Tag Archives: Railways

Pesa

A Pesa 218m / Sa134 ‘railbus’ diesel multiple unit operating a service from the Polish/German border to Poznan.

Pesa Rail Vehicles are a Polish company based in Bydgoszcz, which produce and renovate railway vehicles. They serve both railway transport and urban rail customers. Manufacturing locomotives, multiple units, coaches, and trams for clients throughout Europe. Pesa have to date supplied railway stock to twelve countries: Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Ukraine, Romania, Russia, and, of course, Poland. They currently employ around 3,000 people at their works in Bydgoszcz.

The two Pesa 218md railbuses pictured here are fitted with diesel engines built by MTU in Germany.

Another Pesa 218md / SA 134 diesel railbus operated by Lubuskie Regional Railways at the station in Gorzów.

Steam Trains in Nowy Tomysl

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Three photographs of Px48 narrow gauge steam locomotives pulling trains in Nowy Tomyśl, Poland, in the early 1990s.

PKP Polish railways steam locomotive Nowy Tomysl

A PKP Polish railways Px48 steam locomotive at Nowy Tomysl, Poland, in 1991.

The Px 48 was a narrow gauge steam locomotive built between 1949 and 1955 in Chrzanów, Poland. In total 101 of these locomotives were produced. They worked on 750mm and 1000mm railway lines throughout Poland right up until the 1990s.

A Polish Railways Px48 narrow gauge steam locomotive and train in Nowy Tomysl in 1991.

A number of these cute looking steam locomotives survive today. Mostly as static exhibits, in places like Sroda Wielkopolska, Gniezno, Poznań, and Zbąszynek. But one or two Px48s remain in full working order. The best of these working locos Px48-3916 can be found steaming up and down the narrow gauge line in Gryfice.

A Px48-1902 steam train at a level crossing in Nowy Tomysl in 1991.

This now disused line ran a total of around 30 kilometres between Duszniki Wielkopolskie to Nowy Tomyśl (Wąsk), passing through the villages of Kozielaski, Roza, Wąsowo and Trzcianka.

Nowy Tomysl (Neutomischel) is a town in the west of the province of Wielkopolska (Greater Poland).

Related content: A selection of old images of Nowy Tomyśl from our picture archive.

Gryfice Narrow Gauge Railway

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The Gryfice Narrow Gauge Railway (Nadmorska Kolej Wąskotorowa / Seaside Narrow Gauge Railway) is a 40 kilometre long narrow gauge railway which runs between Gryfice and along the Baltic Sea coast to Rewal, Niechorze and Pogorzelica in western Pomerania.

More about the Narrow Gauge Railways of Poland.

Trains run daily between the beginning of May until the end of September.

Offsite link to timetable and full details of the rather splendid Nadmorska Kolej Wąskotorowa.

Narrow Gauge Railways

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There are hundreds of kilometres of 600 mm, 750 mm, 785 mm, and 1,000 mm narrow gauge railway lines in Poland. Here are three photographs taken in the early 1960s railways of the STARGARD to INSKO (Nörenberg) line in Western Pomerania. The line opened in 1895 as the Saatziger Kleinbahnen, but, unfortunately the line closed in 1996. Recently, however, there has been some talk of reopening the line as a tourist attraction. Insko being located in an area with ten picturesque lakes and the location of Insko Landscape Park (Inski Park Krajobrazowy), which includes three rather special nature reserves. Indeed, some draisine (human-powered light auxiliary rail vehicle) events have been held on parts of the line. The most recent in June last year. Anyway, fingers crossed that the line comes back to life in some way.

Selected narrow gauge railways currently operating in Poland

Białośliwie narrow gauge railway – Bialosliwie – Wysoka – Kijaszkowo
Gniezno narrow gauge railway – Gniezno – Ostrowo – Anastazewo – Niechanowo
Gryfice narrow gauge railway – Gryfice – Trzęsacz – Pogorzelica
Koszalin narrow gauge railway – Koszalin – Manowo – Rosnowo
Maltanka narrow gauge railway – Śródka – New Zoo in Poznan
Pleszew narrow gauge railway – Pleszew – Kowalew
Śmigiel narrow gauge railway – Smigiel – Stare Bojanowo – Bielawy
Środa narrow gauge railway – Sroda – Płaczki – Polwica – Zaniemyśl
Zbiersk narrow gauge railway – Zbiersk – Florentyna – Petryki – Żelazków
Żnin narrow gauge railway – Znin – Wenecja – Biskupin – Gąsawa – Szelejewo

Related content on Polish Poland: Wolsztyn Railway Depot in the west of Poland.

Polish Railway Map 1953

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A scan of part of a vintage railway map showing the railway lines in existence in 1953.

Click on map to enlarge and see how very extensive the Polish railway system once was.

This scan is of the western part of Poland and includes locations such as:

Bydgoszcz, Gorzów Wlkp., Miedzyrzecz, Poznan, Rzepin, Skwierzyna, Szczecin, Wolsztyn.

Other scans of the same ancient Polish railway map will be added at a later date. Come back soon for another look at the early 1950s Polish railroad system!

Railways in Poland

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Here are six photographs taken earlier today on a Przewozy Regionalne (Regional Railways) train journey from the city of Gorzów in the western province of Lubuskie. The railway network in Poland consists of around 14,000 miles of track, most of which is powered by overhead electricity. The dominant rail operator is Polskie Koleje Panstwowe (PKP) / Polish State Railways.

The modern frontage of the railway station in Gorzow, Lubuskie, Poland.

The super-clean booking hall and ticket office at Gorzów Wlkp., railroad station, western Poland.

The PKP information board detailing arrivals and departures of passenger trains at Gorzow station.

A regional railways (Kostrzyn – Krzyz) train at one of the platforms of Gorzow rail station.

The view from inside the train looking out at the picturesque Lubuskie / Lebus country outside of Gorzow.

Our destination today – a small village between Gorzow and the German border.

Offsite Link: Pol Rail - tickets, times, destinations, and more.

Related content on Polish Poland: A scan of part of a 1950s map of Polish Railways.

Polish State Railways

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A plate featuring the P.K.P (Polish State Railways) logo. This is fixed to a 1950s steam locomotive.

Polskie Koleje Państwowe / P.K.P (Polish State Railways) is the main railway operator in Poland.

An inter-war period travel poster promoting Krakow issued by Polish State Railways. / P.K.P

Some things you may not know about railways in Poland:
- One of the earliest Polish railway lines was the Warsaw-Vienna route. Begun in the 1840s and completed in 1865.
- The railway connecting Warsaw with Moscow via Brest was completed in 1866.
- The first railway locomotive factory was set-up in Chrzanów in 1923.
- The first Polish electric railway was built in 1927.
- Many regional lines are now operated by a company called Przewozy Regionalne. Ownership is currently in the hands of Poland’s sixteen provinces.
- Polskie Linie Kolejowe is the name of the P.K.P subsidiary responsible for the upkeep of railway tracks, timetables, and the management and maintenance of railway stations and related property.
- Everyday scheduled passenger trains driven by steam locomotives still operate from the depot in Wolsztyn, western Poland. This is the only such operation in Europe.
- There are currently 23,429 kilometres (14,558 miles) of passenger and freight railway lines in operation.

A steam locomotive and modern diesel multiple unit at the station in Wolsztyn, Wielkopolskie, Poland.

Offsite link: An online train timetable for Poland.

Wolsztyn Railway Station

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A large Polish Railways steam locomotive and railbus waiting at the railway station in Wolsztyn, Poland.”

Wolsztyn is the location of a large locomotive roundhouse, which is the last such place in Europe to supply steam locomotives for regular, timetabled train services on a national railway network. These mainline services run from the station in Wolsztyn to Leszno and Zbąszynek and also to Grodzisk Wielkolpolski and Poznan.

A new railbus run by Wielkopolskie local railways at the station in Wolsztyn, Poland.

Attached to the Wolsztyn railway shed is a railway museum featuring restored carriages and locomotives and railwayana and offering a variety of souvenirs for sale. Accommodation is also available!

Polish State Railways also organise an annual ‘parade’ of locomotives, which takes place at the start of May. Here’s a short film of one of these super events. Click on the arrow above to play.