Section of the German military railway on the route Mercendarbe-Skarbe
Infrastructure

The former railway route is clearly visible in nature, as the railway embankment has been preserved for practically the entire section of the road, where there is a forest today. When walking along the embankment, pay attention to the ground cover - it is possible to see preserved sleeping places. Today, some of the railway sections serve as the base of roads, for example as a logging road. Near the Mercendarbe manor, the railway embankment has been leveled, but near Riekstukalnas, where the forest resumes, it continues.

O. Anderson, a researcher of the history of Baldone, writes about the history of the given railway as follows:

"1. During the World War, when in 1916 the front line had stabilized along the left bank of the Daugava to supply the German army, the commander of the army railway service made a decision on March 15, 1916 to build a line from Vecumnieki to Mencendarbi. The length of the line was 25 kilometers. On March 30, 5,000 workers started work, and on May 1 the line was built to Skarbe station, and on May 6 to Mercendarbe. The railway started in Vecumnieki, as the station Neugut Kurland, then the stations Nougut Nord, Birsemniek, Gedeng, Skarbe, Merzendorf (names in German). Later, the line was extended to Rieksti hill and to Vilku hill opposite Ikškilei. Since the Jelgava-Krustpils line had already been rebuilt to the German (Western European) gauge, a line with a gauge of 1435 mm also ran to Mercendarbi. It was not some kind of "banitis", but a normal railway. The biggest station was Skarbe. The biggest cargo transshipment works took place there, in order to further transport them to the front by horse transport. The railway line was still in operation in 1921, when logs and firewood were sent along it. Demolished in 1925. Nowadays, the site of the station has been preserved intact, the railway track, track embankment, sleeping places are visible. It's amazing that after 100 years we can walk on this railway. It's just that at times it seems that a train is coming and you'll have to step aside."