Luggage storage in Katoomba
 

We're planning on spending a day in Katoomba and then renting a car in the evening to drive to the Jenolan Caves. However, we'll arrive by train from Sydney with all of our bags, and need to keep them somewhere safe while we tour Katoomba.

Does the Katoomba rail station have decent size lockers we can rent?

Thanks,
Dave.

Here is a website that states that Katoomba station has lockers. I'm quite impressed, because Katoomba is not that big a town.

http://www.cityrail.info/facilities/...&facility=

Judy, I'm impressed, too, but skeptical. How recent is that information? A lot of stations in Sydney removed both lockers and bins following 9/11 and security scares for the Olympics. If these lockers do exist, they are likely to be few in number and not very capacious. There may well, however, be a cloak room operated by Countrylink where you could check in bags -- but, once again, I wouldn't count on it.

If I were you, copen, I would ask for advice here from your rental car company -- they MAY just be willing to hang on to your bags for you... after all, you're paying them enough! Otherwise, you may just have to stuff them into the trunk of the car!

You guys may think I'm nuts, but speculation frustrates me and I like getting the facts, so I just phoned Katoomba train station (yes, from Calgary). The number given on the website is 4782 1902 but, from here, I had to add the appropriate prefixes, so it was 011-61-2-4782-1902.

A very friendly man told me that, until just a few days ago, their locker service was operational. However, because of the recent bomb explosions on the Spanish train, they had gone into mid range alert mode, and had suspended their locker service. He said it usually took several months before alert levels returned to normal after that kind of scare.

He said youth hostels in Katoomba MIGHT be willing to store luggage. He also said that, by May, things may have quietended down sufficiently that station personnel themselves might be in a position to hang onto a couple of suitcases for a few hours. However, it was hard for him to predict at this point.

He said the best bet would be for you to phone the station again and ask closer to the time.

Hope this helps.

Hi guys,

I know this thread is pretty old, but obviously the question may still arise and I've a updated/current answer for anyone asking. It's really just confirming what Judy found, with some more detail.

I have some couchsurfers from Germany coming to me tomorrow after a day trip to the Blue Mountains and it'd be much easier for them to leave their bags somewhere in Katoomba, than to have to return to City to collect them, then back-tracking a little to myself - I'm between Castle Hill and Hornsby, so City is clearly not on the way.

I just made a call to the station and confirmed they still, after more than a decade from 9/11, provide no locker facilities (there are bicycle lockers, but these are strictly for bicycles only - you can't just shove your bags in them). The guy I spoke to suggested a nearby hostel. On calling them, I confirmed that the Blue Mountains Backpacker Hostel will let you leave your bags there for the day without needing to stay there as a guest. They do charge $5 per bag, but you can collect it any time you like as late as 2100 (drop off as early as 0830).

Their number is +612 47829630 and website is http://www.bluemountainsbackpackerhostel.com/ - there's a map on there, too, to find it from the rail station, but it's really just a matter of turning right as you exit the station.

I've had a number of guests from abroad who've wanted to do the day trip to the Three Sisters, so I'm hoping this information will help others. :)

Luc