Side effects of the flood (cont'd) [analog]

[polska wersja niżej]

 

Although some facts on 2001 flood in Gdańsk were given at other photos of that "event", I have promised I would provide more enhanced story, so here it is.

July 9, 2001 in Gdansk was a pretty nice day, at least it started that way and lasted until noon. Dark clouds rolled in around midday, being the first signs of another violent summer storm. When the first drops of rain fell, no one suspected that twice as much water would pour over the city during this one afternoon than during the entire typical July. Each square meter of ground received almost 130 liters of water, and 90 liters have poured from the sky only between 3 and 5 p.m. Because the city is not only the seacoast, but also moraine hills, the streets lying along the slopes of the bottom moraine turned into the riverbeds of the streams flowing down. And down below, mainly to the south of town, a lake began to form at the flat land.

The small Radunia river flowing in from Cassubia from the south interrupted the canal in several places and flooded the southern part of the town, mainly the districts from Orunia (Lower), through Lipce to St. Adalbert. The flood also affected the embankments of the railway, damaging the mainline tracks in several places. Gdańsk Główny main passenger station tracks were all under the water. Railway traffic between Pruszcz Gdański (or actually rather Tczew) and Gdańsk stopped for a few days.

However, since we are talking about the times when the railway was one, great and indivisible (although divided into sectors), a solution was quickly found - all long-distance passenger trains were diverted to detour routes. And so the trains from Gdynia to Bydgoszcz traveled along the old Coal Trunk Line via Kościerzyna and Wierzchucin and further to Łódź or Katowice. Trains towards Malbork and further Olsztyn or Warsaw went via Kościerzyna, Bąk, Czersk and then by the old "Ostbahn" line to Tczew, where they met back the usual routes. Of course, diesel traction was necessary to provide all diverted traffic, while the electric locomotives pulling trains weren't detached (with a few exceptions), but were hauled with "their" trains.

From the traveler's point of view, these detours weren't reasonable - today a bus communication from Tczew to Gdynia would probably be the best solution, what would extend the journey by perhaps an hour in total. At that time however, due to the detours, the trains experienced delays of 3-5 hours, and degradation some stations to passenger stops on old one-track line surely worsened the capacity of the diversion. On the other hand, a passenger in a couchette, sleeping since the beginning of its journey from the outskirts of the country, reached the destination in the same bed, only 3-6 hours later.

The emergency situation lasted a few days, after which traffic on the main line was partially restored, with some restrictions (speed limit in places where the embankment was washed away). A few days after the traffic was restored, yet some freight trains ran on a non-electrified detour due to capacity problems at mainline.

Here SU46-045 with the hotel night train no. 35701 "Tetmajer" from Zakopane to Gdynia Główna, that has left Gdańsk Osowa station and now is heading towards Gdynia Wielki Kack.

After the leading loco, now the "cold" EU07-215 is transfered, which originally pulled this train to Bydgoszcz. The one before the last wagon is so-called auto-couchette, because this train offered the transport of cars between Zakopane and Gdynia. And finally the last one - an orange post-wagon. Besides, the core part of the train consisted only of sleepers and couchettes, as in a hotel. July 11, 2001.

Photo by Jarek / Chester

 

SU46-045 z objazdowym z okazji powodzi pociągiem hotelowym 35701 "Tetmajer" z Zakopanego do Gdyni, na szlaku Gdańsk Osowa - Gdynia Wielki Kack. 11 lipca 2001 roku.

Za lokomotywą jest EU07-215 oryginalnie prowadząca ten pociąg, a jako przedostatnia jedzie autokuszeta, gdyż w tym pociągu była opcja przewozu samochodu między Zakopanem i Gdynią. Na końcu pomarańczowy wagon pocztowy. Poza tym zasadniczą część pociągu stanowiły wyłącznie wagony sypialne i kuszetki, jak to w hotelu.

O samej powodzi i jej konsekwencjach dla ruchu kolejowego więcej przy okazji tego zdjęcia.

Fot. Jarek / Chester

Done