The rally took place as the findings of Fred Nile’s Upper House inquiry into the planning process in Newcastle and the broader Hunter region were released, and just as the Newcastle rail line closure case was due to return to the Supreme Court.

The inquiry included nine recommendations, among them that the NSW Government immediately re-instate rail services that stopped on Boxing Day and re-instate infrastructure removed from the Newcastle heavy rail line.

The inquiry found Hunter Development Corporation general manager, Robert Hawes, had an alleged conflict of interest in being a landowner at Wickham while having a managerial role in the NSW Government’s decision to truncate the Newcastle rail line at Wickham.

It also found the board of Hunter Development Corporation had allegedly failed to adequately address the conflict, thereby damaging public confidence in the Corporation’s integrity and decision-making.

Kayuga-based spokesperson from the Denman Aberdeen Muswellbrook Scone Healthy Environment Group (DAMSHEG), Wendy Wales, said the complete restoration of the rail services must take place.

“People need to understand we have lost an entire service that has incapacitated our community.

“In an era where we consider ourselves civilized it is ludicrous to take away basic amenities from, and the independence of, people with disabilities, the elderly and our young teens,” Ms Wales said.

The Hunter Valley News spoke to Jeane and Terry Gravolin as they travelled on the early morning train to Sydney ahead of the rally.

Jeane is based in Scone while her husband Terry, who’s based in Newcastle and runs six retail businesses in Hunter Street, said they believed it was important to take a stand over the rail service.

“My wife Jean uses the train from Scone all the time to come down to see her grandchildren and she’s been affected by the bus changeover because it isn’t working.”

“I’ve suffered a loss of income and one shop we had to lock out the tenant for non-payment of rent since Boxing Day because they’ve had no customers,” Mr Gravolin said.

“There’s also the extra time it takes on the buses and then making the connections is a problem because there’s a lot more traffic and there’s no parking anymore so people aren’t coming in.”

Mr Gravolin said he is concerned the revitalisation is providing an income stream for people who own land near the existing rail line, but not for anyone else trying to run a small business.

“I hope the politicians listen to what is handed down by the inquiry and heed the words of the people and not the actions of a select few,” he said.

The rally came ahead of Wednesday’s directions hearing where the NSW Government is appealing Justice Adams' pre-Christmas ruling that rail track could not be ripped up by a rail infrastructure owner unless authorised by an Act of Parliament.