On 19 July 1906, an inaugural train ran the length of the Bohinj Railway (Bohinjska proga) for the first time, with Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, on board. Exactly 120 years later, this single-track line remains one of Europe's great rail journeys: 28 tunnels, 5 galleries, 65 bridges, Slovenia's longest railway tunnel and the largest stone arch railway bridge in the world. I rode the anniversary steam train in June 2026 — here is the line's story, and how to travel it yourself in 2026.
The Bohinj Railway at a glance
- Opened: 19 July 1906, by Archduke Franz Ferdinand
- Length: 144 km from Jesenice to Trieste, of which 89 km from Jesenice to Gorizia is the Bohinj line proper
- Structures: 28 tunnels (16.1 km combined), 5 galleries, 65 bridges — and 11 crossings of the Bača river alone
- World record: the Solkan Bridge, with an 85 m stone arch
- Today's journey: Jesenice to Nova Gorica in 1 h 50 to 2 h, roughly 5 to 7 trains a day
- Fare: €7.70 one-way Jesenice–Nova Gorica in 2nd class; €14 return, valid across the whole network
- Unusual feature: the line is still not electrified, and a car shuttle train carries vehicles through the Bohinj tunnel
The 120th anniversary steam train
For its 120th birthday, the line got its steam back. On 20 and 21 June 2026, Slovenske železnice and the Railway Museum ran a museum train between Bohinjska Bistrica, Most na Soči and Nova Gorica, hauled by a century-old steam locomotive with restored heritage carriages. I was there — the video below was filmed at Most na Soči station.
Both days departed Bohinjska Bistrica at 09:27, returning from Nova Gorica in the early afternoon. Tickets were sold one-way — accordion music, local food and a dining car on board — and included a free return on regular SŽ trains, a smart arrangement that lets you linger in Nova Gorica or the Soča valley. Advertised fares were €70 per adult and €40 for children aged 6 to 14.
Will steam run again in 2026? At the time of writing, no dates were confirmed beyond 21 June 2026. Slovenske železnice has said it intends to run themed museum trains through the year, including a Christmas train in December, but no calendar has been published. The full spring programme ran on 23 and 24 May, 31 May and 6 June (Bohinjska Bistrica–Bled Jezero), then 13, 14, 20 and 21 June through to Nova Gorica. Watch the museum train page — that is where dates appear first.
19 July 1906: an imperial opening
The Bohinj Railway was not built for local convenience but for imperial ambition. It is the central link in the Neue Alpenbahnen, the programme through which Austria-Hungary gave itself a second — and shorter — axis than the Südbahn between Vienna, Prague and the great port of Trieste. The whole Prague–Jesenice–Gorizia–Trieste corridor runs to 717 km. The Austrian parliament approved the project on 6 June 1901; expropriations were completed in November 1902.
The opening, first planned for November 1905, slipped because of trouble finishing the Bukovo tunnel. On 19 July 1906, a court train finally left Jesenice for Trieste carrying Archduke Franz Ferdinand — the man whose assassination in Sarajevo would, eight years later, trigger the First World War. Slovenian sources place the formal ceremony at Bohinjska Bistrica station. The inaugural train crossed the Solkan Bridge, which shares the same official opening date.
The effect was immediate. Before 1914, up to 70 train sets a day from Prague, Munich and Vienna used the route, and Trieste to Jesenice took 4 hours — a time today's regular service still does not beat.
An extraordinary construction site
Behind the achievement lay a vast undertaking. 14,897 workers laboured on the line, drawn from across the empire and neighbouring countries — Italians, Czechs and Croats in particular. Stonecutters, carpenters, navvies and animal handlers were housed in barracks and rented rooms, with hospitals, smithies and workshops built on site. The Bohinj tunnel went to the Friulian contractor Giacomo Ceconi, while the rest of the route was split into nine lots between Vienna's Redlich and Berger and Gorizia's Sard, Lenassi & Co..
The human cost is still not settled. War memorials name 43 victims at Bohinjska Bistrica and 12 at Podbrdo — about 55 deaths on the tunnel alone — while other sources put the toll above 100. Parish registers around Podbrdo show a sharp mortality spike in 1904–05 among foreign workers, from accidents as much as from disease and poor sanitation. The cost is estimated at around twenty million kronen, of which 1.1 million went on the Solkan Bridge alone.
The engineering, by the numbers
| Structure | Key figures |
|---|---|
| Total length | 144 km Jesenice–Trieste, of which 89 km Jesenice–Gorizia |
| Tunnels | 28, totalling 16.1 km |
| Galleries | 5 |
| Bridges and viaducts | 65 |
| Bača river | crossed 11 times |
| Bohinj tunnel | 6,327 m — the longest in Slovenia |
| Solkan Bridge | 219.7 m long, 85 m arch — a world record in stone |
| Ruling gradient | 26 ‰ (2.6 %) |
The Bohinj tunnel (Bohinjski predor) is the masterwork: 6,327 m under Mt Kobla, between Bohinjska Bistrica and Podbrdo. Attacked from both ends by hand from 1901, then mechanically from 1903 using two power stations built for the purpose, it was broken through on 31 May 1904 — Archduke Leopold Salvator fired the final charge himself, joining Upper Carniola to the Littoral. The work battled water inrushes, gas and freezing rock. It measured 6,339 m originally, losing about a dozen metres in 1945 when retreating German troops blew the northern portal.
The Solkan Bridge, spanning the Soča just before Nova Gorica, is the line's other monument: 219.7 m long, an 85 m arch standing 36 m above the water, in dressed Aurisina stone. It remains the largest stone arch railway bridge ever built — quite simply because everything after it was built in reinforced concrete. Designed at 80 m and in steel, it was ultimately built in stone and lengthened to 85 m because of poor ground on the left bank. Austrian troops destroyed it in August 1916 with 930 kg of Ecrasite during the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo; Italy rebuilt it in stone, setting 4,533 numbered blocks in a little over three months, and it reopened on 8 August 1927.
The line today: stations and scenery
The route is unchanged. From north to south, the stations run:
- Jesenice → Kočna → Vintgar → Podhom → Bled Jezero → Bohinjska Bela → Nomenj → Bohinjska Bistrica
- then the Bohinj tunnel → Podbrdo → Hudajužna → Grahovo ob Bači → Podmelec → Most na Soči
- finally Avče → Kanal → Anhovo → Plave → Solkan → Nova Gorica, and beyond to Prvačina → Sežana
A common mistake: Lesce-Bled, Radovljica and Podnart are not on the Bohinj Railway — they belong to the Ljubljana–Jesenice main line. For Lake Bled, the Bohinj line's station is Bled Jezero, right by the lake.
Four stretches are worth putting your phone down for: the shelf above Lake Bled between Podhom and Bohinjska Bela; the descent of the Baška grapa from Podbrdo to Most na Soči, the wildest section, with its eleven Bača crossings, tunnels and viaducts; the Soča canyon from Most na Soči to Plave; and the finale across the Solkan Bridge. In 2026, Lonely Planet ranked the journey among Europe's ten most scenic train rides.
Riding the line in 2026: fares and practicalities
This is probably the best scenery-per-euro in Slovenia. The line is operated by Slovenske železnice with diesel local trains — it has never been electrified, and regular steam ended in 1974.
| Journey | Duration | 2nd class fare |
|---|---|---|
| Jesenice → Nova Gorica | 1 h 50 – 2 h | €7.70 one-way |
| Return over 80 km | — | €14 (valid across the whole SŽ network) |
| Bohinjska Bistrica → Most na Soči | ~35 min | €3.10 |
| Bohinjska Bistrica → Podbrdo (tunnel) | 8 – 10 min | — |
| Bicycle | — | €1.50 (e-bike €3) |
The tip worth knowing: beyond 80 km, a return is sold as a flat €14 network pass — barely €6 more than a one-way, but valid across the entire Slovenian network that day. Expect roughly 5 to 7 trains a day each way, fewer at weekends. The fares above come from the official SŽ tariff; since a passenger fare revision was announced for 1 July, check current prices at potniski.sz.si before you travel.
Which side should you sit on? You will often read that one side is better. In practice the line crosses the Bača eleven times and keeps switching banks, so both sides get their share. Trains are lightly loaded — get up and change windows.
The car shuttle: through the tunnel with your vehicle
A rarity in Europe: a car shuttle train carries vehicles between Bohinjska Bistrica, Podbrdo and Most na Soči, with some services continuing to Nova Gorica. You stay in your car for the crossing. It is the historic shortcut between the Julian Alps and the Soča valley, and it saves either the Vršič pass or the long detour via Idrija.
- Price: €14 Bohinjska Bistrica–Most na Soči, €9.10 Bohinjska Bistrica–Podbrdo (car plus driver)
- Vehicle limits: 3 m high, 2.4 m wide, 10 t maximum
- Loading: closes 10 min before departure (15 min at Nova Gorica)
- Bikes: the passenger coach offers 36 seats and 30 bike spaces
Full details — timetables, platforms and how loading works — are in our dedicated guide to the Bohinj car train to the Soča valley.
The locomotive: 25-026
The engine on the anniversary runs is SŽ 25-026, built in 1920 at the Lokomotivfabrik Floridsdorf in Vienna. Descended from the Austrian kkStB class 270, it has carried three identities as borders moved: BBÖ 270.164, then FS 728.028 under Italian administration, and finally 25-026 in Yugoslavia and then Slovenia. It is a 1'D (2-8-0) with 13 bar boiler pressure, 1,258 mm driving wheels and a top speed of 60 km/h. The plates I photographed give a length of 17.45 m and 109.9 t in service, locomotive and tender together.
It carries the name “Jeklena peč” — literally “the steel stove” — on its side. In the interest of honesty: this nickname, clearly displayed on the machine, does not appear in any documentary source I could find, and is most likely recent or given by the footplate crews.
Its return to steam is very recent. Withdrawn after 2019, it was restored over hundreds of hours of work — including a boiler inspection and re-licensing of the drivers — before a test run from Ljubljana to Kamnik on 5 December 2025 and a return to service on the Christmas trains at the end of December 2025. A neat coincidence: this same locomotive hauled the jubilee train on the Sežana–Trieste section in 1977, for the 120th anniversary of the Ljubljana–Trieste line. It is based at the Railway Museum in Ljubljana, Parmova 35, and is one of five surviving class 25 machines in Slovenia.
1915–1917: the line and the Isonzo Front
Ten years after its opening, the Bohinj Railway became an artery of war. From 1915 civilian traffic ceased entirely and the line passed under military command, becoming the principal supply route for the northern sector of the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army on the Isonzo Front. Materiel arrived by rail at Bohinjska Bistrica, went on to Ukanc by narrow-gauge military railway, and reached the front by porters and cableways. At night, trains ran without lights to escape Italian artillery.
From the Sixth Italian offensive in August 1916, shelling forced convoys to terminate at Grahovo ob Bači. The Solkan Bridge was blown that same month. After the war, the Rapallo border placed the whole line inside Italy; only the 1947 Paris peace treaty returned most of it to Yugoslavia, and the Kreplje–Sežana connecting spur was built between 1945 and 1948 to bypass Gorizia and Trieste.
Modernisation: a bittersweet anniversary
The 120th anniversary is being marked against a backdrop of unkept promises. The upgrade was split into three lots, and only the first has begun, in October 2025: roughly 12 km between Bled Jezero, Bohinjska Bela and Nomenj — track renewal, repairs to the Bled, Sedlo, Bela and Oberne tunnels, and work on bridges and retaining walls. The original plan promised the entire Jesenice–Bohinjska Bistrica section and seven stations by 2024–25. Lots 2 and 3 and all station renovations are deferred with no date, “depending on available financial resources”.
Bohinj's mayor, Jože Sodja, makes no secret of his disappointment: “As mayor and as a citizen, I am disappointed that they will not deliver what they promised.” Tourism operators, for their part, are pressing for the capacity needed for an hourly service, which they see as essential to handle Julian Alps visitor numbers. Electrification, meanwhile, sits at the back of the national queue.
Ethnologist Karla Kofol, of the Tolmin Museum, argues that the line — as the second Vienna–Trieste axis — deserves to be listed and protected as a single integral monument, which it still is not.
What to see along the line
- Bled Jezero: the station for Lake Bled — walkable to the western shore, with Vintgar gorge close by (Podhom and Vintgar halts)
- Bohinjska Bistrica: gateway to Lake Bohinj and Triglav National Park, 6 km away — Savica waterfall, Vogel cable car
- Most na Soči: the Tolmin gorges, the lake and its boat trips from May to September, plus Kobarid and the Walk of Peace by bus
- Kanal and Anhovo: the canyon of the Soča and Kanal's famous bridge
- Nova Gorica: the viewpoint over the Solkan Bridge, with the vineyards of Goriška Brda within reach
Without a car, the Bohinj Railway is the backbone of any trip to the region: our guide to the Soča valley without a car sets out the bus and shuttle connections from Ljubljana, and our overview of public transport in the Julian Alps fills in the rest.
Frequently asked questions about the Bohinj Railway
How old is the Bohinj Railway?
The Bohinj Railway opened on 19 July 1906 and turned 120 on 19 July 2026. It was built by Austria-Hungary as a second rail axis between Vienna, Prague and the port of Trieste.
How long is the Bohinj Railway?
The figure usually quoted is 144 km, but that is the distance from Jesenice to Trieste. The Bohinj line proper, from Jesenice to Gorizia, is 89 km; the Karst line covers the rest. Along the way there are 28 tunnels, 5 galleries and 65 bridges, and the Bača river is crossed eleven times.
How much does the train cost?
About €7.70 one-way in 2nd class between Jesenice and Nova Gorica, and €3.10 between Bohinjska Bistrica and Most na Soči. Beyond 80 km, returns are sold as a flat €14 pass valid across the whole Slovenian network for the day. Bicycles cost €1.50 (€3 for an e-bike).
Is the steam train still running in 2026?
The 120th anniversary runs took place in spring 2026, the last of them on 20 and 21 June between Bohinjska Bistrica, Most na Soči and Nova Gorica. No dates beyond that were confirmed at the time of writing, though Slovenske železnice has announced themed museum trains during the year and a Christmas train in December. Dates are published on the Slovenian Railway Museum's website.
Can you take your car on the train?
Yes. The car shuttle runs through the Bohinj tunnel between Bohinjska Bistrica, Podbrdo and Most na Soči, with some services continuing to Nova Gorica. A car and driver cost €14 from Bohinjska Bistrica to Most na Soči. Vehicles must be no more than 3 m high, 2.4 m wide and 10 t, and occupants stay on board for the journey.
Which is the most scenic section?
The descent of the Baška grapa between Podbrdo and Most na Soči: the wildest stretch, where the line crosses the Bača eleven times through a succession of tunnels and viaducts. The shelf above Lake Bled and the Soča canyon down to the Solkan Bridge complete the podium.
Is the Solkan Bridge really a world record?
Yes. With its 85 m arch, it is the largest stone arch railway bridge ever built — reinforced concrete took over immediately afterwards. It is 219.7 m long and stands 36 m above the Soča. Destroyed by Austrian troops in August 1916, it was rebuilt in stone by Italy and reopened on 8 August 1927.
Going further
To plan a trip around the line, continue with our guide to the Bohinj car train, our comparison of Bled and Bohinj and our guide to where to stay at Lake Bled.
Patrick Faust
French expat in Slovenia since 2004. Founder of e-Slovénie, a Slovenia travel guide. Learn more →