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Forest train
· Zselic
Zselici Csühögő (Almamellék narrow-gauge railway)
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Almamellék, forest railwayPhoto: Abelovszky Tamás, Hungarian Hiking Association
For more than a century, hidden among the gentle hills of the Zselic lies the "Zselici Csühögő", the Almamellék Forest Railway, which has served the area since 1901. Its uniqueness is that on its mere 600-millimeter gauge, scheduled passenger traffic has been running from the very beginning – nowadays mainly hikers and tourists use the narrow-gauge railway.
The beginning of the narrow-gauge railway's history is connected to the main railway: on November 9, 1900, the Kaposvár–Szigetvár railway line was opened to traffic, which had one of its stations at Almamellék. The then owner of the nearby forests, Rezső Biedermann, quickly saw the freight possibilities provided by the main line and had a narrow-gauge railway built between Almamellék station and what is now the vanished Németlukafa by the next year, 1901. The narrow-gauge railway mainly transported the harvested timber but also carried products of the Németlukafa bone fat stove and glassworks. Meanwhile, from the beginning, the narrow-gauge railway also transported the students of the school established by the baron in Sasrét.
As is typical of forest railways, new short branch lines were sometimes built next to the seven-kilometer main line, while some were dismantled according to the interests of forest management. For more than fifty years, horse traction dominated the gentle terrain; the first motor locomotive arrived from Kemence in 1955. The rolling stock continuously developed in the fifties and sixties – basically, the locomotives and wagons serving traffic today are those acquired then. During this period, the Almamellék Forest Railway received the still operating Csepel motor trolley, the first C50 type locomotive, and the passenger transport served by the then considered modern "Dunakeszi wagon."
The narrow-gauge railway's environment also constantly changed: the Sasrét school closed in 1970; on December 31, 1976, the last passenger train ran on the Kaposvár–Szigetvár line, causing a sharp decline in freight traffic (which ceased entirely in 1991); and the last resident left Lukafa in the early 1990s. The railway probably owes its survival to many hikers visiting the surrounding forests, the hunting castle at Sasrét operating as accommodation, and the Sasrét school reopening as a forest school. Today, trains run regularly only on the Sasrét line, but the track leading to Lukafa can still be used, and a special train can be ordered to the former village.
Stations:
- Almamellék station.
- Szentmártonpuszta stop.*
- Jámborka stop.*
- Lukafa junction*
- Forest school stop.
- Sasrét stop.
*: conditional stop
Prices:
- Adult single trip: 1200 HUF
- Adult round trip: 2400 HUF
- Child/pensioner single trip: 600 HUF
- Child/pensioner round trip: 1200 HUF
- Under 4 years old: free
Schedule:
Trains run on scheduled times between April 5 and October 26, 2025, on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays; the timetable is available on the narrow-gauge railway's website.
The information is indicative and reflects the status as of March 2025. Always check the provider’s website before arrival, and if you find discrepancies, please let us know!
Author’s recommendation
- The mainline station building at Almamellék has been beautifully renovated by Mecsekerdő Zrt., and currently a small museum operates there; it is worth spending time there before the train’s departure or after arrival.
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
Track types
Show elevation profileSafety information
- When walking between the railway tracks, do not forget that special trains or maintenance vehicles can arrive at any time, and the forest surprisingly provides excellent sound insulation. Always keep a safe distance: the widest vehicles can be 2.5 meters wide, which means 70 cm on each side from the rail, and there might be an overhanging load or an open door as well.
- Do not walk between tracks, on switches, or within ten meters of them: these areas are generally oily, the sleepers are slippery, and the switches contain many tripping hazards that can be hidden especially at night or under snow.
- Never operate switches: the counterweight can fall on your foot, the moving rails can pinch hands or feet, and a train coming on a wrongly set switch can cause an accident even at very low speed.
- Keep a few meters distance in front of or behind stationary vehicles when crossing tracks: the train or its locomotive can start moving at any time without warning.
- The surface of the rails is slippery when wet, even when covered with a thin layer of rust.
Tips and suggestions
Roadbook
Tickets for the train can be bought in the neat building of the Almamellék station – it's also worth taking the time to visit the small museum there. The platform is located on one wing of a delta track, but before boarding the train, a couple of interesting details can still be observed at the station. Of the three branches of the delta, one leads to the main line, while two serve access to an engine shed and a carriage shed respectively; around these buildings, vehicles not currently in operation can be seen. At the end of the platform, sharp-eyed visitors can spot a rare technical solution on Hungarian narrow-gauge railways, a so-called English switch.
After departure, the train first passes through a wooded area, then quickly reaches more open terrain. After a long curve, it soon chugs along in the wide valley bordered by the gentle hills of the Almás stream, pulled by a small C50 locomotive with open coaches in summer, and covered coaches in spring and autumn. On the well-kept shore of the Szentmárton fishpond, anglers wave to the little train as it continues towards Sasrét. After leaving the pond, the train passes under a substantial structure, the overpass of the road leading to Ibafa, then runs for a long stretch alongside the beds of dried-up ponds overgrown with reeds.
The route does not hold major excitements but is precisely worth visiting the Zselic region for the peace it offers. In the wide valley, the train suddenly turns left – the Lukafa junction stop is actually just a turnout, and the rails lead straight to Lukafa. A train heading in the turnout direction needs only a short time to reach first the Forest School (Kikerics) stop, then the terminus at Sasrét. Upon disembarking, visitors can view the nearby hunting castle, take the nature trail starting from beside the forest school, children can try out the playground next to the school, and the return trip can even be made on foot.
Zselici Csühögő (Szentmártonpuszta mh.)
Zselici Csühögő (Jámborka mh.)
Zselici Csühögő (Lukafai elágazás mh.)
Kikerics Erdészeti Erdei Iskola Ifjúsági Szállása, Sasrét
Zselici Csühögő (Erdei iskola mh.)
Biedermann Vadászkastély (Sasrét)
Zselici Csühögő (Sasrét mh.)
Public transport
- For intercity bus services, you must alight at the Almamellék, forest railway stop.
Get Timetable to destination
Directions
- The narrow-gauge railway Almamellék station is located about 100 meters from the Almamellék, forest railway stop.
Parking
- There is a parking lot where the former goods yard of the railway station was located, where you can park a car.
Coordinates
Author’s map recommendations
Equipment
- You don’t need any special equipment to travel the entire narrow-gauge railway route.
- If you plan a walk alongside the railway tracks, you definitely need strong, closed shoes because of the crushed stone ballast.
Localization
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
User Questions