Zig Zag Railway on track to finish line with $1 million boost

Member for Bathurst Paul Toole has announced the NSW Government will contribute almost $1 million in extra funding to inject fresh steam into the final stages of the restoration of the historic Zig Zag Railway at Lithgow.

"The Zig Zag Railway endured a horror run with bushfires in 2013 followed by storm damage and then more bushfires in 2019, but there's light at the end of the tunnel for a reopening and return to passenger services later this year," Mr Toole said.

"I'm thrilled to report Crown Lands has allocated another $965,000 for the Zig Zag Railway's restoration boosting its total contribution to $2.75 million.

"This extra funding will support restoration of the railway's workshop building including replacing damaged structural steel, cladding, retaining walls, and roofing.

"The NSW Government previously announced $2.3 million in 2018 for repair work, and the Zig Zag Railway has also contributed $881,000 in what's been a resilient partnership with the community."

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The Zig Zag Railway first opened in the 1860s linking Sydney with Western NSW, closed in 1910, and was then resurrected in the 1970s when volunteers founded the not-for-profit Zig Zag Railway Co-Op to restore tracks, locomotive and carriages.

Minister for Lands and Water Kevin Anderson said the Zig Zag Railway is a tourism gem listed on the State Heritage Register and the Lithgow Local Environmental Plan.

"The Zig Zag Railway has been an icon and tourist drawcard for the Blue Mountains for nearly half a century thanks to its committed volunteers dedicated to keeping the romance and heritage of Australia's steam train era alive," Mr Anderson said.

"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."

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