But Bathurst Bullet passengers will be left waiting to see an improvement to Endeavour trains currently providing the daily return service to Sydney.

Rail Action Bathurst chairman John Hollis welcomed the investment in the state’s rail infrastructure and hoped money would eventually trickle down to the Bathurst Bullet.

“I know they’re also upgrading the intercity trains and I query whether or not the Endeavour trains are to be upgraded as well,” he said.

“Regional people deserve quality trains, quality service and a service to meet to needs of a modern community, particularly in growing areas like Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo.”

The replacement of the regional rail fleet, starting with new XPT trains, is designed to improve the comfort, reliability and speed of the current services.

The new fleet will replace the 60 XPT passenger cars currently operating on the NSW TrainLink network, taking customers between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Dubbo, and through Bathurst, Orange, Taree, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Casino, Goulburn and Albury.

Deputy Premier Troy Grant and Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the funding commitment would see new XPTs in service in the first half of next year, two years earlier than promised.

“We’ve already committed to starting planning for a faster, modern, comfortable country train fleet by 2019, but we’re not going to wait,” Mr Grant said.

“We’re getting the ball rolling now so we can get contracts signed in this term of Government and new trains on our tracks earlier.

“This is a real commitment to rail passengers in the bush and we expect it to also generate regional maintenance jobs.”

Mr Constance said the $50 million funding boost would greatly benefit country travellers.

“We want this to be a great outcome and for that to happen, we need to start talking to industry about the options available and how we get new trains on the track quickly,” he said.

Around one million customers travel on XPTs per year.

Some of the XPT carriages are nearly 35 years old.