Łódź–Tuplice railway

The Łódź–Tuplice railway is a 388 kilometre-long railway line in Poland running between Łódź Kaliska station and the Germany–Poland border between Tuplice, Poland, and Forst (Lausitz), Germany. It is commonly used for passenger and freight services.

Łódź–Tuplice railway
An EN57AL EMU approaching Kalisz Winiary station
Overview
Native nameLinia kolejowa Łódź Kaliska - Tuplice
StatusIn use
OwnerPKP PLK
LocalePoland
Germany
TerminiŁódź Kaliska, Łódź, Poland
Germany–Poland border near Forst (Lausitz)
Continues from 15  Łódź-Bednary railway
Continues asCottbus–Forst railway
Connecting lines
  • Łódź Kaliska:
    •  25  to Dębica
  • Zduńska Wola (connectors with Coal Trunk Line):
  • Ostrów Wielkopolski:
    •  272  Kluczbork-Poznań railway
    •  355  to Grabowno Wielkie
  • Krotoszyn (via Durzyn and Osusz)
    •  281  Oleśnica-Chojnice railway
  • Leszno:
  • Głogów:
  • Żagań:
    •  275  to Wrocław
    •  389  to Jankowa Żagańska
  • Żary:
    •  282  to Miłkowice
    •  370  to Zielona Góra
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Route number 14  (Łódź Kaliska – Tuplice – State Border)
History
Opened1846 (Głogów – Żagań), 1858 (Leszno – Głogów), 1871 (Żagań – Żary), 1872 (Żary – Forst), 1888 (Leszno – Ostrów Wlkp.), 1896 (Ostrów Wlkp. – Nowe Skalmierzyce), 1902 (Łódź –Kalisz), 1906 (Kalisz – Nowe Skalmierzyce)
Technical
Line length388.577 km (241.451 mi)
Number of tracks
  • 2 (Łódź Kaliska – Głogów)
  • 1 (Głogów - Forst)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge
Old gauge1,524 mm (5 ft) (Łódź – Kalisz – Nowe Skalmierzyce)
ElectrificationOverhead wire, 3000 V DC (Łódź Kaliska – Durzyn (branch post))
Operating speed120 km/h (75 mph)
Route map

 15 
Łódź–Bednary railway
to Łódź Żabieniec
Łódź Kaliska
 25  539 
Łódź-Dębica railway
to Łódź Chojny
Retkinia Junction
Łódź Retkinia under construction
Łódź Lublinek
Pabianice
Chechło
Dobroń
Kolumna
Łask
Borszewice
Gajewniki Junction
Zduńska Wola Karsznice Junction
 131  543  810  131  542  739 
Dionizów Junction
Zduńska Wola
Męcka Wola
Sieradz Męka
Sieradz Warta
Sieradz
Myja
Sędzice
Błaszki
Skalmierz
Radliczyce
Opatówek
Kalisz Winiary
Kalisz-Piwonice power plant
Piwonice Junction
Kalisz
Kalisz Szczypiorno
Nowe Skalmierzyce
Ociąż
Czekanów
Stary Staw Junction
 272  811 
Kluczbork-Poznań railway
to Poznań
Ołobok
Ostrów Wielkopolski
 272  to Kluczbork
 355 
Ostrów Wielkopolski-
Grabowno Wielkie railway
to
Grabowno
Wielkie
Ostrów Wielkopolski Zachodni
Ostrów Wielkopolski Gorzyce
Łąkociny
Daniszyn
Biadki
Durzyn Junction
Krotoszyn
 281  816  to Jarocin
Osusz Junction
 281  815  to Oleśnica
Dzierżanów Wielkopolski
Kuklinów
Kobylin
Czeluścin
Pępowo
Włostowo
Krobia
Karzec
Dzięczyn
Poniec
Pawłowice
Kąkolewo
Leszno Grzybowo
 359  to Zbąszyń
Leszno
 271  to Wrocław
Lasocice
Wschowa
Stare Drzewce
Głogówko
Grodziec Mały
Głogów
 273  to Szczecin
Żukowice
Nielubia
Kłobuczyn
Gaworzyce
Przecław Szprotawski
Niegosławice
Dzikowice
Szprotawa
Bukowina Bobrzańska
 275  to Wrocław
Żagań
 282  to Miłkowice
Żary
 370  to Zielona Góra
Sieniawa Żarska
Lipniki Łużyckie
Tuplice Dębinka
Tuplice
Zasieki
Weißwasser–Forst railway
to Weißwasser
Forst (Lausitz)
Cottbus–Forst railway
to Cottbus

History

The railway line is consisting of various sections opened along Prussia and former lands of Congress Poland, which itself was part of Russian Empire. The first section was opened by Niederschliesische Zweigbahn company on 1 October 1846, running between Glogau (Głogów) and Sagan (Żagań) stations. Later, on 30 December 1857, the Breslau-Posen-Glogauer Eisenbahn company opened the stretch from Lissa (Leszno) to Klein Gräditz (Grodziec Mały), and on 18 May 1858 opened the subsequent section to Glogau station, along with a bridge over the river Oder. Next section was opened by Niederschlesisch-Märkische Eisenbahn company on 31 December 1871, from Sagan to Sorau (Żary) station, which received another link half-a-year later, on 30 June 1872, to Forst, which already had a functioning railway connection to Cottbus. In 1888, all railways in Prussia were nationalised, and new section from Lissa to Ostrowo (Ostrów Wielkopolski) was opened on 1 October. Latest Prussian section of the railway line was opened on 14 February 1896, from Ostrowo to Neu Skalmierschütz (Nowe Skalmierzyce), near the Russian-Prussian border.

In Russian Empire, the first section of the line was opened 15 November 1902, as part of Warsaw-Kalisz Railway, between Łódź Kaliska and Kalisz stations. Unlike the Prussian railway. this section was built with, typical for Russian railways back then, track gauge of 1,524 mm instead of standard 1,435 mm. On 28 October 1906, a follow-up section to Nowe Skalmierzyce was built, along with new border station.

Track gauge was unified during World War I. In the 1930s the line received a connection with a Coal Trunk-Line, which had its major terminal located in Karsznice, southeast to Zduńska Wola. During World War II the railway's route was changed between Czekanów and Ostrów Wielkopolski, as well as Durzyn - Krotoszyn - Osusz section, where the Krotoszyn station was excluded from the line, and the former tracks leading to the station became the connectors with the main line.

The line was partially electrified in 1965, starting with the section from Łódź to Zduńska Wola. In 1973 the overhead wires were installed up to Sieradz station, followed 2 years later to Ostrów Wielkopolski, and in 1987 the section to Durzyn branch post, along with connector rail to Krotoszyn station, was electrified.[1]

Current condition

The railway line is listed by Polish government as the railway line of national importance.[2] On the section from Łódź to Ostrów Wielkopolski it is used by PKP Intercity trains running between Warsaw and Wrocław, running through Skierniewice, Koluszki, Łódź, Sieradz and Kalisz, as well it serves as a backup route for trains usually running on the E-20 international railway, in case of a lack of possibility to run on it. Also, the section is commonly used by PolRegio regional trains running from Łódź to Poznań and Wrocław. On much shorter section, between Łódź and Sieradz, it is used by ŁKA commuter trains. Currently, the section is undergoing through refurbishment, which will allow raising the speed limit of the railway from 80 to 120 km/h.[3][4]

The section between Ostrów Wielkopolski and Leszno stations, due to no electrification, is served with diesel units; one of significant routes on the railway is a train from Ostrów to Leszno ran by Koleje Wielkopolskie. However, the electrification of this section is planned.[5]

Section from Wschowa to Żagań stations used to be impassable due to deteriorated condition of the tracks and no passenger services scheduled for this route till December 2019, when the traffic was restored between Wschowa and Głogów.[6] The section from Żagań to Żary is mostly served by diesel multiple units and freight trains powered by diesel locomotives[7]

References

  1. "Linia kolejowa 14 (PL) • Łódź Kaliska - Tuplice / © Atlas Kolejowy Polski, Czech i Słowacji". www.atlaskolejowy.net. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  2. "Rozporządzenie Rady Ministrów z dnia 17 kwietnia 2013 r. w sprawie wykazu linii kolejowych o znaczeniu państwowym". prawo.sejm.gov.pl. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  3. Olejniczak, Agnieszka (2017-01-24). "PKP wybrała wykonawcę na przebudowę linii Zduńska Wola - Łódź Kaliska". zdunskawola.naszemiasto.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  4. "Początek robót na linii nr 14. Pierwsze zamknięcie w maju". www.rynek-kolejowy.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  5. "Przygotowania do elektryfikacji linii z Krotoszyna do Głogowa". www.rynek-kolejowy.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  6. "Powrót pociągów na linię Leszno - Głogów przez Wschowę | Radio Zachód". Polskie Radio Zachód (in Polish). Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  7. "Regulamin przydzielania tras 2015-2016" (PDF) (in Polish). PKP PLK.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.