In Slovakia, there are two rack railways. The first one, the Štrba – Štrbské Pleso cog railway, is part of the Tatra Electric Railway network and is operated by Slovak Railways.
The second has been in operation since 2014 on the Tisovec – Zbojská section. Its history is particularly interesting:
In 1896, a railway line was built from Pohronská Polhora through Zbojská to Tisovec. It was primarily used to transport goods to the ironworks in Tisovec.
Steam locomotives were in use until 1963. They were meant to be replaced by rack diesel locomotives manufactured in Austria, but the trackbed was too weak to support them.
For two years, the railway embankment was reinforced. However, by the time the work was completed, the ironworks had shut down, rendering the new locomotives unnecessary.
In passenger service, diesel railcars (“motoráčik”) performed well on the line without the use of the cog system.
The rack rail was never dismantled and, remarkably, was not stolen over the following decades.
As early as the 1990s, there was an initiative to restore cog railway operations. In 1994, a steam locomotive similar to the one that once ran on the line was discovered in Romania.
Due to various delays, the Tisovec – Zbojská rack railway was only brought back into service twenty years later, in 2014.
🚂 Operations
Trains composed of a steam locomotive and retro carriages run on the line several times a year from May to September. In December, a special “St. Nicholas Train” is operated.
The ride through the scenic valley is considered one of the top railway attractions in Slovakia. In addition to steam trains, you can also ride the motoráčik (diesel railcar).
This is Europe’s only cog railway with standard gauge (1435 mm) where trains are hauled by a steam locomotive.
📆 Tickets and Info
Timetables and ticket prices are available at: www.zubacka.sk
Advance reservation is required.
The railway also has an official Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/zubacka.sk
On regular days, the line is served by Slovak Railways trains on the Brezno – Tisovec route.
Related articles:
Train travel in Slovakia – a comprehensive guide
Narrow-gauge railways in Slovakia
