Blue Mountains historic Zig Zag Railway looks to reopen after decade-long refurbishment

After more than a decade of refurbishment, during which it suffered damage during several bushfires, the heritage-listed Zig Zag railway in the NSW Blue Mountains has announced it is ready to reopen as a visitor attraction.

The historic attraction, located east of Lithgow, will be ready to take passengers once again after completely refurbishing the track and locomotives.

The railway line was forced to close in 2012 after its accreditation was removed as a result of the Independent Transport Safety Regulator (ITSR) identifying a catalogue of safety deficiencies.

Since then, volunteers for the not-for-profit cooperative that runs the attraction have been working to reopen the railway.

However, their efforts have been impacted by multiple bushfires, particularly a 2013 blaze that caused $4 million of damage - with trains, carriages and equipment completely destroyed - and the Gospers Mountain megablaze in 2019.

Looking forward to reopening, Lee Wiggins, Chief Executive of the Zig Zag Railway Co-op, advised "our accreditation is imminent (and) our opening is just around the corner."

Before winter, the volunteer-backed cooperative is hoping to commence running passenger journeys once again.

Looking back on the decade since the heritage attraction’s closure, Wiggins added “tThere's been some struggles without a shadow of doubt.”

The organisation has completely rebuilt the track, restored signalling infrastructure and restored two locomotives and passenger carts with the cost of several million dollars aided by contributions from the state and federal governments.

Acknowledging the extensive volunteer support, Wiggins stated “as a whole, the community really, really are showing a huge amount of support.

"(They) want to see the railway open again as part of their heritage and part of their culture."

Built in the 1860s, the narrow gauge railway was constructed to transport people and produce from the western plains of NSW to Sydney. It was replaced in 1910 by a 10 tunnel deviation after which the line began to be used as a visitor attraction, becoming the home of Thomas the Tank Engine and the Hogwarts Express prior to its 2012 closure.

NSW Minister for Lands and Water Kevin Anderson last year described said the Zig Zag Railway as a "tourism gem", noting “the sights, sounds and smells of the old locomotives chugging through sandstone viaducts to reveal the remarkable scenery of the Blue Mountains is a unique experience of international significance.”