Zsuzsi Forest Railway (Debrecen)

Debrecen's narrow-gauge railway owes its existence to the city’s forests: transporting timber harvested from the forests around the county seat— an area growing continuously since the 13th-14th centuries—became increasingly difficult, so city officials decided in the early 1880s to build a forest railway. The railway, intended to explore the forests east of the city, was originally planned to run parallel to the main railway line leading towards Szatmárnémeti, ending at Vámospércs. Ultimately, an entrepreneur built the railway and started operating it in 1882. At that time, the 950 mm gauge track extended about 26 kilometers to the Gút forests on a sandy bed, laid on common branch and round timber “dog head” rails. The operation began with only one steam locomotive and 45 carriages—the locomotive was named Zsuzsi, from which the railway’s current name originates.

Of course, the rolling stock gradually expanded, but Zsuzsi served the forest railway until the 1961 reconstruction. The railway’s weak infrastructure caused many technical problems, but it kept operating reliably, serving numerous (temporary) branch lines reaching forest parts currently under harvesting. On one of the busier branch lines, Hungary’s first reinforced concrete and reinforced concrete structure bridge was built in 1903 above the railway leading to Szatmárnémeti.

From the 1920s, the railway was extended several times, reaching its furthest point, Nyírbéltek, in 1950. Passenger transport started in 1923 when city officials recognized that the scattered farms along the railway and residents of affected communities could significantly contribute to supplying Debrecen’s population with agricultural products. Additionally, the Gút forest became an increasingly popular excursion destination, which led to the construction of a shelter and a holiday house in 1933 (one of the line extensions is also thanks to this).

The increased traffic also justified introducing new vehicles, which meant modernization: in 1931, motorized traction was launched. The first motor coach, a four-axle vehicle, was assigned BCmot 101 and powered by a 60 HP Cadillac gasoline engine. (The second motor coach was built in 1936 but was already a two-axle vehicle.) The motor coaches’ permitted speed was 35 and 50 km/h, respectively.

Both freight and passenger traffic were very strong on the narrow-gauge railway, which was converted to 760 mm gauge in 1961, when the Mk48 locomotives arrived (previously, C50 locomotives had appeared during the 950 mm era), along with the then most common passenger (Bax type) and freight wagons (Jah, Gah series).

Nevertheless, the 1968 announced transport policy concept condemned this narrow-gauge railway to closure too. Despite public protests, the last supposed train ran on August 31, 1977. However, the Zsuzsi Railway became a pioneer railway: tracks between Hármashegyalja and Nyírbéltek were lifted, but 16.6 kilometers of track, three Mk48 locomotives, and 12 passenger cars remained, with operation taken over by Debrecen Transport Company.

The locomotives and passenger cars still operate today (two of them were already here in the 950 mm era), alongside a steam locomotive (394,023), a trackmaster’s railcar, the “Gebus,” the two-axle small locomotive, and many remaining freight wagons serving the narrow-gauge railway. Since 2005, the Zsuzsi Railway has been protected as a historical monument, and the track renewal was completed in 2020, so hopefully, the trains will keep rattling on it for the delight of children and adults alike for many years to come.

Stations:

• Debrecen-Fatelep
• Hétvezér*
• Ballatanya*
• Fancsika*
• Csereerdő*
• Erdészlak*
• Martinka*
• Sámsoni Road*
• Haláperdő*
• Hármashegyi Lake*
• Hármashegyalja terminus

The stops marked with * are conditional, meaning trains stop only if passengers indicate intention to board or alight.

Prices:

• Full-price ticket one way: 1200 HUF (round trip: 2400 HUF)
• Discounted ticket one way: 900 HUF (round trip: 1800 HUF); children up to 14 years, daytime students up to 26 years presenting a valid student ID, holders of international student ID, pensioners over 65 can purchase discounted tickets.
• Family ticket (round trip): 5800 HUF; valid for at least two children under 14 and their parents traveling together, including possibly children under 4 years.
• Free up to 4 years old
• Steam-hauled nostalgic full-price ticket one way: 1700 HUF
• Steam-hauled nostalgic discounted ticket one way: 1300 HUF
• Bicycle and dog ticket one way: 850 HUF

Timetable:

Trains run from May 1 to September 28, the current timetable is available on the narrow-gauge railway’s website.

The data is for informational purposes and reflects the situation as of March 2025. Always check the service provider’s website before arrival and let us know if you find discrepancies!