Blue Mountains line: Buses replace trains as rail inspections continue
Commuters who use the Blue Mountains train line could be in for a lengthy wait after bushfires ravaged sections of the track.
The Blue Mountains News
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Blue Mountains train passengers could be waiting months for regular services from Mt Victoria to Lithgow with some fire-ravaged sections of the track still deemed too unsafe to inspect for damages.
“Burned vegetation and damaged power poles in the corridor need to be inspected and removed before crews can enter sections of the railway to thoroughly investigate the damage,” a Sydney Trains spokesman told The Blue Mountains News.
Commuters have been catching westbound replacement buses from Mt Victoria train station since December 21 after the Gospers Mountain mega-blaze destroyed a significant amount of infrastructure along a 25-kilometre stretch of the line in the Blue Mountains, including at popular tourist destination Zig Zag which was still being rebuilt after fire destroyed rail infrastructure in 2013.
When the massive emergency-level Gospers mega-blaze burnt towards the Zig Zag Railway on December 20-21, the non-profit Zig Zag Railway Co-op Ltd lost an office, some small buildings, a toilet block and many sleepers — but firefighters were able to save the critical infrastructure and carriages.
“We were very lucky not to lose the (train) station and the top point signal box,” its spokeswoman said.
Sydney Trains spokesman said a “significant amount of infrastructure was damaged or destroyed” by the December 21 fires, between Mt Victoria and Lithgow, including:
- Large sections of the communications and signalling systems
- Around 50km of high-voltage electrical infrastructure
- 100 timber power poles and wires
- About 200 fire-damaged trees near the railway.
“Our crews are working hard to construct and commission safe-working systems which would allow limited freight and diesel passenger services to operate between Mt Victoria and Lithgow from late January.”
“Due to the extent of the damage, it will take longer to fully rebuild the infrastructure, including overhead power, to run electric trains,” Sydney Trains’ spokesman told The News.
Buses will continue to replace trains between Mt Victoria and Lithgow in the meantime.
Blue Mountains fires have also derailed planned works in the rail corridor between Springwood and Lithgow, which are needed to make the line consistent with the rest of Sydney’s electrified rail network.
Once completed a new intercity fleet of trains can be delivered to carry passengers between Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
“Some work planned for the Springwood to Lithgow Rail Corridor Modifications Project in December was postponed due to the bushfires and is replanned during the months of recovery,” Trains’ spokesman said.
Transport for NSW’s website states: “Modifications are needed along the rail corridor from west of Springwood Station to Lithgow Station — including minor modifications to the Ten Tunnels Deviation, between Newnes Junction Station and Zig Zag Station — to accommodate the new and existing trains and enable the new trains to service customers all the way to Lithgow.”
The website also notes work is being rescheduled to take place “as soon as possible”, including track work at Bell Station — from Monday, January 13, to Thursday, January 16 — and “at various locations” between Springwood and Lithgow during a “planned possession” in February and March.
Transport for NSW still expects this project to be completed by mid-2020.
For regular Blue Mountains train line updates, visit: transportnsw.info.