Budapest Children's Railway Anniversary

The Széchenyi Hill Children's Railway, celebrating its 75th anniversary, is expecting its passengers – families and former pioneer and children's railway passengers – with exciting program in the Buda Hills this Tuesday.

According to a statement by MÁV Hungarian State Railways, they are preparing with vehicle demonstrations, craft activities, commemorations. A brass band consisting of former pioneer passengers and current children's passengers will perform and the former choir of the children’s railway will be reunited, but there will also be a garden hayride, cram pathing, and a nostalgia bus, the same age as the little train, will be exhibited.

In the former engine depot of the Széchenyihegy station's factory building, there will be an exhibition of artifacts and photographs from the past 75 years of the small railway, and visitors will also be able to board two rarely seen vehicles of the nostalgia motor train's train, the small saloon car and the postal car, where there will also be a commemorative stamp.

According to the railway company, trains will run more frequently, every 40 to 50 minutes, on Tuesday throughout the line to mark the anniversary. Nostalgia trains will run during the day between Széchenyihegy and Virágvölgy stations.   

Construction work on the first 3-kilometer section of the Budapest Pioneer Railway started on April 11, 1948 on Széchenyi Hill, with the first section of the line including the Széchenyi Hill terminus, Normafa station, Csillebérc and Virágvölgy stations.

The train service started on July 31, 1948 and the complete line was opened on August 20, 1950 in Hűvösvölgy.

During the 75 years of the Pioneer Railway - Children's Railway's existence, altogether 16,000 children have served as little railway staff on the line.