The Vurpăr branch line was a narrow-gauge rail line Sibiu County, Romania. Originally it stretched from Cornăţel on the Agnita railway line to the terminus in Vurpăr.[2] CFR classed the line, along with the Agnita railway line, as line 204 in the last years of operation. The Sibiu Steam Locomotives Museum holds locomotives used on the lines.

Vurpăr branch line
The Agnita line joining the mainline.
Overview
StatusClosed
OwnerCFR Infrastructură
LocaleSibiu County,
Romania
Termini
Stations2
Service
TypeNarrow-gauge
SystemCăile Ferate Române
Operator(s)CFR Călători[1]
History
Opened1910
Closed1993
Technical
Line length12.45 km (7.74 mi)
Number of tracks1
CharacterRural Branch line
Route map

 300  to Basarab
Sighișoara
 300  to Oradea
Șaeș River
Șaeș
Șaeș River
Apold
Brădeni
Netuș
Iacobeni
Stejărișu
Ruja
Agnita
Coveș River
Vărd
Benești
Alțâna
Nocrich
Țichindeal
Hosman
Vurpăr
Roșia
Cornățel
Cașolț
Bolovani
 200  to Brașov
Șelimbăr
Sibiu Triaj
Ateliere zonă
Sibiu
 200  to Curtici

History

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The line was originally opened by the Sighisoara - Sibiu Local Railways Company in 1910.[3] As the line originally lay within Hungary, the Hungarian State Railways operated services until 1919 (when Transylvania became part of Romania). CFR then continued to operate services until closure in 1993.[4]

Reopening

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Societatea Feroviară de Turism (SFT) originally planned to reopen the line as a tourist route but plans where shelved in 2006. After threats from CFR Infrastructură that track would be lifted all the rail infrastructure became protected as a historic monument in 2008. Currently there is an active project called Asociația Prietenii Mocăniței ("Friends of the Narrow-gauge railway") and aimed at restoring the line for tourist operation along with the Agnita railway line.[5]

Bibliography

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  • Lacriţeanu, Șerban (1995). "The Narrow Gauge Lines of the Romanian State Railway (CFR)". In Keith Chester (ed.). East European narrow gauge. Clevedon (UK): Channel View Publications. pp. 82–94. ISBN 1-873150-04-0.
  • Engelbert, Paul (2011). Schmalspurig durch Ungarn II: die ehemals ungarischen Gebiete (in German). Malmö: Stenvalls. ISBN 978-91-7266-177-6.

References

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  1. ^ "CFR Interactive Map". Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Beyond The Forest (Narrow-gauge)". Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  3. ^ Lacriţeanu 1995, 86
  4. ^ Engelbert 2011, 136
  5. ^ "Sibiu Agnita railway Society". Retrieved 9 August 2015.