Category: Europe

RE-OPENING of railways is always a cause for celebration, so when I discovered that a delightfully scenic and extensive narrow gauge system in the south of Czechia had re-started full-line services in April 2026, almost four years after its previous operator had gone bust, I felt compelled to pay a return visit.

Having spent a glorious few days in July 2022 travelling and photographing the busy 79km (50-mile) 760mm-gauge Jindřichohradecká úzkokolejka (JHMD) system, that comprised two branches radiating from the town of Jindřichův Hradec, it had come as a real shock to discover that operations had been halted less than three months later (on 2 October 2022).

Continue reading “A remarkable revival of the Czech JHMD 760mm gauge system”

Being the proud holder of a Deutschland Ticket (D-ticket) for the month of June 2026 (€63.00) I am tempted to follow-up my highly enjoyable visit to the Harz Mountains with a visit to another of the splendid steam-worked narrow gauge systems in eastern Germany, and spend a couple of nights at Bad Doberan, near the Baltic Coast.

Returning for the first time in seven years (Baltic beauties-October 2019) and once again staying in the hotel with a railway station on its doorstep (Bad Doberan Stadtmitte) I am back to savour the charming 15.4km (9.6-mile) 900mm-gauge Mecklenburgische Bäderbahn, better known as the Molli (Mollibahn).

Continue reading “Steaming down the Main Street”

German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) may come it for a lot of criticism these days over reliability and punctuality, but for anyone visiting this fascinating country and happy to avoid the faster IC/ICE trains, there is a remarkable bargain to be had in the month-long Deutschland Ticket (D-ticket), costing just €63.00 (£55.00).

Not only does this offer unlimited travel on all local and regional trains and buses, but it is also valid for travel on a host of narrow-gauge railways in eastern Germany, including most of the world’s finest steam-worked network, the remarkable Harzer Schmalspur Bahnen (HSB) metre-gauge system.

Continue reading “Harz steam action with a Deutschland Ticket”

Two weeks after a fascinating visit to Portugal’s last metre-gauge railway and now another chance to experience rare narrow gauge (NG) travel, this time on one of only three NG lines that are still operated by French state operator SNCF, the only one that is not electrified – the Chemin de Fer du Blanc-Argent (B-A) in Central France.

Like the Vouga system in Portugal, the metre-gauge B-A is a rather remarkable survivor, and is also one which is not catering for primarily tourists, as do SNCF’s famous Train Jaune in the Pyrenees and the Mont-Blanc Express route from St. Gervais-les-Bains to Vallorcine and across the border to Martigny in Switzerland.

Continue reading “A remarkable SNCF metre-gauge survival in Central France”

Portugal was once home to a fine collection of narrow-gauge railways, but their ranks have sadly diminished over recent decades until the present day, when just one route remains to give travellers a small taste of once was a truly fantastic collection of scenic little railways.

That last surviving metre-gauge line is the Linha do Vouga, which extends in a 96km (60-mile) loop inland from the seaside town of Espinho, on the main line not far south of Porto, to its headquarters at Sernada do Vouga, then westwards to via the town of Águeda to another junction on the main line leading south from Porto at Aveiro.

Continue reading “A trip along Portugal’s last metre-gauge railway”

After a gap of more than six months while its one working main-line loco underwent an extensive overhaul, scheduled steam action resumed at Wolsztyn in Western Poland on Monday, 9 March 2026, when a weekday Wolsztyn-Zbaszynek round trip resumed, with the Saturdays-only Wolsztyn-Poznan service beginning two days earlier, on 7 March.

This follows a complete overhaul of Wolsztyn depot’s main line locomotive, Mikado (2-8-2) Pt47-65, which remains its only working big loco until the long-awaited return of another of its main line fleet, Ol49-69 (2-6-2), whose new boiler was completed last month (February 2026).

Continue reading “Daily steam services resume at Wolsztyn”

After my summer visit to the wonderful Douro Valley in Portugal it is time to pay a return visit to another delightful outpost of heritage rolling stock in Continental Europe and the one and only narrow gauge railway run by Bulgarian state operator BDZ, the Septemvri-Dobrinishte railway.

For the fourth time in four years I am back at Velingrad “Spa capital of the Balkans” to travel and photograph this remarkable 78-mile (125km) long 760mm (2’ 6”) gauge route that wends its way up from a main line junction on the Sofia-Plovdiv route to the renowned ski resort of Bansko, and terminates at Dobrinishte, a few miles further on.

Continue reading “Return to the Rhodope Mountains”

After all the sadness at Felletin, proof that rural railways in France can be revived comes when I travel from the now rail-less town to Limoges by bus, then head south by rail via Toulouse to a place south-west of Toulouse called Montréjeau-Gourdan-Polignan to sample a 36km (22½-mile) branch line to a ski resort called Luchon that re-opened to passengers on 22 June 2025, after being closed since November 2014.

The Occitanie région of France seems to have a rather different approach to rural railways to that prevailing in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and this eagerly-awaited re-opening, after a total investment of €67 million, is planned to be the first of a number of railway revivals across this part of southern France.

Continue reading “Branch line revival in SW France”

Shortly before 7.15pm on Sunday, 31 August 2025 the 143-year life of Felletin railway station was brought to an end when railcar X73810 drew into the station with train TER 868716 from Limoges Bénédictins, setting off numerous detonators as it drew in, and became the last ever passenger train to serve this attractive small town in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Central France.

Despite an energetic local campaign, with demonstrations, an anti-closure petition attracting more than 30,000 signatures and a visit by local dignitaries to meet political leaders in Paris, the scenic 33km (21-mile) branch line from a junction at Busseau-sur-Creuse, around 60 miles east of the city of Limoges, has gone the way of so many similar rural lines across France.

Continue reading “Final train to Felletin”

Imagine one of Europe’s most scenic railway lines, almost 100 miles in length, where virtually all services are worked by vintage British-designed diesel locos from the 1960s hauling equally-aged passenger coaches, with the added bonus of a seasonal weekend historical train along part of the route.

It may sound too good to be true, but this is the Douro Line in Portugal (Linha do Douro) which runs inland from Porto along the north bank – later crossing to the south bank – of the Douro River, and until a few years ago linked up a handful of remarkable narrow gauge railways that ran north from the Douro Line up picturesque tributary river valleys.

Continue reading “Vintage British diesels in the spectacular Douro Valley”