The real railway children

“TICKETS, please,” says the inspector as she makes her way through the carriages. The fair-haired girl, aged about ten, in a smart blue uniform, checked neck scarf and cap, scrutinises my ticket, stamps it and returns it with a smile.

On the platform a boy of about the same age blows a whistle and waves a red flag, signalling to the driver of the steam train to set off. As we chug out of the station, a tall thin boy stands to attention outside the stationmaster’s office and salutes.

I have just met the real railway children and am riding on what has been tagged “the greatest child toy in the world”.

Founded by the Communists in 1949 as a young pioneers’ project, the 11km (6.8 miles) narrow-gauge Children’s Railway runs through the forest of the Buda hills in the west of Budapest. Between 40 and 70 children aged between 10 and 14 control the stations and daily traffic on the line, which is run strictly to the rules of the Hungarian State Railways.

The children are supervised by adult rail employees but operate the switches and signals, print tickets, and look after passengers on their own. Only the diesel and steam engines are driven by adult engineers.

“My brother was one of the railway children and loved it,” says Andrea Peto, our guide. “Only bright children who are doing well at school get the opportunity to join the railway because they miss one day’s schooling every fortnight. But they are taught how to behave and take responsibility. There are about 500 children altogether running the service.”

The non-profit railway is now funded by a foundation and operates throughout the year, except on Mondays between September and April.

In summer the children are on duty from 9am to 7pm and in winter until 5pm. In the school holidays they live in wooden summer houses on site and work one day on with two days off.

Our circular tour of the line lasts about 35-40 minutes and takes us uphill through a national park, where foxes, deer and wild boar can be seen sometimes from the windows of the train.

Children who want to enjoy an adventure in the style of Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven can alight at stations along the line and walk the forest footpaths, climb lookout towers, take a chairlift, explore the ruins of a medieval monastery or visit a game reserve.

Back at the station there is a museum recalling the fascinating history of the railway children. It includes fading photographs of the original young pioneers, stories written in their own hand and a collection of newspaper cuttings and memorabilia.

Visitors can reach the children’s railway by catching a number 56 tram to Szechenyi-hegy station from Moszkva ter, the centre of the Buda side of Budapest, changing over to a cogwheel railway at Varosmajor (Fogaskereku Vasut stop).