End of the line for the Zig Zag railway

A catalogue of safety deficiencies seem set to end operations of Blue Mountains attraction the Zig Zag Railway.

NSW Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian yesterday (27th July) provided an update on the heritage transport attraction following the identification of more than 150 instances where the Zig Zag Railway was deficient in its safety management by the Independent Transport Safety Regulator (ITSR).

ITSR also found that Zig Zag has had difficulty carrying out maintenance of its rolling stock.

In March, ITSR restricted the Zig Zag Railway's passenger operations to only diesel railcars and in June ITSR reported Zig Zag's management of safety had deteriorated further.

On 17th June, Zig Zag Railway ceased operations pending ITSR being satisfied that the safety issues have been addressed.

Over that last five weeks, Transport for NSW (TfNSW) organised a safety expert to help the Zig Zag Railway assess their safety management system and provide advice on the steps needed for Zig Zag Railway to deal with the safety concerns.

However, Minister Berejiklian explained "the safety expert has now provided a report to TfNSW which is being considered in detail.

"Initial feedback I have received ... is that there are safety, organisation and financial issues which are all affecting the long term viability of the Zig Zag Railway."

Built in the 1860s, the narrow gauge railway, located east of Lithgow in the NSW Blue Mountains, has operated as an attraction for many years and is the home of Thomas the Tank Engine and the Hogwarts Express.

It relies on ticket fares and donations, has several trains out of action at the moment and no funds to repair them.

Larry Zanker Chairman of the not-for-profit trust (the Zig Zag Railway Co-op Ltd) that runs the attraction, wrote on its website that they were suffering from a "shortage of skilled people to help maintain these trains."

Minister Berejiklian had previously described the problems facing the Zig Zag Railway as "insurmountable" but committed her department to work with the Zig Zag Railway Co-op Ltd to find a safety solution.

Again on the Zig Zag Railway website, Zanker writes "Zig Zag Railway is currently developing a whole new set of procedures to ensure that we will be able to return to the services we offered before."

For more information go to www.zigzagrailway.com.au/