Some people think that children railway is just a toy, a little steam engine and cars with a remote control. It is not really true. Children railway is a narrow-gauge line with real trains and stations. Children in the age of 9-15 years old work on the railway as machinists, train-drivers, conductors and so forth. All summer long, supervised by experienced professionals, they drive trains, take care of the cars and transport passengers. All year long children study the basic principles of railway functioning and hone their skills of working on the railway, so that in summer they could demonstrate their abilities and acquirements.

If you have a passion for trains then you simply have to visit the Kiev Children’s Railway in Ukraine. This unique and dynamic project provides youths in the country with the chance of a lifetime – the chance to conduct and work on a real-life steam train!

Located in Sirez Park, the Children’s Railway in the magnificent city of Kiev is often misunderstood to be a gimmick – a remote-controlled steam engine that has been created purely for touristic purposes. But this is not remotely true. Perhaps the reason so many people think this is because this little narrow-gauge line is left in the capable hands of educated 9-15 year old children. Of course, their efforts are supervised by experienced professionals, but essentially it is the children who work on the trains during the summer holidays as mechanics, conductors and train-drivers.

The Kiev Children’s Railway is essentially one of the best learning tools ever created. During the year children work hard at their studies in order to learn as much as they can so that they can apply that information during their work on the railway during the school holidays. Then, when the school books are finally put away the children are allowed to take charge of noteworthy tasks such as driving the trains, transporting passengers, connecting train cars and more. The training is so enjoyable and logical that many of the children taking part in this process later go on to work in the railway industry.

If you visit Sirez Park during the summer months you’ll find that a ride on this little train is the perfect way to enjoy the wonders of the park. Located on the banks of the Sirez River which joins onto the Dnepr River, the park is a peaceful sanctuary in a busy city. Its history goes back at least as far as 1381! The Kiev Children’s Railway circumnavigates the park and consists of 2.8 kilometres of narrow-gauge line though originally it was a whopping 8 kilometres long. It was constructed in 1953, took three years to build and is not connected to main railway lines. The railway passes through a forest, dwellings, a recovery hospital, a ravine, a bridge, the Pioneer’s platform and two stations called Yablonka (Apple Tree) and Vishenka (Cherry Tree). Visitors will find it opens on May 2 and closes on the last Sunday of August, running from 11:00 to 16:00 daily. The average trip takes just 10 minutes and is a real treat!

Children railway line runs for several kilometers and doesn't adjoin the main railway line of the country. Usually such railways are used not for public transportation, but as attractions and traveling along parks and rest zones. Still, children railway station is a very good school for kids. When they grow up, many of them continue working on the railway.

Kiev children railway is located in the Sirez Park, a cozy and picturesque place of the city. The Sirez Park was named after the Sirez River that flows into the Dnepr. Sirez was first mentioned in chronicles in 1381: it used to be a village presented by Prince Vladimir Olgerdovitch to the Dominican monastery. In the first half of the 19th century Sirez became a part of Kiev. It was a farmland that gradually turned into the place for Kiev garrison summer camps quartering and military aerodrome. During the World War II Sirez became a tragically known concentration camp, where the Nazi kept their prisoners. Nowadays Sirez is a housing estate with a beautiful green park in the middle. Children railway functions in the park and consists of Pioneers' platform and two stations, Yablonka and Vishenka, which mean Apple tree and Cherry tree.

Kiev children railway was built in 1953. It took three years to construct it: originally it passed through the vacant lot near Babiy Yar and was 8 kilometers long. After some time it was shortened and became just 2,8 kilometers long. There is an additional line that passes through the forest in the middle of the park and serves for the trains' turns. Soon the locomotive depot will be built, so that the trains will be protected from precipitations and vandals' loots.

The circular line of the railway passes through the dwelling houses, well-room, hospital and ravine. The route boasts a grand construction, which is the bridge through the ravine. Its length is about 100 meters, and its height equals 20 meters. In 2001 the railway was reconstructed and repaired. Now each trip by railway train takes about 10 minutes. The season starts on May 2 and ends on the last Sunday of August. The railway functions from 11:00 till 16:00.