Łódź–Tuplice railway

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]

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]