MTSZ
MTSZ térképportál
Turista Magazin
TuristaShop
Kéktúra
Gerecse50
A kéktúrázás napja
-
Kaszói State Forest RailwayPhoto: Abelovszky Tamás, Hungarian Hiking Association
The Kaszó State Forest Railway can be considered quite young compared to many others that have been operating for even a hundred years (as is common with forest railways). The Inner Somogy narrow-gauge railway built in the mid-1950s once helped transport the timber harvested from the surrounding forests, but today only tourists can enjoy the forest ride.
The narrow-gauge railway began construction in the mid-1950s, although it had a predecessor: a roughly 4-kilometer-long forest railway was established from nearby Somogyszob to the Kaszópuszta-Bördeci forest section between the two world wars. The construction of the Kaszó narrow-gauge railway was also driven by the need to transport harvested timber, as there were no forestry roads usable in the surrounding forests at that time.
After three years of construction, traffic started in 1955 with a C50-type diesel locomotive, initially on the Szenta-Nagyrinyapuszta line and the Bojsza-Kaszópuszta branch, where a locomotive shed was built at the Kaszó terminus, soon also housing a steam locomotive in 1957. The arrival of the steam locomotive was due to a windstorm that felled 40,000 cubic meters of wood that year; the Csillagpuszta line was built to approach the affected forest section. However, the C50 alone could not cope with the increased workload. The thick axle load of the steam locomotive was too heavy for the thin rails built on a sandy bed, so it was only in operation for a short time before being scrapped and dismantled.
In return, two more C50 motor locomotives arrived, and from 1961, passenger transport also started: besides forestry workers, tourists soon discovered the narrow-gauge railway. The three locomotives and 41 freight cars mainly transported harvested timber. After several line expansions, the longest route was about 20 kilometers before traffic declined after the Rinya line was dismantled in 1970.
Today, the track runs approximately 7.5 kilometers between Kaszó and Szenta, but scheduled trains only operate on the nearly 2-kilometer Kaszó-Baláta section. The two open and one closed carriages are pulled by one of the two remaining C50 locomotives. In 1997, Karácsony, a steam locomotive from Reșița, Romania, arrived at Kaszó, which operated for a few years from 1998 but is now only a display piece at the Kaszó terminus.
Stations:
*There is no scheduled service to Szenta station, but special trains can be ordered, and some notable days (e.g., Narrow-Gauge Railway Day) feature scheduled trains.
Prices (round trip):
- Full price: 2400 HUF
- Discounted (ages 3-14 and over 65): 1800 HUF
- Free for children under 3 years
- Dog ticket: 1000 HUF/dog
- Guided narrow-gauge railway tour: 10,000 HUF/group
Schedule:
The narrow-gauge railway operates every Saturday at 10:00 and 14:00 from May 1 to September 30.
The data are for informational purposes and reflect the status as of March 2025. Always check the provider’s website before arrival, and if you find any changes, please let us know!
Author’s recommendation
- Before or after your train ride, be sure to walk along the Tree Canopy educational trail near the Kaszó terminus!
- If you arrive with children, take time to explore the playground located at the Kaszó terminus!
- If you would like to travel the line all the way to Szenta, inquire at the railway operation office about when this is possible.
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
Track types
Show elevation profileSafety information
- When walking between railway tracks, never forget that special or maintenance trains can arrive at any time, and the forest surprisingly absorbs sound well. Always keep a safe distance: the widest vehicles can be up to 2.5 meters wide, so they extend about 70 cm on both sides from the rails, which can be even more in case of protruding loads or open doors.
- Never walk on the tracks near the switches and within a ten-meter radius; these areas are usually oily, the sleepers are slippery, and switches contain many parts that are tripping hazards, especially hidden at night or under snow.
- Never change a switch position: the weight lever can fall on your foot, the moving rail point can pinch others’ limbs, and trains approaching a wrongly set switch may have accidents even at very low speed.
- Keep a few meters of distance in front of or behind stationary vehicles when crossing tracks; trains or their locomotives can start moving without warning at any time.
- The track surface is slippery when wet, even if covered with a thin layer of rust.
Tips and suggestions
Schedule of the Kaszó Forest RailwayRoadbook
The small trains depart from the tidy Kaszó terminus on a relatively short route leading to Baláta, barely two kilometers away, through the Kaszó forest. “The Green Heart of Somogy” lies within the Transdanubian Hills region, belonging to the West-Inner-Somogy subregion, consisting mostly of flat sandy plains covering nearly 15,000 hectares of continuous forest with Kaszópuszta as its center.
The landscape, dissected by small streams (rinya), is home to wildlife renowned across Europe, including many protected animal and plant species. Riding the narrow-gauge railway from one educational trail to another offers a pleasant forest railway experience, and if you arrive on a day when the train goes all the way to Szenta, it’s worth spending some extra time on the trip.
Long straight sections are cut by curves, and if you have a keen eye, you might spot small or larger game in the forest (it’s worth peeking into the clearings, and there’s even a ditch beside the embankment where wild boars often shelter).
If the train runs only to the usual terminus at Baláta, you can walk along a 540-meter-long pier system to get a closer look at Lake Baláta, and bird-watching hides help you get nearer to the wildlife.
Multifunkcionális Ökoturisztikai Látogatócentrum (Kaszó)
Kaszói Vadaspark
Kaszói Állami Erdei Vasút (Kaszó állomás)
Kaszói Állami Erdei Vasút (Baláta megállóhely)
Kaszói Állami Erdei Vasút (Szenta állomás)
Public transport
- Kaszó is not accessible by public transportation; the nearest bus stop and railway station are located about 8 kilometers away in Somogyszob.
Get Timetable to destination
Parking
- Parking is available at the narrow-gauge railway’s parking lot.
Coordinates
Equipment
- To travel the narrow-gauge railway from end to end, you don’t need any special equipment, and since all cars are covered, you can manage without raincoats or umbrellas. In winter, heating is provided for passengers, so you won’t feel cold during travel; in summer, half-open observation cars also operate to ensure a more immersive experience.
- If you plan to walk along the railway tracks, you definitely need sturdy, closed shoes because of the crushed stone ballast.
Localization
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
User Questions