Nationals Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Dubbo MP Troy Grant announced on Monday the proposed site was in Dubbo.

That evening SFF Member for Orange Phil Donato said Orange had been promised the rural maintenance facility in October 2016 and had been robbed.

“During the Orange by-election campaign, the National Party made a promise for $50 million for the Orange electorate on 28 October 2016,” Mr Donato said.

“They were making this sound like a promise in the Orange by-election, but now they’re punishing the people of Orange because a National Party candidate was not elected.”

However on Tuesday Mr Donato was backing away from his own claims of a broken promise, saying there had been “strong inference” during the by-election the depot would be located in Orange.

“The inference was it was going to be facilitated and housed in Orange,” he said.

He said the decision to locate in it Dubbo was a pure case of pork-barreling to ensure Mr Grant’s re-election.

Speaking at Monday’s press conference, Mr Grant appeared to say Orange had missed out because it was not represented by a government MP.

“There will be communities right across the rail network that will not be happy about this announcement but at the end of the day that’s what happens when you don’t have someone at the decision-making table of government,” Mr Grant said.

“That’s a consequence and as I said, Dubbo’s becoming more and more obvious, because of the connectivity to the whole state.

“Its geographical location is far superior to Orange.

“The investment appetite is far superior here in Dubbo and it’s just the obvious and most ideal place.”

NSW Trainlink chief operating officer Pete Allaway backed the choice of location during a visit to Orange on Tuesday.

“From an operational perspective it’s a really good location,” Mr Allaway said.

He said he didn’t know whether Orange had been considered for the depot location but described the announcement, which will bring approximately 100 jobs to Dubbo, as a win for regional areas.