Slovak Arrow: The train that refused to be forgotten
Ninety years after the legendary Slovak Arrow first connected Prague and Bratislava, Czech journalist and author Michaela Vetešková is keeping its legacy alive. Inspired by a rare journey aboard the iconic train, a children's book she wrote celebrates not only one of Czechoslovakia's greatest engineering achievements, but also the life of its visionary creator, Josef Sousedík.
Although it was a Czech train, Slovenská strela or Slovak Arrow was given its name because it was designed to provide a fast connection between Prague and Bratislava in what was then Czechoslovakia. The streamlined, bright-red Tatra train entered service on 13 July 1936. Although it stopped operating regular services in 1953 and has run only on rare occasions since, it remains a symbol of technical innovation and industrial pride.
Much later, on 3 May 2024, journalist and author Michaela Vetešková was among a small group of people who travelled aboard the legendary train on a special journey from Kopřivnice to Vsetín. The trip lasted about two hours and, since then, the Slovak Arrow has not carried passengers again and, she says sadly, probably never will. Fortunately, one lasting result of that journey remains: the book she wrote inspired by the unforgettable experience.
"For many years I knew there had been a brilliant inventor from Vsetín named Josef Sousedík, but the right moment never came for me to look more deeply into his life, even though I was born there myself. Then, over the course of two or three months, a series of events led me to the glass railway depot in Kopřivnice. There, the guide opened the doors of the Slovak Arrow for me. Not only was I able to step inside the train, but when its whistle sounded, it set off – with just a handful of passengers – from Kopřivnice to Vsetín. I think that was the moment the idea was born: I wanted to capture the experience of that journey, the almost mysterious atmosphere of the Slovak Arrow, and also tell the remarkable story of the largely forgotten Josef Sousedík in a way that children could understand. It may sound a little strange, but I was completely captivated by it and felt I simply had to write it."
According to Vetešková, while writing the book what fascinated her most was not the train itself but the story of its creator, Josef Sousedík. Besides holding around 50 patents, including the hybrid propulsion system that made the Slovak Arrow possible, Sousedík also served as mayor of Vsetín between 1937 and 1939, a position he earned thanks to his technical expertise, local leadership and reputation as an innovative entrepreneur. The author believes his propulsion system was decades ahead of its time.
"Today we talk about electric mobility, yet he was already driving through the hills of Wallachia in his own invention. That fascinated me more than anything. But what affected me most was discovering Sousedík's involvement in the anti-Nazi resistance around Vsetín. He showed such courage that, in 1945, he sacrificed his own life rather than betray his friends and fellow resistance fighters. I wanted to include that part of his story in my book Strela. Through Sousedík, I gradually discovered the full greatness of the Slovak Arrow."
Vetešková also points out an interesting historical detail: only men were allowed to work aboard the Slovak Arrow. The reasoning at the time was that women should not have to endure such demanding work during the train's four-hour-and-18-minute journey. More than anything else, she says, she is fascinated by the unique world that existed just 90 years ago.
"I like imagining what it must have been like to travel on the Slovak Arrow: sitting in those cappuccino-coloured velvet seats with your legs crossed, drinking coffee from white cups decorated with blue ornaments, reading black-and-white newspapers, chatting – and really experiencing those four hours and 18 minutes aboard the train. I found that feeling deeply captivating. When I travelled on it myself, I tried to imagine all of that. Of course, because it is now a national cultural monument, you couldn't use the toilet, eat, or even drink much, and you had to treat the train with the utmost respect."
Following that train of thought, Vetešková says that ever since the trip she often imagines herself back aboard the Slovak Arrow – sometimes with company, but often alone, quietly gazing out of the window, because travelling by train or car is when her thoughts flow most freely.
"Interestingly enough, I actually wrote the entire book Strela on trains. It still surprises even me. And if I could ever meet Josef Sousedík, I think I would simply thank him. That's definitely what I would do."
One of the things the writer admires most about Sousedík is that he was born into extremely modest circumstances. He came from a very poor family with many siblings who even had to share shoes. She says that as a young man, when he tried to mix with boys from wealthier, better-educated families, he was looked down upon simply because he was poor, an outsider.
"And look how life turned out. That outsider, who never had the opportunity to attend a proper school and only completed primary education through evening classes, turned his greatest disadvantage into a strength. He remained humble throughout his life. The workers in his factory addressed him informally, he wore work clothes and spoke to them as equals. He listened to them, asked for their opinions on technical improvements and considered them partners working toward a common goal. That's what fascinates me, and it isn't an idealised picture. I spoke to his son, Tomáš Sousedík, consulted archival sources, and we even have a recording of his voice and a short speech he gave at the radio station. Everything fits together."
Although she admits she is not entirely optimistic, Vetešková believes the adventurous story of the Slovak Arrow should inspire today's young people to take an interest in both technology and history in a country that continues trying to connect its past and future at full speed.
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