Wollemi National Park · from Sydney by public transport
Glow Worm Tunnel is about 4 hours 20 minutes from Sydney by train and bus, with 1 change on a typical weekday morning. Public transport gets you as far as Macaulay St opp Laidley St, 32.1 km short; see the last mile below.
An abandoned railway tunnel in Wollemi, its roof lit by thousands of larvae. The line that built it closed in 1932 and nothing replaced it.
About Glow Worm Tunnel
The Glowworm Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel between Lithgow, New South Wales and Newnes, New South Wales, Australia. It is notable for its resident glow-worms, the bioluminescent larvae of Arachnocampa richardsae, a type of fungus gnat.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Step by step
- Blue Mountains Line from Central Station to Lithgow Station, leaving at 08:25 (2h 50m).
- Walk 850 m to Albert St after James St.
- Bus 304 from Albert St after James St to Macaulay St opp Laidley St, leaving at 11:28 (6 min).
- Walk 1.0 km to Atkinson St opp State Mine Gully Rd. About 650 m of it follows a road with no footpath mapped.
- From Macaulay St opp Laidley St, the last 32.1 km to Glow Worm Tunnel has no scheduled service: see Last mile.
Plan this trip live for your date
Closest station and stops
There is no train station within 6.0 km of Glow Worm Tunnel. The usual route from Central leaves you at Macaulay St opp Laidley St, which is the stop to use.
| Kind | Nearest to Glow Worm Tunnel | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Where the usual route stops | Macaulay St opp Laidley St |
Walking distances follow the footpath network; where a stop is not joined to it the distance is a straight line, and the walk is longer.
By train, ferry, bus or light rail
Each line is a separate search of the timetable using only that kind of transport (and the train to reach a wharf or light rail stop), on weekday mornings from Central.
- By train alone: not possible; no train stop is near enough to walk.
- By bus alone: not possible; no bus stop is near enough to walk.
When to go
- Weekdays: first departure from Central at 04:23, last at 22:13; roughly every hour.
- Saturdays: first departure from Central at 04:23, last at 22:24; roughly every hour.
- Sundays: first departure from Central at 07:23, last at 22:24; roughly every 1.5 hours.
Times are departures from Central Station for journeys that reach Glow Worm Tunnel the same day, read from the published timetable.
Getting back to Sydney
On weekdays the last journey back leaves at 23:59 and reaches Central at 03:24, by bus N71. On Sundays the last one leaves at 23:59 and reaches Central at 03:24, by bus N71.
Accessibility
Not confirmed. The timetable does not say whether Central Station, Blue Mountains Line, Albert St after James St, bus 304 and Macaulay St opp Laidley St are step-free, so we do not claim it. We found no route from Central that is published as step-free all the way.
| On the usual route | Timetable says |
|---|---|
| Central Station (board) | not published |
| Blue Mountains Line (vehicle) | not published |
| Albert St after James St (change) | not published |
| bus 304 (vehicle) | not published |
| Macaulay St opp Laidley St (get off) | not published |
From the wheelchair fields Transport for NSW publishes with the timetable. It has no information on lifts, ramps or whether a lift is working today; check Transport for NSW before you travel.
Last mile
Scheduled services end at Macaulay St opp Laidley St, 32.1 km short of Glow Worm Tunnel. No bus or coach covers that stretch, so you need a pre-booked taxi or a transfer: about 40 minutes by road. Book it before you leave — in country towns there may be only one operator, and none waiting at the stop.
On the ground: ~39 km, much of it unsealed; 4WD advised in the wet.
Nearby places reachable by transit
- Newnesabout 4 hours 40 minutes from Sydney by train and bus
Blue Mountains Botanic Gardenabout 3 hours 30 minutes from Sydney by train and bus
Mount Banksabout 4 hours 30 minutes from Sydney by train and bus
Perrys Lookdownabout 3 hours from Sydney by train and bus
Govetts Leap Lookoutabout 3 hours 10 minutes from Sydney by train
Lockley Pylonabout 3 hours 10 minutes from Sydney by train and bus
Questions
- Can you get to Glow Worm Tunnel without a car?
- Mostly. Public transport (train and bus) takes you to Macaulay St opp Laidley St, about 4 hours 20 minutes from Sydney with 1 change. The final 32.1 km has no scheduled service; the Last mile section covers how to do it.
- How long does it take to get to Glow Worm Tunnel from Sydney?
- About 4 hours 20 minutes from Sydney: the median of 10 weekday journeys leaving between 8 and 10 am. The fastest one we found takes 4 hours.
- Is there public transport to Glow Worm Tunnel on Sundays?
- Yes. On Sundays the first journey leaves Central at 07:23 and the last at 22:24; roughly every 1.5 hours.
- What is the closest train station to Glow Worm Tunnel?
- There is none within 6.0 km. Glow Worm Tunnel is reached by Blue Mountains Line then bus 304, getting off at Macaulay St opp Laidley St.
- Can you get to Glow Worm Tunnel by train?
- Not by train alone: no train stop is near enough to walk. The usual way is Blue Mountains Line then bus 304.
- What time is the last bus back from Glow Worm Tunnel to Sydney?
- On weekdays the last journey back leaves at 23:59 and reaches Central at 03:24, by bus N71. On Sundays the last one leaves at 23:59 and reaches Central at 03:24, by bus N71.
- Is Glow Worm Tunnel wheelchair accessible by public transport?
- Not confirmed. The timetable does not say whether Central Station, Blue Mountains Line, Albert St after James St, bus 304 and Macaulay St opp Laidley St are step-free, so we do not claim it. We found no route from Central that is published as step-free all the way.