Andrychów 2024-11-03

Andrychów Railway Station.

Geographic coordinates: 49.855N 19.352E. Elevation 349 m (1,145 ft). Address: KRAKOWSKA 25, 34-120 ANDRYCHÓW.

The city of Andrychów.

The city of Andrychów is located in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in the Wadowice district, in the Andrychów commune. The city has an area of ​​10.34 km2. The population is 18,311 (2024). The city is located on the Wieprzówka River in the Beskid Mały.

The settlement was founded in the 13th century. Andrychów began to develop when the Duchy of Zator came under the rule of the Polish Kings, from February 20, 1564. In the 16th century, weaving began to develop in Andrychów. The location took place in 1767, and gave the city the privilege of fairs and the creation of guild organizations. The name Andrychów is derived from the name Jędrychów, i.e. from the name Jędrzej (Andrzej). In 1772, Andrychów found itself in the Austrian partition, and returned to the Reborn Republic in 1918. The city has strong industrial traditions; cotton industry, textile industry and machine industry. The most famous plant was the Diesel Engine Factory “Andoria”. The city is well connected by rail and road. Andrychów is crossed by roads; national road No. 52 Kraków – Bielsko Biała and provincial road No. 781 Chrzanów – Łękawica. Long-distance transport is provided by numerous bus carriers. The most popular route is Andrychów – Kraków.

Andrychów railway station.

In 1888, a railway line was brought to Andrychów from Bielsko Biała and led to Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. The road was an extension of the Moravian-Silesian Railway. Currently, it is LK No. 117; Bielsko Biała – Kęty – Andrychów – Wadowice – Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Lanckorona. Andrychów station is located at 30.512 km of LK No. 117. The railway station in Andrychów has the category of a regional station. In the period 1888-1911, the station was called Andrychau, and from 1911 to the present day it has been called Andrychów. The line was built by the kk privilegierte Kaiser Ferdinands Nordbahn (KFNB), or the Imperial-Royal Privileged Northern Railway of Emperor Ferdinand. This company existed from 4 March 1836 to 1 January 1906, when it was nationalised. There are two railway stations in Andrychów: Andrychów and Andrychów Górnica.

The Andrychów station was built during the partition period, as a typical Austrian building, according to typical plans for a smaller station. The building is two-storey, three-axis, with a projection on the driveway side. It was built of red brick and was not plastered. It has decorative, white door and window frames. It is covered with a gabled hipped roof with a swallowtail. Currently, the roof is covered with roofing felt, but initially it was red roof tiles. The attic is undeveloped and covered with wooden panelling from the outside. Bars were installed in the ground floor windows. The ANDRYCHÓW inscriptions were placed on the side elevations and on the side of the tracks. The inscription on the side of the tracks is spatial and was illuminated by a neon sign. The interior of the station is available to travelers as a waiting room, but the ticket offices are closed, there are no benches or toilets. However, the walls and woodwork are painted and clean. The condition of the building is very good.

The last renovation of the station was carried out in the period 2019-2020. The track system was rebuilt, improving the track parameters. The curves were softened by increasing their radius. Unused tracks and exits to inactive sidings were eliminated. The switches and the traction network were replaced. Most of the track is on wooden sleepers, with bolted fastenings. The entire station is fenced, for the safety of residents, their pets and passing trains. The station has two main basic tracks (No. 1 and 2) and two additional main tracks (No. 3 and 4). All are through. The track system is complemented by a short side track for loading and unloading, next to which there is a loading yard. In the past, access tracks led from the station to the sawmill siding, which is now eliminated.

The station has one island platform with two edges, located between tracks No. 1 and 2. However, in its history, the station had three platform edges. The first was the edge by the station building. Access to the island platform is possible via a level crossing at the end of the platform, from the west side. Platform 1 is an island, high type, 200 m long. Height 0.76 m, from the railhead. On the platform there are bus shelters with benches, display cases with railway information, audio system, lighting, analog clocks with white dials, garbage cans. The edge of the platform is lined with grey prefabricated slabs with a yellow warning line, buttons and dimensions 1 m x 2 m. The rest of the surface is lined with grey pavement tiles, dimensions 0.5 m x 0.5 m. There is also a linear rainwater drain in the surface. Access to the platform is at the rail level, secured by automatic barriers, S2 signals, sound signals and fencing.

At Andrychów station, former warehouse buildings are used for non-rail purposes. The ramp remains, but is not used and is degrading. Traffic at the station is directed from one signal box with “An” equipped with OSA relay devices. The signal box is located in the station building. Initially, there were two signal boxes at the station, “An” and “An1”.

There is a bus station at the railway station. Over the last ten years, passenger traffic at Andrychów station has been systematically increasing, from 50 passengers per day to 500 passengers per day. A temporary decrease occurred during the Chinese virus pandemic; 2020. On December 2, 2024, 16 trains departed from Andrychów station. Passengers could travel to the following stations: Bielsko-Biała Główna, Kraków Główny, Wadowice.

Written by Karol Placha Hetman