Kraków 2024-11-25

Railway line No. 94 Kraków Płaszów – Oświęcim.

The railway line No. 94 Kraków Płaszów – Oświęcim can be described as the Galician Vistula Railway. The distance of the tracks from the Vistula River does not exceed 6 km, and the longest is at the height of the Kraków Sidzina passenger stop. The line was to shorten the Vienna – Lviv route, completely bypassing Kraków. Let us remember that in the second half of the 19th century, during the partitions, the Austrians constantly humiliated Kraków. They treated Wawel as a fortress, military barracks and a field hospital, bringing it to ruin.

The railway line No. 94 Kraków Płaszów – Oświęcim is a line running meridionally. The line is 64.502 km long, is a double-track line and is electrified with 3 kV DC current. In 1918, the line was incorporated into the reborn Poland. The line was launched in 1884. On August 1, 1884, the first train ran along the Podgórze (historical site, currently the area of ​​former quarries) – Oświęcim route. From the very beginning, the LK had normal gauge tracks of 1,435 mm. Infrastructure in the form of: stations, water towers, rail-road crossings; were built a few years later. During the Great World War, the course of the track in Kraków in the area of ​​Lanckorońska Street changed. The track ran along the current Lanckorońska Street and had a large slope, so this section had to be rebuilt. In 2017, the number of tracks changed from two to one between Kraków Płaszów – Kraków Bonarka, in connection with the construction of connecting line No. 624 and the reconstruction of connecting line No. 603.

The electrification of the route was carried out in two stages; on October 30, 1970, on the Kraków Płaszów – Spytkowice section and on September 9, 1971, on the Spytkowice – Oświęcim section.

LK No. 94 is of national importance, mainly for freight traffic between Silesia and Kraków. Since 2000, passenger traffic on the line has been decreasing, especially on the Skawina – Oświęcim section. The Kraków Płaszów – Skawina section was important, because it is followed by LK No. 97 towards Zakopane. The last passenger train to travel the entire line No. 94 in 2014 was the international InterRegio train from Kraków to Ostrava in the Czech Republic: Kraków – Skawina – Oświęcim – Czechowice Dziedzice – Zebrzydowice – Ostrava. In 2015, trains on the Kraków – Skawina – Oświęcim route were restored. However, after a year, due to the poor condition of the tracks and the long travel time, traffic was suspended again. At the end of 2022, after repairs, passenger traffic was restored. On September 8, 2024, Sunday, on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of the existence of LK No. 94, the Retro train passed along the route. The train was pulled by the Ty42-107 steam locomotive and the EP07-201 electric locomotive. There were 5 historic passenger cars in the train. The train was assembled by Skansen Chabówka.

There are 4 bridges, 5 viaducts and 10 railway culverts on LK No. 94. All of them were renovated in the period 2017-2024. The first bridge is in Krakow on the Wilga River, which was rebuilt as part of the construction of the Łagiewnicka Route. Before the Skawina Jagielnia stop, there is a crossing of the Rzepnik River. Behind the Skawina station, there is a three-track bridge over the Skawinka River. The third for railway line No. 97 towards Kalwaria and Zakopane. After the Zelczyna stop, the tracks cross the Zelczynka River. After the Wielkie Drogi station, the tracks cross the Sosnowianka River. After the Spytkowice station, the tracks cross the Skawa River. After the Włosienica stop, there is a bridge over the Macocha River. Within the Oświęcim city limits, the line crosses the Soła River.

In 2017, a long-distance InterCity train ran on the following routes: Warsaw – Kraków – Skawina – Oświęcim – Dziedzice – Vienna. There was also a train on the Przemyśl – Kraków – Trzebinia – Oświęcim – Praga route. Connections were suspended due to the renovation of LK No. 93 from Trzebinia to Czechowice Dziedzice and the renovation of the Dziedzice junction. The renovations were completed in 2024, although further minor modernizations are planned; platforms, bridges, culverts and rail-road crossings. Currently (2024) on LK No. 94 the speeds are 120/80/60 km//h, depending on the section. LK No. 94 is operated in passenger traffic by Koleje Małopolskie. There is a SKA2 line (Fast Agglomeration Railway) here, which runs on the distance Oświęcim – Skawina – Kraków Główny – Miechów – Sędziszów.

In 2022, the tender for renovation works on the Podbory Skawińskie – Oświęcim section was resolved. The tender for the preparation of design documentation and construction works on the Podbory Skawińskie – Oświęcim section as part of the modernization of LK No. 94 Kraków – Oświęcim was announced in April 2022. 10 companies entered the tender, and the winner was Przedsiębiorstwo Napraw i Utrzymania Infrastruktury Kolejowej in Kraków. The price was one of the criteria for selecting offers, and PNiUIK offered PLN 113,697,900 gross for the execution of the task. This is below the cost estimate, which amounted to PLN 117,443,576.63 gross. As part of the investment in the “design and build” system, works were carried out on the Podbory – Brzeźnica and Dwory – Oświęcim routes. In addition, the old bridge was demolished and a new railway bridge was built in its place over the Spytkowicki stream (Brzezinka) and Zamkowa Street, in Spytkowice. The implementation time was 16 months. In the spring of 2024, passenger trains returned to the entire route.

As part of the modernization, new platforms were built, among others, at the stations and stops: Podbory Skawińskie, Spytkowice Kępki, Zelczyna, Brzeźnica, Półwsi and Jaśkowice. The tracks on the Podbory Skawińskie – Brzeźnica section were modernized. The track bed was reinforced, the ballast was cleaned, some of the sleepers were replaced, and the arches were corrected. The cost of the works amounted to PLN 14 million. In the period 2017-2024, PLN 400 million was spent on the renovation and modernization of LK No. 94.

The route of LK No. 94 Kraków Płaszów – Oświęcim.

The railway line No. 94 Kraków Płaszów – Oświęcim, starts at the Kraków Płaszów station (elevation 204 m). Then it runs through: Krakow Podgórze Platform 2 (1.430 km, elevation 214 mm), Historic site at the quarry (1.5 km), Krakow Bonarka (3.120 km, elevation 220 m, there were three sidings here: 133c, 603, 624), Krakow Łagiewniki (4.380 km, elevation 219 m), Former siding to Krakow Wilga (4.56 km), Krakow Sanktuarium (5.340 km, elevation 219 m), Krakow Swoszowice (7.090 km, elevation 222 m), Former siding to Kobierzyn (8.98 km), Krakow Opatkowice (9.660 km, elevation 237 m, opening 2021), Krakow Sidzina (11.590 km, elevation 243 m), Skawina Jagielnia (14.200 km, elevation 220 m, opening 2021), Skawina (15.470 km, elevation 215 m), Skawina Zachodnia (17.680 km, elevation 220 m, beginning of LK No. 97), Podbory Skawińskie (19.420 km, elevation 214 m), Zelczyna (21.500 km, elevation 214 mm), Wielkie Drogi (23.940 km, elevation 218 m), Jaśkowice (26.630 km, elevation 219 m), Brzeźnica (29.940 km, elevation 219 m), Półwieś (33.940 km, elevation 222 m), Ryczów (36.860 km, elevation 223 m), Spytkowice Kępki (38.580 km, elevation 224 m), Spytkowice (42.080 km, elevation 228 m, intersection with LK No. 103), Zator (45.600 km, elevation 229 m), Zator Park Rozrywki (47.300 km, elevation 229 m, the stop was opened on July 24, 2016), Przeciszów (50.110 km, elevation 227 m), Włosienica (53.300 km, elevation 229 m), Dwory (57.370 km, elevation 229 m, LK No. 886), Oświęcim OwC (62.850 km, elevation 234 m, LK No. 93, 699), Oświęcim (64.290 km, elevation 234 m, LK No. 93, 138, 882).

Written by Karol Placha Hetman