Saxony's narrow-gauge railways take a long break in November!

Saxony's narrow-gauge railways take a long break in November!

In Saxony, the narrow-gauge railways are about to take a break. From November 4, 2025 until the end of the month, leading railways such as the Fichtelbergbahn, the Lößnitzgrundbahn and the Weißeritztalbahn will stop their services in order to carry out necessary maintenance work. How Sächsische.de reported that the steam locomotives are completely out of service during this time. The decision to take a break was also made due to savings measures that will last until the first weekend of Advent.

The affected railways are:

• Fichtelbergbahn (Cranzahl – Oberwiesenthal)
• Lößnitzgrundbahn (Radebeul – Moritzburg – Radeburg)
• Weißeritztalbahn (Freital – Dippoldiswalde – Kurort Kipsdorf)
• Zittauer Schmalspurbahn

Maintenance and training

This business interruption is not only a question of savings, but also a necessary time for maintenance work and the training of new personnel. The narrow-gauge railways are taking advantage of the opportunity to bring routes and vehicles up to date. For example, the exchange of sleepers between Hammerunterwiesenthal and Oberwiesenthal is pending, which is estimated to cost around 100,000 euros.

It is particularly worth mentioning that the November months are traditionally considered the weakest time for the railways, which are largely frequented by tourists. MDR.de highlights that due to low demand, operations are often suspended during this time.

Financial constraints and implications

Apart from the ordered breaks, the narrow-gauge railways are also struggling with financial bottlenecks. The Saxon State Ministry for Infrastructure and Regional Development has slightly reduced the funding for these railways in the 2025/26 double budget. How Eisenbahn.de reported, funding will be reduced from 14 million euros to 8 million euros by 2026. This drastic cut brings with it numerous challenges.

Döllnitzbahn GmbH plans, among other things, to reduce its diesel and steam traffic by 10 percent in 2025 and 12 percent in 2026. The Saxon-Upper Lusatian Railway Company also has to accept restrictions, especially on the Zittau – Bertsdorf – Kurort Oybin/Kurort Jonsdorf route, where operations will be suspended on several days of the week. These and many other measures are the result of the Saxon government's strict austerity measures.

Under these circumstances, it will not be easy for the regional narrow-gauge railways to continue to provide an attractive offer for their guests in the future. The coming weeks are likely to be crucial in determining how the fate of these historic railways will develop.