Liliputbahn Prater

The Liliputbahn is a 3.9 km long narrow-gauge park railway on a circuit in Vienna’s Prater.The name of the miniature train is a reference to Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliver’s Travels, in which tiny people (“Liliputians”) inhabit on the island of Lilliput.

The Liliputbahn operates from March to October.The daily operation hours are variable, as is customary in the Prater.Typically, the first train departs at 10 a.m.The ride begins at 9 a.m. prior to the school vacations, i.e. from the end of May to the end of June, because many schools and kindergartens visit the Prater.The closing time is determined by demand; it normally shuts at 5 p.m. during the colder season and at 8 p.m. during the summer.

On weekdays, one diesel locomotive operates every 30 minutes until 1 p.m., when two diesel locomotives run every 15 minutes.On weekends and holidays, there is a 15-minute drive throughout the day, and one of the two steam locomotives is also employed.However, because it takes five hours to heat up, it will not be on the track until midday.If there is a strong demand, a third locomotive will be dispatched.A round journey costs €5 (€2.50 for minors) and a leg costs €2.20.

The track is 3.9 kilometers long, with a gauge of 381 mm (15 inches).The route follows a circular path that is counterclockwise.The majority of it is visible from the main road, and the lines in both directions of traffic are double-tracked for a significant distance.

The train has four stations:

• Prater Hauptbahnhof (near the planetarium )
• Schweizerhaus-Luftburg (only in the direction of the stadium)
• Rotunda (at Kaiserallee)
• Stadium (then reverse loop)

This distance takes roughly 20 minutes to complete.The route’s smallest curve radius is 20 meters, and the highest gradient is 14 meters in a segment around 100 meters long.