Częstochowa 2023-01-19
Railway in Częstochowa.
Geographic coordinates: 50.808N 19.121E.
City of Czestochowa.
Częstochowa is a large city in Poland in the Silesian Voivodeship. Currently, the area of the city is 159.71 square kilometers. Population 217,530 inhabitants (2020). Częstochowa, despite being located within the Silesian Voivodeship, historically and culturally belongs to Lesser Poland. The city is located in the northern part of the Silesian Voivodeship, on the Warta River. Częstochowa is a large industrial, academic and religious center. The Jasna Góra Basilica with the Jasna Góra Monastery of the Pauline Fathers is located in the city. In the chapel there is a miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin Mary surrounded by a special cult. The location of the town took place in the period 1370 - 1377.
PKP Czestochowa.
Geographic coordinates: 50.808N 19.121E.
There are several railway stations in Częstochowa, the most important of which is the Częstochowa station located in the Śródmieście district, on the historic route Warsaw - Vienna. The first railway station was built when the Warsaw - Vienna railway line was built in 1846. In its history, the station was called Częstochowa Osobowa.
The first electric train entered the station in 1956. At the station there is a monument in the form of a steam locomotive TKt48-151.
In 2018, the station served 3,100,000 passengers. In 2021, the station served about 6,900 passengers a day, i.e. 2,518,500 people in a year.
There are four platforms at the station. Platform 1 - The numbering of the platforms is from the side of Marszałek Józefa Piłsudskiego Street, i.e. from the east, not from the side of the station, which is from the west. All platforms are covered. Platform 1 consists of Platform No. 1 and Platform 1A. Platform 1A is the front platform and trains towards Upper Silesia start and end from this platform. Platform 1A is 280 m long. Platform 1 is 385 m long. Platform 2 is 565 m long. The platform is called the pilgrimage platform, because special trains with pilgrims were to stop here. Platform 3 is 470 m long and runs in the shape of the letter "S". Platform 4 is located at the station and has a single edge, although in its history it was double edged. The platform is 275 m long.
At the station there is a tunnel under the tracks and platforms and a covered footbridge over the tracks built like a shopping arcade. In the station area there is also a footbridge over the tracks, which connects 1 Maja Street with Ogrodowa Street. There used to be a railway crossing here, which had to be removed because the barriers were closed almost all the time. The crossing was replaced by a footbridge called "Galeria Street", because paintings depicting the times of the People's Republic of Poland were presented here.
In the vicinity of the Częstochowa station, on the north side, there is a fan-type locomotive depot. In its history, it had 11 positions. Currently, it is still used by PKP, and the turntable is open.
In the vicinity of the Częstochowa station, on the south side, there is also a locomotive depot, rectangular in shape, with seven passable tracks. The locomotive depot is still operated as intended.
Czestochowa Railway Station.
The first railway station in Częstochowa was built in 1845 - 1846, during the construction of the Warsaw-Vienna railway. It was classic in character. The building was two-story, with a basement, covered with a wooden roof, with a slight slope, which was covered with sheet metal. The building housed a ticket and baggage office, a waiting room, and a restaurant. There were apartments on the first floor. In 1852, a telegraph was installed at the station. In 1873, the station was enlarged and then expanded by the architect Czesław Domaniewski. Around 1905, the station was extended again.
The decision to build a new station was made in the mid-70s, when the city became the capital of the province. A competition was announced, which won the design of architect Ryszard Frankowicz. The old station was demolished for the new station. As it turned out, the demolition of the old station was unnecessary. PKP needs turned out to be much smaller. The construction of the new station began in 1989. On November 9, 1996, the station was ceremonially opened. It was the 150th anniversary of bringing the railway to Częstochowa. However, earlier, in 1994, an arcade with waiting rooms above the platforms and tracks was commissioned.
The station has an area of 3,186 square meters and a volume of 41,000 m3. The roof structure is set on 22 pillars, with a height of 11.50 m from the ground level and a diameter of 1 m. The roof element is a skylight that breaks the simple shape.
There are ticket offices, waiting rooms and toilets in the station. At the station, in the passage above the platforms, there is a chapel where masses are celebrated. The station is open 24 hours a day. There are three PKP InterCity ticket offices and three ticket offices of Koleje Śląskie in the station building. There are also ticket machines of Koleje Śląskie and PolRegio. Luggage lockers are located in the checkout hall. Luggage storage is also available at the station, in the photocopying office. Some service premises are open, others are waiting for tenants. Toilets pay PLN 4.00, are located on level 0, opposite the entrance to the station. In selected places it is possible to use the free Wi-Fi network (network name: _PKP_WIFI). There is a local Headquarters of the Railway Protection Guard at the station.
Next to the railway station there is a bus station and the Polish Post office. The station is well connected to the city. There are trams, buses and TAXI. There are two taxi ranks. Parking at the station is paid. Address: 42-200 Częstochowa, Aleja Wolności 21. Access to the Jasna Góra Monastery is Aleja Wolności, and then Avenues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The distance is about 1,800 m.
The following railway lines run through the Częstochowa railway station:
Railway line No. 1 Warszawa Zachodnia - Katowice. Until the Great World War it belonged to the Warsaw-Vienna Railway. It was launched in the years 1845 - 1847. The line currently has a length of 316.066 km. The line is double track and electrified. Railway line No. 700 Częstochowa - Częstochowa Stradom. The line is single-track, electrified. In fact, it is a link between two large railway stations in Częstochowa. In 2015, the line was renovated. The line has a length of 2,542 km. The running speed of the train is up to 50 km/h.
Railway line No. 701 Częstochowa - Kucelinka. It is a single-track line built in the 1950s and connects Częstochowa with the Kucelinka junction post. On December 29, 1973, the line was electrified.
Track system in Częstochowa.
In the 19th century, the track system in Częstochowa was limited to the Warsaw-Vienna route and several railway sidings. But over the years it was expanded.
In the last years of its activity, the company Droga Żelazna Warszawsko - Wienska started a large investment in the construction of the Herby - Kielce route, with a length of 134 km. It was the last large construction in the Russian partition before the Great World War. German industrialists who had shares in the Warsaw - Vienna route sought to build the line. They also had shares in the Right Bank of the Oder Railway (ROUE). The border between the Prussian and Ruthenian partitions ran in the area of Herby, specifically Herby Pruskie and Herby Ruskie. In 1892, the Lubliniec - Herby Pruskie route was built under the Prussian side, with a spacing of 1,066 mm. Soon the rails were reforged into standard gauge 1,435 mm. In the Russian partition in 1903, the Stradom - Herby Ruskie route was launched, with a spacing of 600 mm. Moscow demanded a spacing of 1,524 mm and the route Kielce - Częstochowa - Herby Ruskie was made in this spacing. The trail was a branch from the Iwangorodzko (Dęblin) - Dąbrowska Iron Road line. This is how the Herbska Railway was established in 1911.
The construction of the Herby Railway required the purchase of the narrow-gauge line Stradom - Herby Ruskie. Between Herby Pruskie and Herby Pruskie a standard-gauge slip road was built. The Herba Railway route through Częstochowa followed a different route than it does today. From the Częstochowa station, Stradom ran east along the following streets: Rzeźnicka, Niska, Prosta and curved left to the freight station. The bridge over the Stradomka River has been preserved. The passenger station was between Bór and Równoległa Streets, where there is now a green belt. Next, the track ran through the area of the current VENDO PARK shopping center. Then through: Aleja Niepodległości, National Road No. 1, to the freight station. Even today, after the track, there are green areas. Further on, the Lubliniec - Kielc route ran through the towns of Zawodzie - Dąbie, Mirów to the Kusięta Nowe station. The railway bridge of Kolej Herbska over the Warta River has been preserved.
In 1905, the Warsaw - Vienna route was connected with the Stradom - Herby route. The first connection was the slip road along today's Tadeusza Boya-Żeleńskiego Street and partly Aleja Bohaterów Monte Casino. The slipway connected the Częstochowa station with the Stradom station. Here, where there is now an unusual intersection (Janusz Korczak, Juliusz Słowacki, Bohaterów Monte Casino), there was a passenger train station. It was colloquially called Częstochowa First. The slip road had a standard-gauge rail gauge.
As soon as the Great World War broke out, the Germans reforged the tracks on the Lubliniec - Kielce route, to a gauge of 1,435 mm.
After the Second World War, the track layout of the Herbska Railway in Częstochowa was changed. After World War II, the route of the Herba Railway was moved from the Częstochowa Stradom station to the Kusieta Nowe station. Now, from Częstochowa Stradom station, the line turns right towards the south. The line runs under the National Road No. 43. Then it curves to the left towards the east. The line passes under Bohaterów Katynia Street and further under National Road No. 1 (Aleja Wojska Polskiego). Next, it crosses and connects with Railway Line No. 1, passes the Warta Canal and the Warta River, over the Żelazny Bridge. There are as many as five of these truss bridges, because there are five tracks here. Each track has its own bridge. Next is the Kucelinka railway station, where the tracks cross at junctions. This is where the track to the Częstochowa Mirów goods station departs. The line continues eastwards.
PKP Czestochowa Stradom.
Geographic coordinates: 50.797N 19.107E.
Częstochowa Stradom is the second large station in Częstochowa, which also handles large passenger traffic. The current station building was built in 1911, but has been rebuilt in its history. A third floor was added and the clock tower was removed. The station building is a two-box building with a basement. The main part of the station is three-storey, and on the eastern side there is a one-storey extension with a boiler room. The building is brick, plastered. The ceilings of the building are reinforced concrete. The roof is wooden covered with galvanized sheet. The usable area is 1,466 m2, and the volume is 7,750 m3. The Railway History Museum is located on the first floor. There were ticket offices, a waiting room, toilets and a buffet in the station building. The ticket offices closed in September 2009.
In 1991, the platforms and the station were equipped with a passenger information system based on the boards of the Czechoslovak company ZPA Elektročas - Pragotron. These tables were colloquially called Pragotrons. In 2015, the prototrons were replaced with LCD boards.
In February 2013, PKP SA announced a tender for the renovation project of the station. The plans for the renovation of the station included the renovation of the roof, windows, doors, water, sewage and electrical installations, as well as the renovation of the car park and facade, together with the installation of night illumination, and the new arrangement of the station hall. Reconstruction of toilets that can be used by people with disabilities. The renovation was temporarily abandoned, because ultimately the Municipal Road and Transport Authority did not want to take over the building. Apart from that, the building was in good technical condition. In August 2014, the subject of renovation of the station building was raised again. The renovation was carried out to a lesser extent than originally planned. The building was insulated and a new façade was installed. The toilets, waiting room and ticket offices have been renovated. Information for passengers has been changed.
In the period 2014 - 2015, a complete renovation of the platforms was carried out. The platforms have been raised and given a new non-slip surface. Small sheds and a long roof were installed. New benches and litter bins as well as new railway information were installed. During the renovation, the length of the platforms was changed; Platform 1 was shortened from 340 m to 180 m, and Platform 2 was shortened from 400 m to 350 m. In the period March 2016 - July 2016, a tunnel was made under the tracks to access Platform 2. Until now, the passage was at the track level. At that time, a long roof over Platform 2 was made.
At the station there is a signal box, which was built in the 1980s. The controls were based on relays. In 2003, the traffic control equipment was replaced with a computer system.
Since December 2014, IntrCity Premium trains operated by EMU ED250 Pendolino stop at the Częstochowa Stradom station. The first connections were to Wrocław. The station has two platforms and three platform edges. In 2018, the station served up to 1,500 passengers a day.
The following railway lines run through the Częstochowa Stradom station:
Railway line No. 61 Kielce - Fosowskie is an electrified single- and double-track railway line with a length of 177,300 km. The line was established as the Herbsko-Kielce Railway. The line was built in sections in the period 1892 - 1911. On the Prussian side in the period 1892 - 1903, and on the side of the Russian partition (Częstochowa Stradom - Kielce) until 1911, as a wide track. During the Great World War, the railway line in the part of the Russian partition was forged by the Germans from broad-gauge to standard-gauge. Electrification took place in stages in the period 1967 - 1976.
Railway line No. 700 Częstochowa - Częstochowa Stradom. The line is single-track, electrified. In fact, it is a link between two large railway stations. In 2015, the line was renovated. The line has a length of 2,542 km. Train running speed up to 50 km/h. Railway line No. 702 Częstochowa Stradom – Częstochowa Towarowa is a single-track, electrified line. The line is a connection between the Kucelinka – Częstochowa railway line and the Kielce – Fosowskie railway line and enables the passage of trains from/to Częstochowa Towarowa in the direction of Lubliniec, Wieluń or Tarnowskie Góry. The line has a length of 1.809 km. The switchboard was opened in 1942, and on November 28, 1965, it was electrified.
PKP Czestochowa Towarowa.
Geographic coordinates: 50.792N 19.143E.
Częstochowa Towarowa was commissioned at the same time as Częstochowa Osobowa station. There was a clear division of tasks of individual stations. The goods station initially had only three tracks. After years, there were as many as 30 tracks at the station. The station is served by the CTA signal box (west side) and CTB CT11 (east side).
At Maurycego Mochnackiego Street there is a locomotive depot - a large rectangular building (95 m x 40 m) with four tracks. Next to it is a large hall for handling wagons and trains, 140 m long with one track.
A housing estate for railwaymen's families was built near the goods station. Several blocks called familoks were built. From the German language Familien-Block, which means "family block". The blocks are two- and three-storey. It is made of red brick and stone.
PKP Czestochowa Rakow.
Geographic coordinates: 50.787N 19.155E.
PKP Częstochowa Raków is a passenger stop. On the eastern side of the Częstochowa Towarowa station, over the tracks, there is a viaduct with Aleja Pokoju Street and tram tracks. And right behind the viaduct there is a PKP Częstochowa Raków passenger stop. The name of the station comes from the Raków district. The station was launched in 1910. Until 1949, it was called Błeszno. In the period 1949 - 1966, the name was Częstochowa Błeszno. In 1966, the name was changed to Częstochowa Raków.
There are 5 tracks running through the station, 4 of which are electrified. There are two island platforms in the station, but only 3 platform edges. Access to the platforms is provided by a tunnel under the tracks. The tunnel leads from Skwer Junaków Street on the southern side of the station to Tadeusza Rejtana Street on the northern side. In the period 2015 - 2020, the platforms and the tunnel were renovated. Elevators for disabled people and travelers with large luggage have been installed. At the same time, the bus terminus at Tadeusza Rejtana Street was renovated. New roads, bus stations, sidewalks and bicycle paths were built. In the period 2018 - 2021, new tracks, electric traction and light semaphores were laid at the station itself.
In 2005, the ticket office was closed. In 2013, a ticket machine was launched for Koleje Śląskie and PolRegio trains. In 2017, the station served up to 500 passengers a day.
PKP Czestochowa Angels.
Geographic coordinates: 50.835N 19.151E.
PKP Częstochowa Aniołów is a passenger stop. The station is located in the Wyczerpy-Aniołów district. The station was established in the 1960s. There are two single-edge platforms at the stop. The platforms were of the low type. The platforms and tracks were renovated in 2019. Now the platforms are of a high type with a modern non-slip surface. There are yellow safety lines and lines with tactile pins for blind passengers. Access to the platforms is from the railroad crossing from Jana Andrzeja Morsztyna Street. Local trains stop here. In 2022, the stop served up to 50 passengers.
PKP Czestochowa Gnaszyn.
Geographic coordinates: 50.791N 19.029E.
PKP Częstochowa Gnaszyn is a passenger stop located in the Gnaszyn-Kawodrza district. The station was launched in 1903, on the route of the Herbska Railway. At that time, the station was called Gaszyn. In 1911, the tracks were reforged to a width of 1,524 mm (Russian). In 1914, the Germans converted the track to a normal 1,435 mm. East of the station, sidings to the so-called Gaszyńska Factory were built. The second track was added after the great world war. The electrification of the Częstochowa Stradom - Herby section took place in 1965.
In 1903, an existing building was adopted as a railway station, which was about 0.5 km east of the station, in the direction of Częstochowa. The actual station was built only in 1953. The building was a two-story building with a developed attic, the size of a four-family house, covered with a gable roof. The base of the station was about 15 m x 10 m. Inside there was a ticket office, a waiting room and apartments for railway workers' families. The toilets are located in the annex. From the beginning of the 21st century, the station stood unused and was put up for sale. In 2018, the station was demolished due to its poor technical condition.
A railway warehouse, the size of a single-family house, was also built. The building stands at a road and rail crossing along Torowa Street, from the north. There is a ramp next to the warehouse and a train track that is no longer used. On the opposite side of the railway crossing, on the southern side, there is a "Gn" signal box, from which the crossing barriers are also operated. The freight part of the station stretches from the passage of Torowa Street to the passage of Mała Warszawka Street. There are four tracks at the station, two of which are used to bypass freight trains by passenger trains. The remaining tracks have been dismantled or are not used.
The station is located on the railway line No. 61 Kielce - Fosowskie. In the period 2013 - 2018, the station was renovated. The works did not cover the station building. One double-edged high platform with two bus shelters, benches, rests and railway information was built. Access to the platform is at the track level from the side of Torowa Street, from the east. Since December 2012, no passenger trains have stopped at the station. Passenger traffic returned in December 2015, when Koleje Śląskie resumed trains from Częstochowa to Lubliniec. In 2022, the station served up to 10 passengers.
PKP Czestochowa Mirow.
Geographic coordinates: 50.764N 19.191E.
PKP Częstochowa Mirów is a freight station on the Railway Line No. 155 Kucelinka - Poraj. From the station there are railway sidings to production plants, including Huta Szkła Częstochowa. The station is located among forests and has never been used as a passenger station.
PKP Częstochowa passenger traffic:
Częstochowa is well connected with the rest of the country. Data from January 2023. There are 86 trains a day. From Częstochowa you can get to: Białystok - InterCity "Nałkowska", InterCity "Pilecki. Bielsko Biała - InterCity "Daszyński", "Hutnik", "Kormoran", "Pilecki". Busko Zdroj - 1 PolRegio train. Gdynia - 1 InterCity train "Hutnik", 3 TLK trains "Karpaty", "Doker", "Flisak". Gliwice - 19 trains of Koleje Śląskie. Katowice - 3 TLK trains "Chemik", "Doker", "Flisak". Kielce - 4 PolRegio trains. Krakow - InterCity "Reymont". Krynica Zdrój - TLK "Karpaty". Lubliniec - 8 trains of Koleje Śląskie and 1 PolRegio train. Łazy - 1 train of Koleje Śląskie. Łódź Fabryczna - 4 PolRegio trains and 1 InterCity "Reymont" train. Namyslow - 1 PolRegio train. Olsztyn - 2 InterCity trains "Skarbek", "Kormoran". Piotrków Trybunalski - 1 PolRegio train. Płock - TLK "Chemist. Racibórz - TLK "Treasure". Radomsko - 6 PolRegio trains. Szklarska Poręba Górna - 2 TLK trains "Karkonosze", "Orzeszkowa". Tychy - 5 trains of Koleje Śląskie. Warsaw Gdańska - InterCity "Olenka", TLK "Orzeszkowa". Warszawa Wschodnia - 2 InterCity trains "Fredro", "Daszyński" and TLK "Karkonosze". Włoszczowa - 2 PolRegio trains. Wrocław Główny - 3 InterCity trains "Fredro", Nałkowska, "Olenka". Zakopane - TLK "Karpaty".
PKP Częstochowa Stradom passenger traffic:
Czestochowa Stradom. Data from January 2023. There are 44 passenger trains. You can get to: Bialystok - InterCity "Nałkowska". Częstochowa - 10 trains of Koleje Śląskie and PolRegio. Jelenia Gora - InterCity "Mehoffer". Kołobrzeg - InterCity "Zefir/Zamoyski". Kraków - InterCity "Wybicki", "Zefir/Zamoyski" and TKL "Pułaski". Lublin - InterCity "Morcinek" and TLK "Wyczółkowski". Lubliniec - 8 trains of Koleje Śląskie and 1 train of PolRegio. Namyslow - 1 PolRegio train. Poznań - InterCity "Wybicki" and TLK "Pułaski". Przemyśl - 1 InterCity "Mehoffer" train. Szklarska Poręba Górna - TLK "Orzeszkowa". Swinoujscie - TLK "Wyczółkowski". Warsaw Gdańska - InterCity "Olenka" and TLK "Orzeszkowa". Warszawa Wschodnia - EIP No. 6102, EIC "Panorama", InterCity "Fredro". Wrocław Główny - EIC "Panorama", EIP No. 1602, InterCity "Fredro", Nałkowska, "Morcinek", "Olenka". Zielona Góra Główna - IntrCity "Mehoffer".
The EIC category primarily serves the most popular routes, ensuring attractive travel times and fewer stops. In EIC, these are traditional wagon trains. EIP has the fastest ED250 "Pendolino" EMU trains.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman