Lithgow (James St) Underbridge

Item details


Name of item:	Lithgow (James St) Underbridge
Type of item:	Built
Group/Collection:	Transport - Rail
Category:	Railway Bridge/ Viaduct
Location:	Lat: -33.48187934 Long: 150.15190891
Primary address:	Railway location, Main West Line 156.334km James St, Lithgow, NSW 2790
Local govt. area:	Lithgow
Local Aboriginal Land Council:	Bathurst

Boundary:

The curtilage is limited to the footprint of the bridge and abutments. North: Edge of sandstone arch bridge; South: Edge of sandstone arch bridge; East: Rear of abutment to land embankment; West: Rear of abutment to land embankment.

All addresses

Street Address	Suburb/town	LGA	Parish	County	Type
Railway location, Main West Line 156.334km James St	Lithgow	Lithgow			Primary Address

Owner/s

Organisation Name	Owner Category	Date Ownership Updated
TAHE - Sydney Trains	State Government
TAHE - Sydney Trains	State Government

Statement of significance:


	The James St Underbridge is significant as the second oldest stone arch railway bridge in New South Wales still in use. The bridge was designed by John Whitton, Engineer-in-Chief for the railways between 1856 and 1890, and is one of the only Whitton designed bridges remaining in use on the Main West Line. John Whitton has been described as the 'Father of New South Wales Railways', responsible for the establishment of the basic framework of the NSW rail network. The bridge forms part of the larger historic Lithgow railway corridor, and exemplifies the style and technique used in construction of stone arch bridges, a form of construction which is relatively rare within the NSW rail network.
	Date significance updated: 09 Oct 09
	Note: The State Heritage Inventory provides information about heritage items listed by local and State government agencies. The State Heritage Inventory is continually being updated by local and State agencies as new information becomes available. Read the Department of Premier and Cabinet copyright and disclaimer.

Description


Designer/Maker:	John Whitton, Engineer-in-Chief for Railways
Builder/Maker:	Contractor, P. Higgins
Construction years:	1869-1869
Physical description:	Three span, double track, sandstone arch railway bridge with 20ft clear central span between solid stone piers and abutments, with a low stone parapet. The arches are half circles in elevation with sandstone imposts at the junction of the arches and piers.
Physical condition and/or Archaeological potential:	The bridge is in moderate condition with the following defects: several cracks and erosion in the stone arches, and parapets out-of-line with missing mortar. Vegetation growing on south facing wall.
	Date condition updated:19 Oct 09
Modifications and dates:	Anchors in spandrel walls added. Concrete retaining wall adjacent.


Current use:	Carries the double track Main West Line over James Street.
Former use:	Nil

History

Historical notes:

The Main West Railway Line runs from Granville to Bourke and was completed in 1885. By 1900 certain sections of John Whitton's single track railway network were operating at or near saturation, these included the famous Zig Zag near Lithgow, the Main West from Emu Plains right through to Bathurst, the Main South from Picton as far as Harden and the Main North between Maitland and Muswellbrook. Also, the metropolitan railways were congested by the combination of suburban and freight traffic. The Line was duplicated through Lithgow to Bowenfels in 1891 and then onto Wallerawang in 1922.

John Whitton chose to use stone arch construction when denied sufficient funds to use imported wrought iron girders. It is the second oldest railway arch bridge in New South Wales built for two tracks.

The James Street railway bridge was built in 1869 as part of the Lithgow to Bathurst railway extension, which was completed in 1875. Economic constraints forced Whitton to build the others on this line for single track. They were progressively bypassed by double track brick arch bridges but the bridge at James Street continues its original function.

Assessment of significance


SHR Criteria a) [Historical significance]	The James St Underbridge has historical significance as the second oldest stone arch railway bridge in New South Wales still in use, and as one of the only original Whitton Era bridges still in use along the Main West Line.
SHR Criteria b) [Associative significance]	The James St Underbridge has associative significance as it was designed by John Whitton, Engineer-in-Chief for Railways between 1856 and 1890. When John Whitton was denied funds to continue with bridge construction using the expensive, imported wrought iron girder bridges, he chose to use stone arch viaducts for his major bridge works. The James Street bridge is a typical example.
SHR Criteria c) [Aesthetic significance]	The James St Underbridge has aesthetic significance as it exemplifies the style and technique used in construction of stone arch bridges, in a form highly representative of railway construction.
SHR Criteria f) [Rarity]	The stone construction of James St Underbridge is a comparatively rare technique within the NSW rail network.
SHR Criteria g) [Representativeness]	The James St Underbridge is representative of railway viaduct construction.
Integrity/Intactness:	The James St Underbridge is of high integrity, retaining its original fabric in a good condition.
Assessment criteria:	Items are assessed against the State Heritage Register (SHR) Criteria to determine the level of significance. Refer to the Listings below for the level of statutory protection.

Procedures /Exemptions

Section of act	Description	Title	Comments	Action date
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Heritage Act - Site Specific Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 Order under Section 57 (2) to Grant Site Specific Exemptions from Approval Lithgow (James Street) Underbridge SHR No. 1831 I, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales, in pursuance of section 57 (2) of the Heritage Act 1977, do, by this my order, grant an exemption from section 57 (1) of that Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out of any activities described in Schedule C on the land described in Schedule B on the item described in Schedule A. Sydney, this 8th day of April 2013. The Hon. ROBYN PARKER, M.P., Minister for Heritage SCHEDULE A The item known as Lithgow (James Street) Underbridge, situated on the land described in Schedule B. SCHEDULE B All those pieces or parcels of land known shown on the plan catalogued HC 2559 in the office of the Heritage Council of New South Wales. SCHEDULE C EXEMPTIONS UNDER SECTION 57(2) Exemptions Standard Exemptions Reason/ comments These cover a full range of activities that do not require Heritage Council approval, including Standard Exemption 7 which allows consideration of additional unspecified types of minor works for exemption. Exemptions 1. Works required for stabilising, conserving and repairing sandstone fabric, providing only stone structurally unsound and deteriorated beyond repair is replaced with stone of similar composition and colour. 2. Installation of new safety handrail, providing rail is designed to be reversible and does not require fixing to sandstone blocks, and is distinguishable as a new element which reflects the proportions, character and scale of the existing structure. 3. All work to heritage fabric shall be undertaken by qualified tradesmen with practical experience in the conservation of similar items. Reason/ comments To provide for the continued operation and day-to-day maintenance of the site without the need to obtain Heritage Council approval where those activities do not impact on the heritage significance of the site.	Aug 30 2013
57(2)	Exemption to allow work	Standard Exemptions	HERITAGE ACT 1977 ORDER UNDER SECTION 57(2) TO GRANT STANDARD EXEMPTIONS FROM APPROVAL I, Penny Sharpe, the Minister for Heritage, on the recommendation of the Heritage Council of New South Wales and under section 57(2) of the Heritage Act 1977: revoke the order made on 2 June 2022 and published in the Government Gazette Number 262 of 17 June 2022; and grant an exemption from section 57(1) of the Act in respect of the engaging in or carrying out the class of activities described in clause 2 Schedule A in such circumstances specified by the relevant standards in clause 2 Schedule A and General Conditions in clause 3 Schedule A. This Order takes effect on the date it is published in the NSW Government Gazette. Dated this 29th day of October 2025 The Hon Penny Sharpe MLC Minister for Heritage For more information on standard exemptions click on the link below.	Nov 7 2025

Standard exemptions for engaging in or carrying out activities / works otherwise prohibited by section 57(1) of the Heritage Act 1977

Listings

Heritage Listing	Listing Title	Listing Number	Gazette Date	Gazette Number	Gazette Page
Heritage Act - State Heritage Register		01831	30 Aug 13	107	2933
Heritage Act - s.170 NSW State agency heritage register

Study details

Title	Year	Number	Author	Inspected by	Guidelines used
State Rail Authority Heritage Register Study	1999	SRA535	State Rail Authority		No
RailCorp Section 170 Register Update	2009		Hughes Trueman Pty Ltd		Yes

References, internet links & images

Type	Author	Year	Title
Management Plan	Derek Rogers. ARHS	1995	James Street Railway Bridge, Lithgow- Graphic
Written	Fraser, D	2001	Report on the S170 Register of Railway Underbridges for the Rail Infrastructure Corporation, internal report
Written	Fraser, D.	1995	Bridges Down Under
Written	John Forsyth		Historical Notes for the Main West Railway, 1960s

Note: internet links may be to web pages, documents or images.

(Click on thumbnail for full size image and image details)

Data source


The information for this entry comes from the following source:
Name:	Heritage NSW
Database number:	5061199

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