All aboard: Golden age of steam on Silesian railway
Silesia’s historic railways begins summer services from Bytom to Miasteczko Śląskie
16:42, 29.06.2024
aa/jd; PAP
Silesia’s historic railways begins summer services from Bytom to Miasteczko Śląskie The Association of Upper Silesian Narrow Gauge Railways (SGKW) has commenced its summer services on the historic narrow gauge railway connecting Bytom with Miasteczko Śląskie, starting with the 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM (local time) departures from Bytom.
The Association of Upper Silesian Narrow Gauge Railways (SGKW) has commenced its summer services on the historic narrow gauge railway connecting Bytom with Miasteczko Śląskie, starting with the 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM (local time) departures from Bytom.
The 21 km route is the last remaining section of the Upper Silesian narrow gauge network, which once spanned over 200 km. Photo via X/Mariusz Senderowski/@Tarnowskie_Gory
These services, featuring trains hauled by a 70-year-old steam locomotive, will run from June 29 to September 8 on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Three pairs of diesel locomotive routes will operate on the full Bytom – Tarnowskie Góry – Miasteczko Śląskie route, while the historic Ryś steam locomotive will lead three pairs of routes on the Bytom Karb Narrow Gauge – Tarnowskie Góry Narrow Gauge route.
The 21 km route is the last remaining section of the Upper Silesian narrow gauge network, which once spanned over 200 km. Notable sights along the line include the Bytom Karb Narrow Gauge station, Szombierki Power Plant, an old quarry, a beech reserve, UNESCO-listed mining undergrounds in Tarnowskie Góry, and the Nakło-Chechło recreational reservoir.
Outside the summer season, trains typically run on a shortened route between Bytom and Tarnowskie Góry. In addition to rides, SGKW offers guided tours and a rolling stock exhibition at the Bytom Karb Narrow Gauge station. Tickets can be purchased online and from the conductor.
SGKW maintains its rolling stock and tracks to provide an attractive offer for tourists. Historically, trains were diesel-powered, but the acquisition and restoration of the 70-year-old T49 Ryś steam locomotive have added a new historic element to the service. Ryś, while smaller and limited to shorter routes, has become integral to the railway landscape. Most trains continue to be diesel-operated, with Lxd2 locomotives handling the majority of routes last year.
In 2022, SGKW trains ran from the end of January to the second half of October. During this time, the narrow gauge railway transported about 20,000 passengers, its trains covered about 5,500 km, and there were also 41 days when the steam locomotive operated.
SGKW, established in 1853, is the oldest narrow gauge railway in Poland and the second oldest in Europe, surpassed only by the Ffestiniog Railway in Wales. For over 140 years, it served industrial purposes, transporting coal, metal ores, and stone.
The dense network of 785 mm narrow gauge tracks connected most Upper Silesian steel mills and mines, extending from the city of Racibórz in the southwest to the district of Szopienice in the east and the village of Bibiela in the north.
The development of road transport in the 20th century led to the decline of the railway, with freight services closing down its operations in 2001.
