Świnoujście 2022-07-06

Świnoujście Centrum railway station.

Geographic coordinates: 53.915N 14.233E.

There are two railway stations in Świnoujście. The main Świnoujście station is located on Wolin Island in the Warszów district and is very well connected to the PKP railway network. The station is a frontal station. Świnoujście station serves passenger traffic and, above all, freight traffic, due to the large seaport. The Świna navigable canal divides the city of Świnoujście into two parts. Therefore, in Świnoujście, passenger and car traffic through the Świna canal is carried out by two ferry crossings. The first ferry crossing Warszów – Świnoujście and the second Krasibród – Świnoujście. The Świna Tunnel will soon be put into operation. The Świna Tunnel is to be put into operation at the turn of May and June 2023. On the other hand, on the Uznam island in Świnoujście there was a railway frontal station Swinemünde Bad. The Swinemünde Bad station was put into operation in 1888, i.e. in German times. Geographic coordinates of Swinemünde Bad (Świnoujście Nieradków): 53.912N 14.239E.

However, the stupid Germans started the Second World War. The Germans not only lost the war, but also lost a lot of territory to Poland. For this reason, the Polish nation was not happy, because we lost the Polish Borderlands, i.e. the eastern territories of the Republic of Poland to the CCCP. This was decided by the dictator-tsar Stalin, with the consent of the Allies. For several months, the Muscovites considered where to draw the border between Poland and the zone of Russian influence – the German Democratic Republic. Ultimately, the borders were marked by Uznam Island, leaving the entirety of Świnoujście within the borders of Poland. The border was not drawn straight, but as a broken line, because many CCCP military units were stationed in the forests. The Muscovites “hunted” on both sides of the border until 1993.

Importantly, in 1945, the Swinemünde Bad railway station received the Polish name Świnoujście Nieradków. The station operated at least until 1947. On the railway map from 1948, the Świnoujście Nieradków station and the railway line no longer exist.

The Świnoujście Nieradków station was closed down and was located in the current park between Wojska Polskiego, Jana Matejki and Jacek Malczewskiego streets. In place of the former railway line, many years later apartment blocks were built. The Świnoujście Centrum station was built many years later, about 300 m west of the former Świnoujście Nieradków station.

Świnoujście Centrum station.

Geographic coordinates: 53.915N 14.233E.

The Świnoujście Centrum railway station was built on the initiative of the Germans. This was due to the fact that old Germans miss their lost city. And above all, in Poland there is cheaper fuel, lots of fruit and vegetables, good restaurants, and in them very good food, and cheap and good beer. There are many children in Świnoujście. There is a lot going on on the promenade and it is cheerful. In Germany it is sad, quiet and there are no children. The only advantage of our neighbors is free toilets.

The Świnoujście Centrum station was marked out on an empty square between the streets: Wojska Polskiego, 11 Listopada and Legionów. The station was built together with the extension of the railway line, from the Ahlbeck Grenze railway stop, on the German side. The investor was the German company Usedomer Bäderbahn (UBB, Uznamska Kolej Nadmorska). Construction began when it was certain that Poland would join the Schengen area. This eliminated the need to build a border crossing.

The railway line is approximately 1,500 m long. The investment value amounted to approximately 2 million Euro, including the purchase of land. The line and the final stop were completed in February 2008. Finally, on September 20, 2008, passenger traffic was launched. There is no freight traffic on the route. The route is single-track, non-electrified. There is only one switch at the Świnoujście Centrum station. The stop itself has one island platform with two edges. The platform is of a low type, only 20 cm from the railhead. The trains that serve the station are low-floor. The platform surface is covered with anti-slip tiles. There is no yellow safety line, as there is on Polish platforms. However, there is a white path leading for the blind. Other regulations apply to our neighbors. In Poland, a path for the blind cannot be a warning line for travelers. The platform is lit with 10 lanterns. There are two bus shelters with benches on the platform.Dwa tory Nr 31 i 32. Tory na końcu to jest 202,8 km linii kolejowej. Tory kończą się kozłami oporowymi przymocowanymi do szyn. Szyny są przymocowane do betonowych strunowych podkładów, za pomocą zacisków sprężynowych.

There are bicycle racks at the platform. There are no buildings at the station. There are information boards with announcements and timetables at the entrance to the platform. The station is fenced off to the north and south with a low fence to prevent pets from entering the station. The entire facility is monitored.

The line service and the rail traffic control system are the sole responsibility of the “DB” carrier. The station has German signaling and is controlled from the signal box in Seebad Heringsdorf. The “DB” carrier develops the timetable and ticket prices exclusively. Specifically, the maintenance of the line in Poland is handled by the subsidiary company Usedomer Bäderbahn Polska Sp. z o.o. (Uznamska Kolej Nadmorska sp. z o.o. – UBB Polska).

The trains are mainly used by Germans and tourists who treat the train ride as an attraction. But don’t count on beautiful landscapes. For Poles, the train ride is too expensive, especially with bicycles. The train staff speaks only German. Don’t count on English, and even less on Polish. The highest passenger traffic is recorded during the holiday season, when up to 2,000 passengers use the train during the day.

Stadler GTW 2/6 Diesel Multiple Unit.

The Stadler GTW 2/6 Diesel Multiple Unit is currently the train of the German Uznamska Kolej Nadmorski, which was established in 1994. The carrier purchased 20 Stadler GTW 2/6 vehicles. The trains have a maximum speed of 120 km/h, have 126 seats and 91 standing places. One of the carriages has space for wheelchairs and bicycles. There is one toilet in a closed system in the train.

The Stadler GTW 2/6 DMU was manufactured based on the GTW trains, which were developed by the Stadler Rail AG concern in cooperation with ADtranz, Daimler Chrysler Rail Systems AG (electrical components and drive bogies) and Bombardier Transportation, Stadler Bussnang AG (mechanical part).

The Stadler GTW 2/6 DMU is a three-unit train. The middle car is a motor car, in which a 550 kW MTU 12V 183 diesel engine is placed, which is coupled with a three-phase AC generator. The electric energy drives two 2 x 210 kW traction motors. The engines are placed in the driving bogie, one on each axle. The driving wheels have a diameter of 0.86 m. The outer cars are passenger cars and have driver’s cabins in their fronts. The outer cars rest on a two-axle rolling bogie, the rolling wheels have a diameter of 0.68 m. The low floor occupies 70% of the cars and is at a height of 0.585 m from the rail head. The high floor is at a height of 1.00 m from the rail head. Each passenger car has one pair of sliding doors with a clear entrance of 1.30 m. The SZT can accommodate 126 seated passengers and 91 standing passengers.

All bogies have pneumatic rail brakes. The fronts of the train have automatic Scharfenberg couplers. The train is adapted to work in multiples, up to three SZT units. The vehicle is equipped with air conditioning, heating, monitoring, and a passenger information system.

Basic data of the SZT Stadler GTW 2/6: Axle arrangement: 2′ + Bo’ + 2′. Track gauge: 1,435 mm. Length 38.66 m. Height 3.85 m. Width 3.00 m. Stadler GTW 2/6 units are operated by UBB – Usedomer Bäderbahn GmbH (Uznam Seaside Railway), owned by the German Federal Railways (Deutsche Bahn AG) on the following routes: Świnoujście Centrum via Ahlbeck Grenze (Poland – Germany state border), Zinnowitz, Züssow and Stralsund to Barth and from Zinnowitz to Peenemünde.

Written by Karol Placha Hetman