Children's Railway Košice

Revitalization of the boarding and terminal station of the Children's Historical Railway.

The Košice Children's Railway was established in the 1950s and served for decades to educate young railway workers. It survived the crisis of the 1990s and the rescue of the steam locomotive Katka, thanks to which it came back to life. Today it is one of the city's unique attractions and could soon enter a new phase – architects are proposing its modernization with a cable car to the ZOO, a parking garage and the revitalization of the terminal stations.

The Košice Children's Railway Station was built between 1955 and 1956. Its construction was financed by the Ministry of Transport at the time, and it was the first recreational railway in the entire former Czechoslovakia. It was originally established as a pioneer railway and was used to educate and motivate young railway workers for several decades after its creation.
The 1990s were particularly critical for the railway, when it faced a loss of interest from volunteers who stopped participating in its operation. It was only reborn thanks to the reconstruction and restoration of the steam locomotive Katka during the time of Košice Mayor Rudolf Schuster.

From a pioneer railway to a historical treasure
Today, the operation of the Children's Railway Košice is financed mainly by the city of Košice. The line is operated by the civic association Children's Railway Košice in close cooperation with the city of Košice and private partners. The historic railway is classified as a category III national railway, designed to meet the transport needs of the city of Košice in the field of tourism during the summer season. Its line is currently 3.9 km long and the journey takes approximately 20 minutes.

The civic association Children's Railway Košice has been trying to put this remarkable structure on the tourist map of Košice for several years. Only relatively recently, proposals for the revitalization of the departure and arrival stations of the historic Children's Railway Košice have appeared. The project was published on its website by the architectural studio Atrium. The published visualizations indicate the possible future appearance of the Čermeľ and Alpinka stations.

Architects and their vision for Čermeľ
At the beginning of the project, the well-known architectural studio from Košice pointed out the main problematic points of the given area. Subsequently, it proposed several points that could contribute to improving the overall usability and urban quality of the given area.
Regarding the Čermeľ end station, the architects speak of the unused potential of the Čermeľský stream, of the insufficient dispersion area around the railway station, and of the poor transport solution of the given area. Furthermore, according to their own words, there are no zones for activities and relaxation in the given area, and they also consider the small parking lot to be inappropriate.

The new dominant feature of the area around Čermeľ station could be a three-storey garage on the site of the current parking lot. According to the published documents, the area around the station should be expanded with a connection to Čermeľský potok. The project also ensures the interconnection of existing green areas, a full-fledged solution for sidewalks and cycle paths, as well as the barrier-free nature of the entire area.

“The public space with greenery connected directly to the historic railway has a lenticular shape, which refers to the Main Square in the historic center of Košice. The dominant features of the square are transferred to the park as zones of activities and recreation,” the architects from the Atrium studio describe the main spatial concept on their website.

From a functional point of view, the surroundings of Čermeľ station will now be complemented by a chess park, fountain, relaxing green oasis, children's playground, multifunctional playground, skate park, barbecue gazebo and workout areas. A historic locomotive will be exhibited near the station and a residential staircase will be added with the possibility of crossing the stream into the forest.

The cable car at Alpinka and lots of greenery
The published visualizations show a garage with a compact floor plan and a subtle facade complemented by climbing greenery. The roof of the building will also be used, on which a pair of playgrounds and residential stairs will be created.

In addition to the Čermeľská station, the project also solves the problems of the existing Alpinka station and its wider surroundings. In this case too, the architects point to the unused potential of the Čermeľský stream as a recreational zone, unused green areas, and the low level of civic amenities at the station itself.

Thanks to the proposal, new relaxation zones should be added to the site, a pavilion as a dignified place for the exhibited locomotive, complemented by an outdoor museum, and new attractions for children. A more daring variant of the proposal also considers building a cable car to the Hrešná chalet with a terminal station at the Košice zoo. The construction of a transfer hub between the railway and the cable car would also expand the civic amenities in the given location.

Currently, the Čermeľ and Alpinka terminal stations are functional, but in terms of tourist potential and urban planning, they do not use all their possibilities. The project of their modernization would bring not only increased comfort for visitors, but also the creation of an attractive public space for the inhabitants of the city of Košice. The implementation of the proposed changes could thus significantly contribute to the development of tourism, strengthening the recreational function