Its main purpose was to make forest exploitation easier, by linking the heart of Bieszczady with the standard-gauge First Hungarian-Galician Railway (Erste Ungarisch-Galizische Eisenbahn) in Nowy Łupków.

[1] The first line, 25 km long, led from Nowy Łupków eastwards to Cisna, mostly along the Solinka river valley, and was opened on 21 January 1898.

[1] In 1900-1909 there were built further private forest extensions from Majdan towards Kalnica, Beskid (part of Smerek) and Roztoki Górne.

[1] During the economic crisis in the 1930s, its importance decreased and private extensions towards Kalnica, Smerek and Roztoki Górne were disassembled.

[1] After the war, the Bieszczady mountains got deserted due to the forced resettlement of Ukrainian population, and PKP railways lost interest in renewing operation.

[1] By 1953 the line was handed over to State Forests administration (Lasy Państwowe), and subsequently it was rebuilt to serve as a timber railway.

[1] By the 1960s it was enlarged: towards the north-west to Mików (linking it with a former private railway to Rzepedź), and eastwards through Cisna to Wetlina and Moczarne.

[1] The most eastward extension from Wetlina to Moczarne was included into a strict preservation area of the Bieszczady National Park.

It runs several times a day in the summer season starting from May to September, and occasionally in other months; it is also possible to hire a special train.