Gulbene–Alūksne Railway
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The Gulbene—Alūksne railway line is a narrow-gauge 750 mm railway that connects the cities of Gulbene and Alūksne . This is the only narrow-gauge railway line in the Baltic States with regular passenger services.[1] Nowadays, the line is operated by SIA "Gulbenes-Alūksnes bānītis". Until 2010, the line ran 3 pairs of trains per day, but from February 2010, the morning trip was cancelled.[2] On previously announced dates, the train travels with the steam locomotive "Ferdinands".[3] Since 2000, a Bānītis festival has been organized on the Gulbene–Alūksne line on the first weekend of September to promote the train.
History
[edit]The origins of the line can be traced back to 1903, when construction of the Pļaviņas–Valka railway line began. During the 1905 Revolution, in December 1905, this railway line was temporarily taken under control by revolutionary fighters.
The section from Pļaviņas to Gulbene was converted into a broad-gauge railway line from 1915 to 1916, though the Gulbene-Valka line remained narrow-gauge. Since active hostilities took place in this region during the war, the railway suffered seriously. Train traffic was restored on March 15, 1920 on the Gulbene - Alūksne section , and on September 6, 1921, traffic was also restored on the section to Valka. World War II also brought losses and damage to the Latvian Railway. After the war, traffic was restored from Gulbene to Ape, and later also to Valga, because the railway junction in Valka was not restored. In 1970, the section from Ape to Valga was closed, and in 1973, the line was further truncated from Ape to Alūksne. In 1984, the remaining railway section was granted the status of a technical monument.
Bānīša Land
[edit]Since 2019, the territory crossed by the Gulbene – Alūksne railway line has been called "Bānīša Land" in tourism offers. 6 nature-marked cycling routes have been created in the territory, which begin or end at one of the line's stations or stopping points and allow you to combine a cycling trip with a trip on a narrow-gauge train, or Bānītis. The history and significance of the line for local residents can be learned in a multimedia exhibition at the Alūksne Bānīša Station . Special viewing points have been set up for watching the train in Stāmeriena and on Pullānas Hill near Alūksne.
Stations
[edit]Gallery
[edit]-
Train at Alūksne station -
Steam locomotive at the water tower at Papardes station -
Railway line Gulbene—Alūksne in the Kalniena—Dunduri section -
Restored steam locomotive Gr-319 "Ferdinands" -
Train on the line -
Narrow gauge train at Alūksne station -
Steam locomotive "Ferdinands" at Gulbene station -
Train schedule on the Gulbene—Alūksne line in 1979 [4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Gulbenes - Alūksnes Mazbānītis :: Vidzemes reģ. :: Vietas.lv". Vietas.lv - Latvijas ceļvedis, Latvijas karte, pilsētas, rajoni, tūrisma un citi interesanti objekti, pasākumi. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
- ^ "Gulbenes – Alūksnes mazbānītis no rītiem vairs nebrauks". Kasjauns.lv (in Latvian). 2010-01-31. Archived from the original on 2016-03-24. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
- ^ "Likvidē Gulbenes – Alūksnes 'bānīša' brīvdienu reisu". www.delfi.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2025-02-15.
- ^ 1. Pasažieru vilcienu kustības saraksts (saīsināts) 1979. g., Rīga:, Transports, 1979.
External links
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