French-Polish Rail Association
Encyclopedia
French-Polish Rail Association (Polish: Francusko-Polskie Towarzystwo Kolejowe, FPTK, French: Compagnie Franco-Polonaise de Chemins de Fer, CFPCF) was a Joint-stock company, established in 1931 to complete construction and then usage of the Polish Coal Trunk-Line
. Its offices were in Paris
, Warsaw
, and Bydgoszcz. Its manager in chief was a Frenchman, Charles Laurent.
In the early 1920s, Polish government decided to construct a rail line connecting Polish part of Upper Silesia
with Baltic Sea
coast. Polish Coal Trunk-Line was one of the biggest investments of the Second Polish Republic
, and its construction, until 1930, was funded by the government. However, Great Depression
caused growing budget problems of the Polish State Railways
, and completion of the line was questioned. Under the circumstances, Polish government decided that newly created French-Polish Rail Association would take over construction of middle sector of the line.
The Association was officially created on April 21, 1931 in Paris. Its shareholders were Polish Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, and French Banque des Pays du Nord, as well as industrial giant Schneider et Creusot, which since 1924 had been part of a French - Polish Consortium for construction of the port in Gdynia. Furthermore, Schneider et Creusot was a shareholder of some Upper Silesian coal mines and steel plants, and for these reasons, the corporation was vividly interested in completion of the line. Founder’s capital was 15 million French franc
s.
French-Polish Rail Association took over construction of the following sectors of the line:
Additionally, FPTK began construction of a line Chorzew Siemkowice - Częstochowa
, which was finished in April 1939. It joined Polish Coal Trunk-Line with industrial city of Częstochowa.
The Association was granted the use of the line for 40 years, however, Polish government assured the right to buy the line after 20 years. In the agreement, Poles made sure that during construction, Polish workers would be employed, and Polish material would be used. Trains of Polish State Railways were allowed to use the line without restrictions. Military and mail transports were granted same privileges as they enjoyed on all government-owned lines. To finance all projects, he Association took a loan from a French bank, with Polish government as a voucher.
On Wednesday, March 1, 1933, the 156-kilometer segment Zduńska Wola Karsznice
- Inowrocław was opened, which resulted in immediate opening of rail cargo traffic along the whole line. Opening ceremony took place at newly built rail station at Karsznice, and it was broadcast by the Polish Radio. The line, with double track along its route, was not completely ready until 1937. Due to lack of finances needed to buy rail engines and cars, from 1933 to 1937, FPTK allowed Polish Railways to temporarily use the Trunk Line, until January 1, 1938, when the line was handed back to the Association. The national budget of Poland yielded annual profit of 12 million zlotys from taxes and dividends from use of the line. In August 1938, in order to assure closer cooperation with authority of the port of Gdynia, FPTK became part of The Council of the Port. In the 1930s, general manager of the Association was a Frenchman Charles Laurent, and his deputy - Julian Piasecki. Since 1936, general office of FPTK was located in the office building in Bydgoszcz, which had been the headquarters of the Prussian Eastern Railway.
Polish Coal Trunk-Line
The Coal Trunk-Line is one of the most important rail connections in Poland.It crosses the central part of the country, from the coal mines and steelworks of Upper Silesia in the South to the Baltic Sea port of Gdynia in the North. The line is used mostly by freight trains: passenger connections...
. Its offices were in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, and Bydgoszcz. Its manager in chief was a Frenchman, Charles Laurent.
In the early 1920s, Polish government decided to construct a rail line connecting Polish part of Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
with Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
coast. Polish Coal Trunk-Line was one of the biggest investments of the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
, and its construction, until 1930, was funded by the government. However, Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
caused growing budget problems of the Polish State Railways
Polish State Railways
is the dominant railway operator in Poland.The company was founded when the former state-owned operator was divided into several units based on the requirements laid down by the European Union...
, and completion of the line was questioned. Under the circumstances, Polish government decided that newly created French-Polish Rail Association would take over construction of middle sector of the line.
The Association was officially created on April 21, 1931 in Paris. Its shareholders were Polish Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, and French Banque des Pays du Nord, as well as industrial giant Schneider et Creusot, which since 1924 had been part of a French - Polish Consortium for construction of the port in Gdynia. Furthermore, Schneider et Creusot was a shareholder of some Upper Silesian coal mines and steel plants, and for these reasons, the corporation was vividly interested in completion of the line. Founder’s capital was 15 million French franc
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
s.
French-Polish Rail Association took over construction of the following sectors of the line:
- Herby NoweHerby NoweHerby Nowe is a major Polish rail junction, located north of the Upper Silesian Industrial Area, along the Polish Coal Trunk-Line, in the Lubliniec County of the Silesian Voivodeship. Around the station, which was opened in 1926, there is a whole district of condominiums and houses, built for the...
- Inowrocław, - Nowa Wieś Wielka - Bydgoszcz Wschód Towarowa - Gdynia PortGdyniaGdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
.
Additionally, FPTK began construction of a line Chorzew Siemkowice - Częstochowa
Czestochowa
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...
, which was finished in April 1939. It joined Polish Coal Trunk-Line with industrial city of Częstochowa.
The Association was granted the use of the line for 40 years, however, Polish government assured the right to buy the line after 20 years. In the agreement, Poles made sure that during construction, Polish workers would be employed, and Polish material would be used. Trains of Polish State Railways were allowed to use the line without restrictions. Military and mail transports were granted same privileges as they enjoyed on all government-owned lines. To finance all projects, he Association took a loan from a French bank, with Polish government as a voucher.
On Wednesday, March 1, 1933, the 156-kilometer segment Zduńska Wola Karsznice
Zdunska Wola Karsznice
Zduńska Wola Karsznice is one of the biggest rail junctions in Poland, located in central part of the country, within borders of the town of Zduńska Wola . It is a station along the Polish Coal Trunk-Line, before 1930 it had been a separate village, but construction of the Trunk-Line resulted in...
- Inowrocław was opened, which resulted in immediate opening of rail cargo traffic along the whole line. Opening ceremony took place at newly built rail station at Karsznice, and it was broadcast by the Polish Radio. The line, with double track along its route, was not completely ready until 1937. Due to lack of finances needed to buy rail engines and cars, from 1933 to 1937, FPTK allowed Polish Railways to temporarily use the Trunk Line, until January 1, 1938, when the line was handed back to the Association. The national budget of Poland yielded annual profit of 12 million zlotys from taxes and dividends from use of the line. In August 1938, in order to assure closer cooperation with authority of the port of Gdynia, FPTK became part of The Council of the Port. In the 1930s, general manager of the Association was a Frenchman Charles Laurent, and his deputy - Julian Piasecki. Since 1936, general office of FPTK was located in the office building in Bydgoszcz, which had been the headquarters of the Prussian Eastern Railway.