Aukštaitija Narrow gauge railway is the only heritage railway operating in Lithuania. It has long and fascinating story, worth telling as it invites people to explore the heritage. History or narrow-gauge railway is not only about the trains, cargos and lines. Mostly it is about people and stories, it is about connecting people, shaping local community, its activities, even the society in general. Since its appearance, narrow gauge railway played significant role in local community. Not only due to the fact one could visit its relatives more convenient and often, or because foreign goods were imported faster and in more quantities, or because it created more jobs directly on station and depots, but also indirectly (due to the exports, more jobs were created in local industries). Stations themselves become somewhat of a local center of attraction; people would visit them not only for the reason of traveling. There were street vendors, selling berries, sweets and other home-produced foods, waiting for the trains to bring possible clients. There were bored towns people, who would come to station to greet the trans upon their arrival, out of curiosity. There were politicians visiting stations to inspect and encourage progress, to show off. Not to mention the fact, that people would correct the time on their watches according to the train passing by time. Stations and depots, water towers and engine-houses were workplaces for employees and admiration objects for local community, their pride and sign of progress and modernity. It was fashionable at the time to go and take pictures in the train station, around the trains, it had to show off persons admiration and readiness to be a part of modern society. Therefore, our project "Stories of Narrow-Gauge Railway" is inviting audiences to get acquainted with history of narrow-gauge railway, its significance for local community, its role in economic development of the region, its spiritual place in local visual and narrative history. During the course of the project, tourist route will be created in the Panevėžys Narrow Gauge Railway Complex. 

Aukštaitija Narrow gauge railway is the only heritage railway operating in Lithuania. It has long and fascinating story, worth telling, as it invites people to explore the heritage. After the formation of the wide railway network in Lithuania at the end of the 19th century in order to supply it with cargo and passengers, it was necessary to build narrow access railways to the most important points. During those times narrow gauge railway carried a variety of goods, mainly forest material and passengers. In 1898 Panevėžys become connected to railway, as narrow-gauge railway and station were build. First trains on the new section began running in the fall of 1899. The construction of new narrow-gauge railway sections took into account areas of intensive agricultural production and areas of intensively exploited forests and promising peatlands. Forest material was mostly transported to Germany at that time. During the period of independent Lithuania, in 1920–1938, local municipalities made a significant contribution to the development of the narrow-gauge railway network, as they took care of the construction of new narrow-gauge railway branches through their territories, provided calculations of the transportation of goods and products, and arguments for the export and import of various goods. The needs of manors, cooperatives, dairies, etc. were taken into account when constructing narrow-gauge railway sections. Narrow-gauge lines were mainly used to export butter, cereals, linseed, imported salt, fertilizers, coal, kerosine. The center of the region was Panevėžys. During soviet times new branches of the railway weren't build, but authorities used extensively old, existing railways, up to 24 trains passed daily Panevėžys. After the restoration of Lithuania's independence, the narrow-gauge railway was operated by main railway company of the state, Lietuvos Geležinkeliai. In 1999 it stopped, and on November 1th of the same year a structural unit “Narrow Gauge Railway” was established by Passenger Transport Board.  Public institution Aukštaitija Narrow Gauge Railway was established on 2001 July 9 th. The state protected complex consists of: narrow-gauge railway sections, railway stations, industrial buildings, water tower, workshops, depots, bridges, road structures, rolling stock, etc. Currently company is operating 68.4 km long narrow-gauge railway section Panevėžys – Rubikiai, that passes through Taruškos, Raguvėlė, Surdegis, Troškūnai, Anykščiai. 

But history or narrow-gauge railway is not only about the trains, cargos and lines. Mostly it is about people, and its stories, it is about connecting people, shaping local community, its activities, even the society in general. Since its appearance, narrow gauge railway played significant role in local community. Not only due to the fact one could visit its relatives more convenient and often, or because foreign goods were imported, or because it created more jobs directly on station and depots, also indirectly, due to the exports, more jobs were created in local industries. Stations itself become somewhat of a local center of attraction; people would visit them not only for the reason of traveling. There were street vendors, selling their berries, sweets and other home-produced foods, waiting for the trains to bring possible clients. There were bored towns people, who would come to station to greet the trans upon their arrival, out of curiosity. There were politicians visiting stations to inspect and encourage progress, to show off. Not to mention the fact, that people would correct the time on their watches according to the train passing by time. Stations and depots, water towers and engine-houses were  workplaces for employees and admiration objects for local community, their pride and sign of progress and modernity. It was fashionable at the time to go and take pictures in the train station, around the trains, it had to show off persons admiration and readiness to be a part of modern society. 

Therefore, our project "Stories of Narrow-Gauge Railway" is inviting audiences to get acquainted with history of narrow-gauge railway, its significance for local community, its role in economic development of the region, its spiritual place in local visual and narrative history. During the course of the project, tourist route will be created in the Panevėžys Narrow Gauge Railway Complex. The route will be marked by the plaques with short description and QR codes, that will open audio guide and visual materials. Each stop on the road will have audio recording, where audiences will be able to hear the story of this particular place, narrated from pointwise of the railway conductor. The stories will be enriched with visual depictions from the past. This tourist route will be suitable for solo and group travelers too, and hopefully it will become popular with audiences. 

One could contact us  at: projektai@siaurukas.eu

While talking about the history of narrow-gauge railway, it is impossible to not mention its European dimension. Firstly, and foremost, railway itself is the means of communication, its sole purpose is to deliver people and goods from one place to the other. Therefore, it was connection people from different places in direct sense of the word. However it also was also bringing knowledge and foreign fashions in the form of new locomotives, station and depots architecture, interiors and fashions of clothes, it brought progress, new engineering solutions, challenges, opportunity for brooding the community with arrival of people from other countries and other nations. At least partly thanks to the railway, Lithuania, and Panevėžys in particular become European, modern city. On the other hand, it was also an opportunity for Panevėžys to make some influence in the world, to have its representation with the exported goods and people to other countries.