There were plenty of people eager to get on board for the first ever Bathurst Bullet train to stop in Tarana on Monday, September 16.
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It was a very festive spirit at Tarana, with bunting hung around the station and a New Orleans style jazz band from the Mitchell Conservatorium inspiring some impromptu dancing. The bacon and egg rolls on offer were a definite favourite.
Eager to step on board was resident Elizabeth Ross who, with her husband Allan, campaigned long and hard for the station stop.
The Bathurst Bullet stop at Tarana would allow the couple to more freely take day trips.
"As we've aged, it's become quite difficult to get to Sydney. You either have to go to Mount Victoria or Lithgow," she said.
Mrs Ross first contacted Bathurst MP Paul Toole to campaign for the change after a particularly horrible trip home from Mount Victoria, in which the misty rain made it almost impossible to see.
"It just wasn't safe, so I fired off an email to Paul," she said.
The change will allow them to travel more often to see their children in Sydney and attend matinees or go to the races, she said.
"I'm very thrilled it's all been brought forward," she said.
For fellow Tarana residents Emanda and Charlotte Bertwistle "it was an absolute treat" not to have to drive into Sydney on Monday for an orthodontist appointment.
"We would usually have to drive half an hour into town, when the train almost goes past our front door," she said.
"I think it's going to be quite busy. There are a lot of people here who commute - maybe not every day - but once a week or once every couple of weeks into Sydney.
Mrs Bertwistle predicted it would have a great impact on the pub and the cafe as people stopped in for a meal on their way home.
"It's been 80 years since there was such a crowd at Tarana station," resident Richard Webb said.
"I hope to goodness people make use of it so we can keep the service running."
Bathurst MP and Minister for Regional Transport Paul Toole attended the day and said the service would be a great step forward in bush-city connectivity. He envisioned great potential for day-tripping both into Tarana by visitors and from Tarana into the city.