Slovakia/Slovenia trip?

[7414DA]

Afternoon all,

I’m looking at a potential trip to Slovakia and Slovenia, mainly for a bit of bashing. Does anyone know of any good routes/diesel locomotive haulage out there?

I believe Slovenia is mostly modern(ish) DMUs, however Slovakia may produce some half interesting trips.

Cheers in advance for any gen!

 

[StephenHunter]

Is Vienna-Marchegg-Bratislava still loco-hauled? I know they're wiring and doubling it.

 

[43096]

Is Vienna-Marchegg-Bratislava still loco-hauled? I know they're wiring and doubling it.

Yes - it’s still ÖBB 2016s.

 

[7414DA]

Is Vienna-Marchegg-Bratislava still loco-hauled? I know they're wiring and doubling it.

As far as I’m aware, yes. I believe it’s still in the hands of ÖBB 2016, for now.

 

[30907]

Slovakia:
top of the list is the 2x daily (and slow) mountain line Banska Bystrica-Brezno-Margecany(-Kosice). (I would always check out http://sledovani.55p.cz/ (takes some getting used to!) as they occasionally substitute a DMU, which is a much less pleasant experience.)
Zvolen-Banska B-Vrutky is even more scenic but tends to be air-conditioned stock, ditto the lengthy Zvolen-Kosice and Bratislava-Prievidza and shorter Kosice-Humenne routes.
Note that ZSSK are replacing hauled stock with DMU steadily, so go sooner rather than later!
The Magistral (main line) from about Zilina to Poprad on the edge of the High Tatra is pretty scenic and has loads of freight, but is electric.

In Slovenia, the Jesenice-Bled Jezero-Nova Gorica-Sezana line is well worth doing, DMU plus the famous Alpine car carrier (with a passenger coach).

 

[AdamWW]

Slovakia:
top of the list is the 2x daily (and slow) mountain line Banska Bystrica-Brezno-Margecany(-Kosice).

I would certainly second giving that one a go.

The Magistral (main line) from about Zilina to Poprad on the edge of the High Tatra is pretty scenic and has loads of freight, but is electric.

And if you have time, you can do a little detour by stopping off at Strba (where they take off banking engines from long freights, or at any rate did not so long ago), get the rack railway (only one in Slovakia) up towards the mountains then a narrow gauge train to Poprad. Quite a scenic trip ever since the big storm that took down lots of the trees that the line used to run through. (And all run by ZSSK).

 

[Austriantrain]

As far as I’m aware, yes. I believe it’s still in the hands of ÖBB 2016, for now.

It is and will be for quite a while. Electrification of the Slovak line is not expected before sometimes in 2024 (there are plans to run railjet services over this line starting in autumn 2024). On the Austrian part, the class 2016 will soon run entirely under the wire, though.