the right people.
“Public transport is an important issue for our outlying villages and this matter is something I will progress with John Holland,” Mr Toole said.
“I will be out there lobbying and having discussions about this proposal,” Mr Toole said.
