Zäqopanë-Jiön Pöqalqnit

A ZJP railbus at Júsk.

The Zäqopanë-Jiön narrow gauge railway (ZJP) is an 134-kilometer-long railway line that connects the town of Zäqopanë in the province of Ghriqti rëjön with Hisunq in the province of Zwizúsinniq. There is also a branch line from Zäqopanë to Bijländet, with some through trains operating. Despite the tracks continuing past both Zäqopanë and Jiön the railway has kept its original name. The railway has an 891mm gauge, the same gauge as the Beachport Southwestern network in Bayland. The railway is electrified only between Jiön and Hisunq.

The railway primarily serves as a passenger railway line that caters to both tourists and locals living along the railway line. The railway mainly utilizes 1950s Swedish railbus rolling stock, but on the branch line to Hisunq, X10p electric trains, which are also Swedish are used. The railway provides a reliable mode of transport for the people living in the rural villages along the line, as there are few road connections. Many new villages have been founded along the ZJP since its completion in 1959.

## Freight operation

The line has freight traffic between the Zäqopanë Mine and Jiön. This freight traffic uses imported Swedish diesel locomotives, in Sweden classified as Tp. There is also freight traffic to the villages in the region, and factories and warehouses (mainly in Bijländet).

## Grocery delivery service

The railway has a service called Biëdpöqalq that allows people living along the line to order groceries from a store by calling a specific phone number, which is then delivered to them by train. This service provides a way for residents to receive necessary supplies without having to travel long distances to get them.

## Stations and stops

A full list of stations and stops on the ZJP is availible here. (does not include Hisunq extension)

The ZJP has 32 stations and stops, with 10 of them being request stops. All request stops on the ZJP were modernized in 2023 with stop buttons to stop the train, instead of the older system, which used boards that boarding passengers would turn towards the oncoming train. Most stops on the railway only serve the ZJP, but Jiön also serves KPQ trains, and Zäqopanë serves both Ghriqti Pöqalqnit and KPQ trains.

## History

The first proposal for a railway to the west of Zäqopanë was made in 1952, but wasn't accepted by the government entities involved until 1954, when construction started. The original proposal would have terminated at a mine near Júsk (Dhyzhä Dzra), but the government offered extra funding if the railway was extended to Zäqopanë and operated passenger services.

The ZJP was completed in 1959 to transport iron ore from the mines around Zäqopanë to the now closed Jiön Ironworks. This makes it the oldest railway in Kwitzka, which is part of why it was built to the nonstandard 891mm (Swedish 3ft) gauge. The ZJP also operated passenger traffic from February 1960 onwards.

In November of 2022, a branch line to Bijländet was opened as part of a major investment in rail by Ghriqti rëjön. This branchline has 8 stops intermediate stops.

In April of 2023, an extension to the ZJP from Jiön to Hisunq was opened. This extension added 7 new stations and 51km of track to the railway.

## Gallery

A railbus at Zäqopanë station.Scenery along the ZJP line.A railbus at Júsk station.A diesel locomotive shunting at Jiön Ironworks in 1986.A diesel locomotive pulling a passenger train in 2004.2 trains at Zäqopanë during the "Zäqopanë Day" eventThe interior of a ZJP railbus.A railbus at Júsk.The ZJP extension to Hisunq in Lkäko, facing away from the station.The ZJP extension to Hisunq in Lkäko.