As part of a state-wide Transport for NSW roadshow, the Future Transport team rolled into the city to discuss a 40-year strategy to meet our transport needs through the coming decades.

The future transport plan is currently open for public consultation and includes the Hunter, New England North West regions and ideas on how to make travelling to and from the area to major cities easier.

Under the new plan, Tamworth was identified as an “important transport hub” to connect surrounding centres and towns.

The plan recommends better connections between Tamworth and Armidale via both road and rail, to meet increased demand between the two centres.

A daily return rail service between Tamworth and Newcastle is also among the possibilities, along with improvements to Tamworth’s major highways and links to Armidale, Dubbo, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie.

“Transport NSW sees Tamworth as an important part of the regional cities network,” Julie Gee,  principal manager, regional strategy for future transport said.

“Across NSW there are a number of really key regional cities, such as Tamworth and Armidale, where we see great potential to improve connections to those cities and surrounding towns.

“This also improves options for people locally.”

Mrs Gee said among the options included in the plan for the near future was a new rail fleet and options for serving regional communities “better” including improved timetables to major centres and connections across the region.

The six-week show was also aimed at canvassing opinions on what the future of transport could look like, with the younger generation among the key areas of focus.

“Given it is a 40-year plan, the young people of today are going to be the middle-aged people of 2056 and we want to engage them and bring them along on the process,” she said.