Until 2002, the Railways of the Slovak Republic, Železničná spoločnosť, as and the City of Košice contributed equally to the operating loss. Since 2003, the entire operating costs have been borne by the city of Košice (in the past also through DPMK, as). Seasonal operation has lasted in recent years, usually from May 1, until about mid-September.
In 2011, all KDHŽ rail vehicles were taken over by the civic association Detská železnica Košice, and in 2012 it became a railway transport operator. The plan of OZ DŽK is year-round operation. The aim is, for example, to introduce rides during working holidays, special rides, night rides, St. Nicholas, corporate, social, historical and other, which would more effectively evaluate and make visible the existence of DŽ. That is why OZ Detská železnica, in cooperation with the City of Košice, prepared a project for the revitalization of the railway, which would solve this.
The early 1990s did not bode well for the railway and threatened to shut down. The mushroom and enthusiasts were lost. The pioneers stopped participating in the running of the railway, the volunteers disappeared. Literally the rebirth of DŽ was the reconstruction and renewal of the steam locomotive U 36.003 - "Katka" at the initiative of Mayor Rudolf Schuster. The children's railway is, in fact, a historic museum railway. Not only in terms of its nature and uniqueness, but also in terms of the age of preserved rail vehicles and transport equipment. Many have been destroyed over time, but many can be restored or rebuilt as a faithful copy. Only a few museum railways in neighboring countries can match the one in Košice.