In 2003 most passenger services on the long secondary route from Banska Bystrica to Margecany were operated by 4-wheel railbuses but one train in each direction was booked for loco haulage. These were R811 and R810, running from Bratislava to Kosice and v.v. via Zvolen, Banska Bystrica and Margecany, a routing that took longer than either the northern route via Zilina and Poprad or the southern route via Zvolen and Plesivec but was more scenic.
An immaculate 754.055 was photographed passing the castle at Slovenska Lupka with the 06:40 Bratislava - Kosice on 8 May 2003.