THE tyranny of distance is one anyone who has been separated from a loved one will know.
It carries a particular sting. But what about the tyranny of time?
That is what Novocastrians hoping to ride a train to Sydney in a timely fashion have faced for decades, with a two-hour car trip rendered almost 50 per cent longer on rails.
With hybrid working and a growing lack of affordability in capital cities, the pressures on Hunter residents heading south shows no signs of abating.
What does appear less sturdy, though, is the political will to do something about it.
Government officials refused to confirm the status of a $2 billion rail project designed to speed up the trip between Wickham and George Street.
It shouldn't seem shaky, given $1.5 billion was allocated at state and federal level just last year.
It has become almost farcical how quickly high-speed rail pitches gain prominence as election days draw closer.
It's important to clarify, though, that this is about a faster train rather than revolutionising intercity travel.
It's shaving minutes off the existing services, which Central Coast Commuters Association president Eddie Ellis says is about the best travellers could hope for.
Meanwhile, NSW leaves its two largest cities connected almost exclusively by highway.
It is almost certainly a hamper on building timely connections that could allow some industries in the region to make better use of the services, supplies and other benefits a city of Sydney's size can boast.
Anyone who has found themselves stranded on a train between the two cities can tell you that it needs to be faster, or more serviced, or both.
But with freight rail adding to much of the congestion that slows passage, it's hard to see a quick fix on the passenger side of things.
That, though, is a hurdle over the horizon while governments won't even confirm the status of the project when asked directly.
Solutions come from certainty and stability.
This project appears sorely wanting for both.
Ms Haylen's office says business cases are "progressing" against the backdrop of a national high-speed rail network.
While that may be years away, a generation of commuters deserve answers on a project that has already drained the public purse with little to show so far.
With such long trips ahead, they may not have time to spare.
ISSUE: 39,921
To see more stories and read today's paper download the Newcastle Herald news app here.
