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<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cZig Zag Railway is a national icon and holds a special place not only in the hearts of Lithgow residents, but also for the many people who have travelled on this historic railway over nearly half a century,\u201d said Mr Wiggins.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people have a memory of visiting the railway when they were a child, or have taken their own children or grandchildren on it,\u201d he said. \u201cMany families can trace their heritage to workers who laid the original railway in the 1860\u2019s.\u00a0 It\u2019s an exciting time for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sights, sounds and smells of an old steam locomotive chugging over sandstone viaducts is an unforgettable experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Railway first opened in the 1860s as the first rail link between Sydney and Western NSW, but closed in 1910 following a deviation of the main line to by-pass the inefficient \u2018zig zag\u2019. It was resurrected in the 1970s by volunteers who banded together to create the not-for-profit Zig Zag Railway Co-Op before closing in 2012.<\/p>\n
Despite setbacks, including a horror run with bushfires in 2013 and 2019, coupled with floods, vandalism and recent storm damage, volunteers have been working tirelessly to return the railway to passenger services by restoring locomotives, carriages and kilometres of track. It\u2019s now full steam ahead for Australia\u2019s most iconic tourist railway to get back on track.<\/p>\n
Zig Zag Railway volunteer and professional train driver Garth Schwartz first became involved with the Railway as a young boy and is expecting the reopening to attract overwhelming interest.<\/p>\n \u201cI am sure we will get train and history enthusiasts, tourists and those who just want to enjoy the locomotive meandering through the mountains as they take in this remarkable landscape,\u201d said Mr Schwartz.<\/p>\n \u201cThe line climbs the western flank of the Blue Mountains, using zig zags to gain height before reaching the highest point of railway in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes about 90 minutes to traverse the seven-and-a-half kilometre track, traveling through tunnels and over the viaducts with two stops along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPassengers will get to see first-hand how locomotives used to operate during Australia\u2019s steam train era, as a volunteer fireman shovels coal into the train\u2019s red-hot firebox,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cThe railway is a tourism gem, with visitors taking in the vast scenery and surrounds of the Blue Mountains making it not only a domestic attraction but a huge drawcard for international visitors as well,\u201d said CEO Lee Wiggins.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n