Main Western Line

Government owned electrified line, formally The Great Western Railway is now managed by Sydney Trains, who also publish the timetable for NSW Trainlink passenger services to the Blue Mountains.

Train operators

• NSW Trainlink InterCity air-conditioned passenger trains provide regular electric services between Sydney and the Blue Mountains and a daily diesel rail car service from Bathurst to Sydney and return.
• NSW Trainlink Western services to the central west (Bathurst-Orange-Dubbo) and far west (Parkes-Broken Hill) New South Wales.
• Journey Beyond Rail operates the Indian Pacific passenger service which crosses Australia from coast to coast.
• Various coal and general freight services are operated by Pacific National, Aurizon, Southern Shorthaul Railroad & other private companies.

Connecting Buses & Coaches 

• Blue Mountains Explorer Bus operates on a loop around the attractions of Katoomba & Leura.

• Fantastic Aussie Tours operate coach & four-wheel-drive tours from Katoomba.

Local bus services

• Blue Mountains Transit provides local bus services between Penrith and Mt Victoria
   
• Lithgow Buslines provides local bus services in Lithgow City and between Lithgow and Bathurst

Heritage Operators

Various operators run heritage trips to the Blue Mountains. You need to check their websites to see when tours are planned to the area.

Operators include:

• Transport Heritage NSW [NSW Rail Museum tours and events schedule]

Photo: David Johnson, Railpage

Valley Heights Rail Museum

The oldest roundhouse in NSW, opened in 1914 is home to the Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum and Valley Heights Steam Tramway. Visit the roundhouse, ride the steam tram which plied the streets of Sydney in the 1890s, listen to the crew preparing a goods steam engine to assist a train up the grade to Katoomba, sit in the electric loco which replaced steam in the 50s, experience the opulence of the Caves Express, see the model layout of the depot in the 1950s and much more.

More information at the Valley Heights Rail Museum website

Katoomba Scenic Railway

Tourist railway and steepest incline railway in the world (Guiness Book of Records). Originally part of the Katoomba mining tramways constructed between 1880 and 1900. Descends through sandstone cliffs via a rock tunnel, emerges to spectacular views and bushwalking tracks.

More information on the Scenic Railway & tramways
Bushwalking (hiking) Page

Lithgow Zig Zag (The Great Zig Zag)

Tourist steam railway. Originally part of the Main Western Line, and a major engineering achievement of its time, the Lithgow Zig-Zag (or switch-back) descends the western escarpment of the Blue Mountains.

Prominent features include sandstone viaducts, cuttings, tunnel and cliffs. Steam hauled services at weekends, public holidays, & NSW school holidays, midweek diesel railmotor service includes site and workshop tours.

Currently not open following major fire damage.

More information at the Zig Zag Railway website.

Connects with NSW Trainlink services to Sydney.