The Polish Coal-Mainline - what is to come?
With this post we end the line 201 saga.
SM31-025 with an oversize load from the Alstom factory in Wrocław to the harbour of Gdynia is leaving Żukowo Wschodnie at a steady pace of 5km/h. The train has to travel by night so as not to collide with the very dense passenger traffic which is present here throughout the day.
We talked about what was happening to the old Coal-Mainline in the past years and the last thing left to do is to discuss its future. There is a lot to talk about, as the line is to be one of the most important pieces of the pomeranian transport puzzle. So let's start!
The very important thing to mention here is that most of the pictures I post on this page taken on this line are thanks to the bureaucracy, which slows down the process of modernisation considerably. In the second half of 2017 a company was chosen to be tasked with the construction of a second track between Gdańsk Osowa and Kościerzyna, along with electrifying the route Gdynia - Kościerzyna. Later it was also established that a third track is to be built between Gdynia Główna and Gdańsk Osowa to help distribute the traffic of trains fighting the heavy inclines leading from Gdynia.
A year later another agreement was signed for modernisation of the part Maksymilianowo - Kościerzyna (basically connecting Kościerzyna from the other side). An electrification on this part of the line, costing a couple of milions of PLN to shroten trip time between Bydgoszcz and Kościerzyna by 15 minutes. A second track was also to be laid, though not on the entire line. This project was to be done by the year 2023. We however can empirically conclude, that not a single step was done to start the reconstruction of this line of over 200 kilometers.
So in 2022 an auction for electrifying and laying a second track between Somonino and Kościerzyna started It was organised with the intention of separating the construction works between Gdynia and Kościerzyna into two phases meeting at Somonino, to maybe somehow speed up this process. The auction for electrifying and doubletracking Gdynia - Somonino was started in 2023.
We will see what the future has in stock for us. Having modern signalling and two tracks would allow the line to carry more cargo traffic to the harbour of Gdynia to lift some weight off of the congested line number 9. It would also possibly allow for expanding the local and long distance passenger services, especially for Kościerzyna. For us, railfans, it would mean the end of local railway romantism with mechanical semaphore signals, diesel locomotives and tranquil scenes. However, the world needs to move on.
Thanks for reading through the story :)
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus
The Polish Coal-Mainline - what is to come?
With this post we end the line 201 saga.
SM31-025 with an oversize load from the Alstom factory in Wrocław to the harbour of Gdynia is leaving Żukowo Wschodnie at a steady pace of 5km/h. The train has to travel by night so as not to collide with the very dense passenger traffic which is present here throughout the day.
We talked about what was happening to the old Coal-Mainline in the past years and the last thing left to do is to discuss its future. There is a lot to talk about, as the line is to be one of the most important pieces of the pomeranian transport puzzle. So let's start!
The very important thing to mention here is that most of the pictures I post on this page taken on this line are thanks to the bureaucracy, which slows down the process of modernisation considerably. In the second half of 2017 a company was chosen to be tasked with the construction of a second track between Gdańsk Osowa and Kościerzyna, along with electrifying the route Gdynia - Kościerzyna. Later it was also established that a third track is to be built between Gdynia Główna and Gdańsk Osowa to help distribute the traffic of trains fighting the heavy inclines leading from Gdynia.
A year later another agreement was signed for modernisation of the part Maksymilianowo - Kościerzyna (basically connecting Kościerzyna from the other side). An electrification on this part of the line, costing a couple of milions of PLN to shroten trip time between Bydgoszcz and Kościerzyna by 15 minutes. A second track was also to be laid, though not on the entire line. This project was to be done by the year 2023. We however can empirically conclude, that not a single step was done to start the reconstruction of this line of over 200 kilometers.
So in 2022 an auction for electrifying and laying a second track between Somonino and Kościerzyna started It was organised with the intention of separating the construction works between Gdynia and Kościerzyna into two phases meeting at Somonino, to maybe somehow speed up this process. The auction for electrifying and doubletracking Gdynia - Somonino was started in 2023.
We will see what the future has in stock for us. Having modern signalling and two tracks would allow the line to carry more cargo traffic to the harbour of Gdynia to lift some weight off of the congested line number 9. It would also possibly allow for expanding the local and long distance passenger services, especially for Kościerzyna. For us, railfans, it would mean the end of local railway romantism with mechanical semaphore signals, diesel locomotives and tranquil scenes. However, the world needs to move on.
Thanks for reading through the story :)
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus