Balkans Romance Railways

Ruritanian Romance Railways

The Ruritanian Romance Railways layout portrayed the fictional Balkans countries of Ruritania, Axphain, and Graustark. The display took place at Bella Vista, Sydney, Australia in July 2020, and consisted of 23 stations and seven yards.

You can find out more about the individual countries portrayed, and watch short video tours, by clicking on the following links:

Additionally, you can explore the full layout using the interactive map below.

Balkans Romance Railways Map
Streslau Newgate International Parliament Rupert Park Airport Hofbrau International Zenda International King Michael Bridge Port William King's Landing Lorenz Ganlook Three Churches St Rupert's Railway Corridor Edelweiss St Clement's Princes Hill

Streslau Newgate International

Newgate International Station is located in the heart of Streslau, and connects the city with the greater Streslau suburban area, as well as the regional centres of Hofbrau, Hentzau, Helena, and Zenda. International services to Axphain, as well as CityFlyer express trains to Graustark, also depart from this station.

Parliament

Parliament Station serves the nearby National Assembly, which meets inside the former Royal Palace. Suburban trains travelling between Streslau Newgate and Zenda via Hentzau call at platforms 1 and 2, while international and domestic express trains bypass the station.

Rupert Park

Rupert Park Station serves the industrial centre of Streslau. Suburban services call at platforms 1 and 2, while platforms 3 and 4 are the terminus for the Light Railway. Rupert Park Yard is the hub for all domestic and international freight services, whose carriages are shunted to and from the factories and warehouses via a single-track goods line.

Airport

Airport Station serves Streslau International Airport as well as the northern end of the city’s industrial zone. Suburban trains connect travellers with Streslau’s central business district and the Rupert Park industrial area. Trains travelling out of Streslau via Airport Station proceed to the town of Helena before re-joining the main line at Hofbrau Junction.

Hofbrau International

Hofbrau International Station is a major hub for regional domestic and international passenger services. Freight trains travelling to and from Streslau branch off at Hofbrau and travel into the city via Helena, while international and domestic express services continue their journey along the main line via Hentzau. Suburban passenger services travelling between Streslau and Zenda via Helena or via Hentzau also call at this station.

Zenda International

The town of Zenda is located near the border between Ruritania and Axphain, and is a major hub for domestic and international freight trains, as well as the terminus for all Ruritanian domestic services. Although most international passenger trains have bypassed Zenda International Station following the completion of the High Speed Connection project, limited services to Axphain remain in operation.

King Michael Bridge

The King Michael Bridge and Causeway links Ruritania with Axphain and Graustark by crossing the Danube River. Originally served by a single track, the Bridge was duplicated as part of the High Speed Connection project, more than doubling capacity and allowing for express international passenger trains travelling between Ruritania and Graustark to bypass Port William.

Port William

The town of Port William is located on the Danube River, and connects Ruritania, Graustark, and Axphain with international markets via its large intermodal freight yard. Port William Station is the terminus for domestic passenger services from Lorenz as well as international trains from Graustark and Ruritania.

King's Landing

The scenic town of King’s Landing is located on the Danube River, and is served by passenger, freight, and mixed trains travelling to and from Lorenz. King’s Landing is also a popular holiday destination for Graustarkian and Ruritanian tourists.

Lorenz

The town of Lorenz is located in the Axphain Valley, and is the terminus of the King’s Line. There is one platform, as well as a small yard and an engine shed. Lorenz is a sister town to Wellsworth in Cumbria, and its station and signal box were rebuilt by British troops in 1947.

Ganlook

The village of Ganlook lies at the foothills of Mount Beverly, and is a hub of mining and oil drilling. Mining and oil workers typically commute from Edelweiss, which has resulted in the hamlet remaining small and picturesque. Passenger trains depart regularly for St Clement’s via Three Churches, while coal and oil travel to Edelweiss and international destinations.

Three Churches

Three Churches is a major junction and international railway station located on the fringes of Edelweiss. International and domestic regional passenger services stop at platforms 1 and 2, while metropolitan trains traversing the city loop call at platforms 3 and 4. Additionally, passing loops permit freight and express international services to bypass the platforms and slower local trains.

St Rupert's Railway Corridor

The St Rupert’s Railway Corridor, named for the church and metropolitan railway station, links the main international railway line with the centre of Edelweiss. The quadruplicated tracks permit metropolitan loop trains to call at local stations without delaying international passenger and freight services travelling to and from Axphain and Ruritania.

Edelweiss St Clement's

St Clement’s Railway Station is the located in the historic centre of Edelweiss, not far from the Grand Duke’s Palace. Platforms 1 and 2 serve international and domestic regional passenger trains, while metropolitan services traversing the City Loop call at platforms 3 and 4. Passing loops permit continuous access to the main line for freight services.

Princes Hill

Princes Hill is a suburb of Edelweiss, and hosts Graustark’s International Airport. Metropolitan trains travelling from St Clement’s via St Leopold’s as well as from Three Churches call at Princes Hill Station. There are also limited passenger and freight services travelling to and from Ganlook via Three Churches Junction.