Mining Museum visitors can now catch a ride on a mine train

The Mining Museum in Ostrava's Landek Park has launched a new and distinct attraction. The mine train, similar to the type that ferries miners to their workplaces hundreds of metres underground, will especially appeal to children. They can ride along a track of 170 metres, built jointly by the OKD Foundation, rail transportation company AWT, mining company OKD and the association Dolní Oblast Vítkovice. AWT also processed the project for the technological plan behind the complete track.

Historical mine locomotive BMD 30 and two reconstructed mine carts, proudly bearing the name “Pullman”, that used to carry miners, now travel through the premises of the Mining Museum in front of the historical building of the former Anselm Mine, even journeying under the pit frame, or “winding tower”. As many as 167 metres of rail track were laid, of the less common mine gauge, namely 480 millimetres. The track includes a barrier at the level crossing with the pedestrian path, and of course a boarding platform. A ride on the train comes free as part of a visit to the Museum.

“We have highly attractive displays of mining and the opening works of mining, but on the other hand we perceived some deficit in the area of presenting transport, although this has by now been more than resolved. A ride on the train will certainly catch the attention of our visitors, as it is something that you normally don’t see or experience above ground,” said Lumír Plac, Director of Landek Park.

AWT has been a longstanding partner of Landek Park. The company displays, for example, a historical locomotive, old railcars and decommissioned huge landscaping machines. The company also contributes one hundred thousand Czech crowns annually towards the operation of the park. “Trains and railway siding operations are an indispensable part of mining and of our whole region. We were therefore more than happy to support the idea of expanding the museum’s unique display with a sightseeing tour on a mine train, not just financially but also by creating the specialised project for the track,” explained Petr Jonák, Director of External Relations for AWT.

The museum can also expect further support from the OKD Foundation. “We have prepared a long-term strategy for our investments into Landek Park. We started last year by improving the 'going down the pit' display and we are continuing this year with the mine train. And we plan to progress in the coming years as well,” said Jiří Suchánek, the Director of the OKD Foundation.

Mining company OKD recently transferred the whole of Landek Park to the association Dolní oblast Vítkovice, which is now in the process of opening to the public the unique premises comprising the blast furnaces and Hlubina Mine in the Ostrava quarter of Vítkovice. “This has already proved to be a step in the right direction. Landek Park now has an administrator that can and wants to develop the premises. OKD remains a partner of the Mining Museum and financially supports, along with the OKD Foundation, the most interesting initiatives at the venue, which present mining traditions and history to the public,” noted Petra Mašínová, Chief Public Relations & Communication Officer at OKD and Chairwoman of the OKD Foundation Managing Board.