A commemorative train ride between Gornja Radgona and Ljutomer

131 years and a week after the opening of the line, a commemorative train ride between Gornja Radgona and Ljutomer

15. in October 1890, the railway line Radgona‒Ljutomer was ceremonially opened, the first railway line in the area of today's Pomurje.

"On that day, a decorated celebratory train drove along it, stopping at all the stations. The central ceremony was held in Ljutomer. The ceremonial train with guests of honor, including the Minister of Trade Marquis Bachquehem, the Styrian Governor Count Wurmbrand and the Imperial Viceroy Baron Kübeck, arrived at the Ljutomer railway station at 11:40. The guests were awaited by 30 carriages, with which they drove through the streets decorated with flags and greenery to the Main Square. There was a big tent and in it the ceremony for the opening of the track. The track was 25,450 meters long. There were seven railway stations and stops on it: Radgona, Gornja Radgona, Slatina Radenci, Hrastje - Mota, Bučečovci, Križevci and Ljutomer. The most important object on the route was a steel bridge with a rod structure over the Mura between Radgona. It consisted of two partial structures, each 55.5 m long and weighing 114,504 kg. The more important buildings on the route were the 8 m long steel bridge in Radenci and the flood bridge in Gornja Radgona." (Jurij Štesl, 130 years of Pomurskih železnik, Pomurski muzej, 2021, pp. 7, 8; the exhibition is on view in the Špital museum until June 2022)

We will revive the story of this line on Saturday, October 23, on a train that will run from Ljutomer to Gornja Radgona and back, and again to Ljutomer and back.

The European Parliament declared 2021 the European Year of Railways with the aim of promoting an environmentally friendly mode of transport and achieving climate neutrality. Pora, the development agency Gornja Radgona, together with Slovenske železnice, the municipalities Gornja Radgona and Ljutomer and the company Radgonske gorice are thus celebrating the anniversary (due to the epidemic a little later) and the European Year of Railways with a commemorative ride, intended primarily for the citizens of both municipalities and the surrounding area. Passengers will also receive a commemorative gift for which companies have contributed.

There are many reasons for driving, from reminiscing to letting the youngest know how they used to drive, and some of them were presented at today's press conference at Dom penine in Gornja Radgona:

dr. Milan Svetec, director of the development agency Pora Gornja Radgona: The train ride project, which connected the two Radgons 130 years ago and the line went all the way to Ljutomer, is a continuation of the City Cooperation II project, which we implemented as part of the INTERREG Slovenia-Austria cross-border cooperation program. All the municipalities along the G. Radgona-Ljutomer line have shown interest in participating, so we intend to upgrade this commemorative ride with a sustainable project.

M.Sc. Darja Kocjan, Director of Passenger Transport of Slovenian Railways: We live in a time when protecting the environment and sustainable way mobility is an extremely important and socially responsible task of every individual, which is why we are especially happy that we will revive the line between Ljutomer and Gornja Radgona by running an extraordinary train. I believe that this special ride of the new Stadler train will be a step towards the creation of new products in this part of Slovenia. With the new trains, we will go to
passenger traffic embarked on the path of comprehensive renovation and modernization of the rolling stock and thereby offered passengers competitive, safe, reliable and comfortable rail transport.

 Stanko Rojko, mayor of the municipality Gornja Radgona: The municipality of Gornja Radgona also strives to promote tourism in our area and attract as many visitors as possible. The train can be one of the new opportunities to visit our city, which can be a starting point for getting to know the wider area and its natural and cultural attractions in more detail. Of course, it is more difficult to achieve the set goals independently, so this time we are undertaking a commemorative train ride together with the Municipality of Ljutomer.

 M.Sc. Olga Karba, mayor of Ljutomer municipality: In the Municipality of Ljutomer, we are very happy that after many years the rail connection has been re-established in our beautiful Prlekija. The event this Saturday has an even wider meaning, as it marks a new beginning of cooperation between the municipalities of Prleš, also in the field of tourism. This kind of creative cooperation is very important both for the sustainable development of our green destination and a contribution to the greater visibility of Prlekija, and at the same time it is aimed at improving integration and increased cooperation between public and private sectors.

 Borut Cvetkovič, director of Radgonski gorice: We support the commemorative train project, which will strengthen the tourist offer. In the Radgonske gorice company, we have been conducting wine tourism for 20 years and every such offer is welcome; since we are also planning to build a hotel in the near future, this is an additional stone in the mosaic of tourist offers in Gornja Radgona.

In Gornja Radgona and Ljutomer, surprises and presentations of well-known tourist and restaurant spots with culinary offerings will be prepared for passengers.

Tickets are on sale:

• for the route Gornja Radgona–Ljutomer is sold in Tico in Upper Radgon,
• for direction Ljutomer–Gornja Radgona in the sports hall Ljutomer in the bar Šic.