Remains of the railway line in Fulnek

Even after more than a hundred years, the remains of the impressive work of art that is the unfinished railway line can still be seen in the vicinity of Fulnek. Embankments, cuts in the woods and even a tunnel have remained from this magnificent project to this day.

Opava stood outside the main railway corridor Olomouc – Ostrava – Bohumín. The line, built by a consortium called the Moravian-Silesian Central Railway, wanted to take advantage of the business boom in Silesia and connect the area around Opava and Fulnek via Valašské Meziříčí to Trenčín.

The business plan was delayed by disputes over the exact route of the line. Representatives of towns and villages wanted to push for the tracks to go through their territory. After the option that went through Fulnek won out, the economic crisis came into play. The collapse of the Vienna Stock Exchange in 1873 meant that there was not enough money for the debt-laden project.

In the meantime, field work had already begun, for which builders and workers arrived from Italy and Slovakia. The Italians in particular caused a stir in the local pubs, and various fights were recorded. In Chvalíkovice, the local mayor was stabbed and decided to settle the pub dispute. Twelve Italians were brought to court in Opava. In Jakubčovice, one of the workers was injured by a local constable who intervened in another such fight.

The workers caused further trouble when they used explosives to catch fish in the Moravice. They earned themselves the pejorative nickname of ” rascals” among the locals. There were 1,600 men and 200 horses working on the railway. Even the construction itself required emergencies, for example, two workers were buried near Chvalíkovice, one died on the spot, the other succumbed to his injuries later.

The construction of the railway is associated with many important personalities and businessmen of the time. The construction was managed by the Klein brothers’ company, and the company’s shareholders included Robert Lichnovský from Voštice, a friend of Ferenc Liszt, and Alois Larisch, a businessman and mayor of Krnov.

Today, the remains of the line under construction make it possible to search for the secrets of the past and at the same time to take a relaxing stroll through the picturesque landscape.