Children's railway "Little Southern"

Little Southern is a children’s railway. The word ‘children’ does not mean, however, that it is a toy. It does not mean that Little Southern is an ordinary park attraction for kids.

Children’s railway is a fully functional narrow-gauge railway, where all railway works are performed by children older than 10 years. Children work as conductors, dispatchers, traffic operators and even train drivers! Otherwise, Little Southern is a school of young railwaymen.

The Railway is situated in Ukraine, in the city of Kharkov, close to the Central Park of Culture and Recreation.

Children’s railways in countries of former USSR have existed for a long time – the first such railway was built in 1935 in Tbilisi (Georgia).
The Kharkov Children’s Railway was built in 1940.

Are there other similar railways in Ukraine?

Yes. There are 9 children’s railways in Ukraine – in Donetsk, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Kiev, Rovno, Lutsk, Lviv, Uzhgorod and Kharkov.

Do children work without adult supervision?

Of course not. Children are trained by adults. Adults control their work. There are always experienced railwaymen in a locomotive, in wagons, in a depot.

Where did the strange name – “Little Southern” come from?

Historically Ukrainian Railways are divided into 6 branches, called “Railways”. Them divide into the Southern (Yuzhnaja), South-Western (Yugo-Zahidna), Donetska, Pridnieprowska, Odeska and Lvivska railways. Little Southern – is the department of the “adult” Southern Railway, from which this name was taken.

Is trains on the children’s railway is “children’s” too?

Although the works are performed by children, the rolling stock is quite “adult”. It consists of two narrow-gauge diesel locomotives, “relatives” of locomotives that have worked and are still working on industrial narrow-gauges of the former Soviet Union, and two trains of six wagons each.

Infrastructure is also “grown up”: at the main station called “Park”, there is a large station building, a train depot and an educational building.
The length of the railway is also not small – 3.6 km. The return trip takes half an hour.

Can anyone “from the outside” visit Little Southern?

Of course! Everyone can buy a ticket and go on a journey. Check the timetable and how to get there.

What can you see in Little Southern?

The railway is close to the best in Central Park of Culture and Recreation in Ukraine. Parents with children can rest there all day long – take a train, visit the museum of Little Southern history, have fun at the playground, go out in the forest.

The Railway has a long and interesting history. Railway lovers will find here many railway curiosities and rarities.

We recommend reading about interesting facts about Little Southern.