Kraków 2024-12-31

Passenger wagon, sleeper wagon.

The history of sleeper cars is interesting, and at its core is the comfort and luxury offered to wealthy passengers. Although over time this comfort and luxury became available to the middle class, which was good for the railway. In the mid-19th century, when the railway began to gain popularity, long journeys were uncomfortable and tiring. Passengers often slept on hard benches in third-class cars. The first attempts to introduce more comfortable sleeping places consisted of modifying ordinary cars by adding bunks that were folded out for the night. In the period 1830-1840, in the UK and France, experiments began with cars offering space for sleeping. In 1859, in the USA, Mr. George Pullman began work on sleeping cars. His prototype car, called “Pioneer”, debuted in 1865. In reality, only the name “Pullman” remained, which was a symbol of luxury. The carriages had such a disadvantage that the sleeping places were only folded out for the night. The real luxury turned out to be the “Orient Express”, where wealthy passengers had private cabins with bathrooms at their disposal. Only later, Mr. George Pullman introduced compartment carriages, and in them; comfortable beds, varnished wood decor, velvet fabrics and kerosene lamps. Full-size beds appeared in these carriages only in 1867.

Let’s remember that stagecoach travel looked different. Passengers traveled 60-120 km during the day and spent the night in inns. The journey took a very long time. That is why passengers accepted the sleeping carriages with great interest; “You sleep, and the train keeps going”. In 1876, Mr. Georges Nagelmackers founded Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL), which operated prestigious trains such as the “Orient Express”.

On May 9, 1896, the first Nord Express set off from St. Petersburg (Muscovite State) to Ostend (today Belgium). The train was made up of CIWL (Compagnie internationale des wagons-lits, or International Sleeping Car Company) cars. The cars were built at the factory in Görlitz. At the Muscovite State border, during check-in, passengers changed to another train. The border station was in Eidkuny (Чернышевское – Chernyshevskoye). The train was already traveling through Prussia on a normal track.

From 1880 to 1939, sleeper cars became a symbol of comfort and prestige. Sleeper cars were widely used on long-distance trains such as the Trans-Siberian, the Blue Train in South Africa and the Simplon-Orient-Express in Europe. In the period 1890-1930, the CIWL company dominated Europe, operating sleeper cars of hotel standard. In the USA, in the period 1930-1940, the Pullman Company dominated, with a fleet of several thousand sleeper cars, used by both wealthy travelers and the middle class.

World War II, started by the Germans and their Muscovite brothers, changed transport. The importance of sleeper cars decreased. Passenger aviation appeared, and trains with diesel and electric locomotives began to run at speeds of 140 km/h – 160 km/h. However, in countries such as the CCCP, China and India, the railway did not lose its prestige. After 1950, air conditioning, new lighting systems and toilets with showers were introduced in the cars. But sleeper cars slowly became a niche segment.

Sleeping wagons in Poland.

In Poland, the WARS company was established, which operated bar cars – restaurant cars and sleeping cars – couchettes. The name WARS is an acronym for the full name Restaurant and Sleeping Cars. The WARS company was established in 1948, as part of the State Travel Agency ORBIS. In 1960, in the Orbis Restaurant and Sleeping Cars company, the word ORBIS was replaced with the word WARS.

Classic dishes in WARS bars were bigos, fasolka po bretońsku, pork chop thin as tissue paper and diluted draft beer. The WARS company not only operated cars, but also restaurants and bars at PKP and PKS stations. In trains without a bar, in the first or last compartment of the train, a shop was organized with: tea, coffee, beer, bottled water, bars, chocolate, ready-made sandwiches. Meals were served on white faience tableware with the WARS logo. There were also reusable aluminum cutlery. There were also portable shopkeepers who walked through the train with goods at large stations and got off at the next station.

In the 1970s, WARS had 114 restaurant and bar cars and organized about 350 shops in the compartments. The cars were inspected by sanitary inspectors. They checked the quality, price and even the weight of the food offered. The appearance of waiters was checked, who had to wear a white blouse and black trousers, and women had to wear a long white apron and a cap on their heads.

After 1989, the company went into decline. In the 90s, WARS was transformed into a joint-stock company. Since 2008, the company has modernized its cars and acquired highly qualified personnel, who have constantly improved their qualifications and skills. In 2012, WARS operated 15 restaurant cars and 46 bar cars, 79 sleeper cars and 55 couchette cars. WARS introduced mobile trolleys, i.e. mini-shops with drinks and snacks.

Currently, WARS provides services only for the PKP InterCity carrier. Until 2020, the time of the Chinese virus pandemic, the company operated 17 Intercity Premium trains. It had 22 restaurant cars, 55 bar cars and 42 couchette cars. The company also has four restaurants in Warsaw. The company employed about 1,400 employees. Currently (2024) the company is 50.02% owned by PKP InterCity and 49.98% by the State Treasury. In the period 2009-2015, the Polish government of Volksdeutsche, communists and freemasons, tried to sell its shares, but to no avail.

As of November 17, 2022, PKP InterCity had 133 sleeper cars, of which 61 were operational. 10 of these cars were undergoing periodic repairs, and 62 cars were intended for sale. At that time, PKP InterCity had a total of 49 couchette cars, but only 21 were operational, of which 3 were undergoing inspections. 25 couchette cars were intended for sale. In 2022, PKP InterCity launched 42 sleeper cars (marked WLAB) and 12 couchette cars (marked Bc) in 26 trains.

In 2022, InterCity planned to purchase 300 new cars, including 39 day-night cars with a speed of 200 km/h. Polish companies were counting on winning a dozen or so contracts. Unfortunately, in December 2023, the German Deutch, communists and freemasons returned to power in Poland. The new contracts concluded bypassed all Polish companies.

Initially, all the carriages were painted dark green (olive), as a protective scheme for the still possible next war. Then new colours were introduced: couchettes were painted blue, sleeping carriages navy blue, and catering carriages were repainted rusty brown.

Currently, the WARS company runs a typical catering and a mobile hostel. WARS provides services in restaurant, bar, sleeping and couchette carriages. The company also provides services in the field of cleaning and washing passenger carriages and has four restaurants located in Warsaw. The carriages leased by WARS are painted in colours that distinguish them from other PKP InterCity carriages. WARS carriages can be found on 44 domestic and international connections. In 2024, WARS operated 20 Express InterCity Premium trains, 35 restaurant cars and 82 bar cars, as well as 42 sleeper cars and couchette cars.

Number of wagons.

UIC-Y standard sleeper cars: Görlitz sleeper cars delivered in 1967, in the quantity of 50 units. GOŠA sleeper cars delivered in 1974, in the quantity of 30 units. Görlitz sleeper cars delivered in 1975, in the quantity of 30 units. Görlitz sleeper cars delivered in 1977, in the quantity of 50 units. Görlitz sleeper cars delivered in 1979, in the quantity of 80 units. Görlitz sleeper cars delivered in 1981, in the quantity of 100 units. Bautzen sleeper cars delivered in 1986, in the quantity of 50 units. Sleeper-couch car HCP/FPS delivered in 2000, in the quantity of one copy. Sleeper cars type 306Ab PESA delivered in 2003, in the quantity of 4 copies. Sleeper cars type 305Ad FPS delivered in 2004, in the quantity of 10 copies.

It is worth mentioning the Görlitz factory. In 1953, the VEB Waggonbau Görlitz factory began building the first series of 10 sleeper cars of class 1, which were equipped with two sets of bogies: standard gauge and broad gauge. In 1954, at the station in Brest, changing stations were launched, where standard gauge bogies were exchanged for broad gauge bogies and vice versa. In the period 1959-1961, 140 sleeper cars were produced in Görlitz for the CCCP railway, compliant with RIC regulations, i.e. meeting the requirements of the gauge used in Europe. In the period 1967-1983, for the needs of international traffic, the Görlitz plant produced 850 sleeper cars from the UIC-Y family. Around 1990, the Russian Railways placed an order for new sleeper cars of the UIC-Z standard. In 1992, the Görlitz plant produced a prototype of such a car of the WLABmz type. This car made several demonstration runs, and in February 1993, it was in Warsaw. In the period 1994-1995, the factory produced 100 cars of this type ordered by the Russian Railways. The Muscovites received only 85 copies because they had no money for the rest. Most of the wagons were rebuilt into other types and sold to other countries.

FPS sleeper wagon type 305 Ad.

The sleeper car type 305 Ad has been designed for high comfort and reliability during long journeys. The car has a self-supporting structure made of high-strength steel. The car has anti-corrosion protection that guarantees many years of use. Thermal and acoustic insulation made of mineral wool has been used. Modern entrance doors and modern interior lighting. The interior of the 305Ad car is carefully designed to provide comfort to passengers. Class A and 2/1 sleeper compartments offer a variety of options tailored to the needs of travelers, from individual sanitary facilities to modern electronic amenities. Class A sleeper compartments have an individual sanitary facility. Class 2/1 sleeper compartments have three fold-out beds. Automatic air conditioning with individual temperature control. Closed-circuit toilets. The 305Ad car is equipped with a number of advanced safety systems and technologies that ensure a safe and comfortable journey. Integrated monitoring systems and fire protection guarantee peace and safety of passengers. The vestibules and corridor are monitored, and the system has a function of recording image and sound. The fire protection system has sensors in each room. A novelty is the burglar protection system with motion sensors and light and sound signals. What is not noticeable to passengers, the car has a multi-voltage converter type PSM50W, which provides power. It is supplemented by a system of electric energy batteries.

PESA sleeper wagon type 306 Ab.

The sleeper car type 306 Ab is a UIC-Z standard car. The design of the sleeper car type 306Ab was developed in the PESA Bydgoszcz plant based on the assumptions of the PKP InterCity company, in connection with the planned launch of a new international night connection in the 2003/2004 timetable, the Kraków-Kiev-Kraków route. The cars were built in 2003, as a result of a major modernization of four type 136A cars. The cars were equipped with type 25AN/S5 bogies with adjustable SUW2000 wheel sets. The 25AN/S5 rolling bogies were built by the ZNTK Poznań plant. The wheels in the bogies can be changed in gauge; 1435 mm and 1520 mm. A classic screw coupler and an automatic SA-3 (Russian) were installed in the fronts of the cars. The 306Ab type cars received a new type of glued-in windows, which have integral roller blinds. These were the first passenger cars in Poland with glued-in windows. Entrance doors of the push-pull type with an electric-pneumatic drive were installed. The doors are located only at one end of the car, which makes it easier for the staff to check on the passengers being accepted.

The 306Ab type sleeper car has 10 sleeping compartments; 8 1st/2nd class compartments. Two business class compartments, with individual toilets, a service (kitchen) compartment, which are located halfway down the car body. Two public sanitary compartments, including one with a shower. The total number of seats for passengers is 28. An additional heating system was installed in the 306Ab type car, consisting of two oil air heaters, with a heat flow capacity of 8 kW each. This heating was due to the many hours of passenger border checks and UIC requirements, and not due to a failure of the basic electric heating from the locomotives.

The first car was presented in Bydgoszcz on March 24, 2003. The cars were not used for long. Currently (2024) the cars are parked in Krakow and await further decisions.

T-T data of the 306Ab sleeper car: Designations; WLABdimnu, WLABbmnouz, WLAB10bmnouz. Manufacturer PESA Bydgoszcz S.A. Production 2003. Number of copies 4. Total length 26.40 m. Width 2.82 m. Height 4.05 m. Weight 53,000 kg. Number of passengers 28. Maximum speed 160 km/h. Trailer bogies 25AN/S5 – SUW2000. Disc brakes. PSM50W type generator.

Written by Karol Placha Hetman