Świdnik 2024-07-17

Świdnik Town railway station.

Geographical coordinates: 51.223 N 22.694 E. Elevation 211 m.

The Świdnik railway station was opened in 1905, at a time when Poland was still under partition. Lublin with Świdnik (Adampol), which at the time was a village and was under the Moscow partition. It is worth noting that during the partitions the station was called Adampol.

A small red-brick, single-storey station with an unused attic was built. Construction of this station took place between 1905 and 1914, and it is located to the west of the present Świdnik Miasto station. The old station building still exists today (2024) and is used exclusively for residential purposes. This building is the oldest house in Swidnik.

In 1967, a new station and stop, Świdnik Miasto, were built in a new location. This was due to the need to make commuting easier for the thousands of employees of PZL WSK Świdnik. The station was a typical modernist building consisting of two small buildings that were covered by a common flat roof. One part functioned as a waiting room and ticket office, and the other was the railway service rooms. The old station became a freight station and the new station, which is moved eastwards, a passenger station.

In the period 2006-2007, renovation of the platforms at Świdnik Miasto station was carried out. The old shelters were removed and new ones erected. The surface was changed from flagstones to cobblestones. New prefabricated red panels were laid along the edges of the platforms. New lighting and an audio system were installed. The platforms were raised by just 0.10 m.

New station. 2022.

Between 2020 and 2022, a major refurbishment of the station was carried out. The building was extensively rebuilt and adapted to meet current needs. The façade was made of grey panels and richly glazed. Canopies were made on one side and the other of the building, with bike racks and motorbike parking spaces underneath. The car park accommodates up to 28 bicycles and also has a repair station for the bikes by their owners. On the city side, the facade bears the navy blue inscription ‘PKP Railway Station’ and on the platform side the inscription ‘PKP Świdnik Miasto’. This is complemented by analogue clocks. The station was built in the Innovative System Station formula, according to the PKP’s original concept. The maximum height of the building is 8 m. Photovoltaic panels have been installed on the roof. Security systems are also state-of-the-art, such as monitoring, access control and burglary and assault signalling, among others.

The building is divided into two parts. The first has a waiting room, equipped with benches, display cabinets, electronic boards for train arrivals and departures, an audio information system and a clock. The room is also air-conditioned and heated. The second has a space provided for commercial activities. A toilet is also available for passengers.

The new station is free of architectural barriers and has many facilities for people with disabilities, including; guided paths in and around the building, Braille signage, contrasting colour schemes and tactile boards with plans of the facility. A car park and a public transport stop were built next to the station. Swidnik was to receive three hydrogen-powered buses.

The station is modern and comfortable. It is the third refurbished railway station in the Lublin Province. The United Right government planned the renovation of as many as 11 railway stations in this province and guaranteed 150 million in the budget. Unfortunately, the seizure of power by the ‘Coalition of 13 December’, destroyed these plans. The new station opened in November 2022. The cost of the investment was PLN 5.2 million. There was EU funding from the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment. The investment was carried out by PKP S.A., and the contractor was a consortium of Heli-Factor Sp. z o.o. and Merx Sp. z o.o..

It should be recalled that the United Right government planned to renovate or restore around 190 railway stations across Poland. Funds amounting to PLN 3.5 billion were earmarked for this purpose.

Railway lines.

The following railway lines run through Świdnik Miasto station:

Railway line No. 7 Warszawa Wschodnia – Dorohusk, that is the former Vistula Iron Road. Currently the line is 267.471 km long. The line is double track, except for the section near the state border. The line is electrified with 3 kV DC traction. Maximum speed is 160 km/h.

Railway line No. 67 Lublin Główny – Świdnik, is a short double-track line, 7.591 km long. The line is electrified with 3 kV DC traction. The line was built in 1877. Electrification took place in 1968, on the Lublin Główny – Lublin Tatary section, and in 1981, on the Lublin Tatary – Świdnik section. The maximum speed on the route is 80 km/h.

Railway line No. 581 Świdnik – Świdnik Airport. The line is 3.695 km long, single-track and electrified with 3 kV DC traction. The line was established in 2012 to carry passengers from Lublin to the Airport. The maximum speed on the route is 60 km/h. In fact, the line is a major upgrade of the railway siding from Świdnik station to the PZL Świdnik plant, a helicopter manufacturer. The decision to revitalise railway line No. 581 was made in 2008, when it was decided to build a passenger stop at the airport terminal. In 2011, the design of the line with the necessary infrastructure was approved. The line received a completely new alignment over a length of 2,500 m, on the Airport side. The line was opened on 14 December 2012, together with the new commercial airport. The line runs from track No. 16 at the Świdnik Miasto railway station to the retaining trestle, next to the terminal platform. In addition to passenger traffic, the trains also serve a railway siding in the industrial area to the companies: Elektrociepłownia GIGA, RPP Świdnik and WSK Świdnik.

Świdnik City Station. 2024.

There are two platforms at the station. Platform 1 is single-edge and serves trains heading towards the city of Chelm. The platform is 200 m long. The platform is covered, illuminated, equipped with benches, display cases with railway information, trash bins. The surface is made of cobblestones and 1 m wide red edge boards, with yellow warning line and buttons. Platform 2 is an island platform with two edges. Trains bound for Lublin stop at the southern edge. Trains to/from the Airport stop at the northern edge. The surface of Platform 2 is identical to Platform 1. Access to the platforms is provided by a tunnel under the tracks and platforms. The tunnel also connects the city of Świdnik with the industrial part of the city.

In July 2024, 50 passenger trains per day departed from Świdnik Miasto station. It was possible to go to: Belzec, Bydgoszcz Glowna, Chelm, Deblin, Dorohusk, Hrubieszow Miasto, Jagodin, Lublin Airport, Lublin Glowna, Swidnik, Terespol, Warsaw East, Zamosc East.

There is also a passenger stop in Świdnik called Świdnik Wschód.

Written by Karol Placha Hetman