Can children operate trains?

The Gyermekvasút (Children’s Railway) in Budapest is a unique 7-mile rail line operated by children aged 10-14, with only the train driver being an adult.

Considered one of Budapest’s most charming attractions, the Children’s Railway features ticket offices, diesel locomotives, signals, switches, and a timetable. The line winds through the scenic Buda hills from Széchenyihegy to Hűvösvölgy, crossing the Cogwheel Railway and serving Normafa, as well as Budapest’s highest point, Jánoshegy.

During Hungary's communist era, the Pioneer Railway near Budapest gave children the chance to help run their own train service. Now renamed the Children's Railway, it's attracting a new generation of young volunteers -- and former Young Pioneers, once a communist youth movement, are returning, too, for what are called "nostalgia days."

Cover picture: The sun sets in Budapest's train station