News

As we are fast approaching our busy summer season here in the West, we are forward planning the movement and availability of our locos for this period, both steam and diesel. We are very lucky to have a close relationship with the team at Don River Railway in Devonport. The collaboration between our two heritage […]

2025 and beyond The remote section of our line continues to present as many challenges as it did over 125 years ago. Since commencing upgrades in June 2023, we have problem-solved at a pace that would surely be familiar with our founders! This week we are excited to launch journeys through to Rinadeena, the second […]

We’re excited to be looking ahead to phase three of the line reopening on 24 September 2024 with Rinadeena, Rack and Rainforest journeys. This marks more than 50% of the line reopened and delivers a 3km section of the Abt rack and pinion section of the line for passengers to experience this coming visitor season. […]

In November 1899, Marion Sticht hammered the very last dog spike into the line at Regatta Point Station, marking the opening of the line between Teepookana and Regatta Point Station. Help us celebrate this milestone achievement of innovation and perseverance by designing a lapel pin. CHILD COMPETITION Entry is only available to residents of Australia […]

Why do we call women ‘firemen’ and our business and why hasn’t it changed in the 21st century? The ‘fireman’ on a locomotive is effectively the second in command to the driver. On a steam locomotive, where the term originated, the role is generally to attend to the locomotive’s heat source – usually coal, but […]

With Easter behind us, we mark the end of the 2023/24 peak visitor season. It’s been an incredible season and we’ve welcomed tens of thousands of visitors into our cafes and onboard since recommencing passenger services in November 2023. We’d like to thank all our passengers that have taken the time to journey with us […]

By now, the Commercial Team were busy planning new experiences. It was becoming apparent that the geotech project wasn’t going to be complete in time for peak season and that the middle of the railway was going to remain inaccessible for now. Our team are highly attuned to our role as a demand driver for […]

While contractors were out in force along the corridor, our rail infrastructure and building maintenance teams were busy undertaking work that is usually impossible around the train running schedule. This included the construction of a new concrete apron and replacement of track at the front of the workshop to remove a track pumping issue, as […]

The past year has been a fraught one for the team at West Coast Wilderness Railway but it has also been one that has reinvigorated the team and our future. 2023 started normally enough, running half-day journeys from both sides of our 35-kilometre, 127-year-old railway with original heritage Abt and Drewry locomotives. Taking passengers deep […]

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As our railway is unique to Australia thanks to that little addition of the rack and pinion system, our training and certification process is also just as unique to our railway. In January 2022, for the first time since COVID struck, the rail operations team welcomed Barry, our certified driver-trainer, back into Tasmania from interstate. […]

In the mid-19th century, the west coast of Tasmania was a pristine wilderness known for its dense bushland and wet weather. By the end of the 20th century, mankind had carved an almost permanent mark on the landscape. Today, the Queen and King Rivers continue to suffer the impacts of a decade of historical mining […]

Earlier this year, the marketing team from West Coast Wilderness Railway joined forces with marketing professionals from NRMA Expeditions (Gordon River Cruises) and World Heritage Cruises to create the entry for Strahan on behalf of our local tourism organisation, Destination West Coast. The entry won its category and Strahan has been crowned Top Tiny Town! […]

We’ve missed our usual wet winters this year, so it was with glee that we welcomed a downpour a few weeks back… The rain really does bring out the best in the rainforest (the clue is in the name!) and we were grateful for its arrival. The rain, however, doesn’t come without hurdles for our […]

The West Coast Wilderness Railway is proud to have taken gold in the Tourist Attractions category of the 2022 Tasmanian Tourism Awards on Friday night in Hobart.The award comes as the railway considers the recent havoc of the COVID pandemic and gears up for a strong summer season. Speaking at the awards event, WCWR General […]