Galician Transversal Railway
Encyclopedia
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
). It was a state-owned enterprise which ran from west to east, along northern side of the Carpathian Mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
.
The purpose of the construction was to connect already existing lines and thus create a continuous east-west route. Military aspect was crucial, as the Transversal Railway ran parallel to the main Galician route Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
- Lwów, and Austrian planners were predicting a future war with the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. Also, the system was supposed to activate underdeveloped mountainous areas of Galicia.
Wohlfried Mann-Eckhart (1850–1901) related in his autobiographical Coming of the Ant that he was bound and gagged inside a compartment of a Transversal Railway train by a Russian spy disguised as a ticket collector, who attempted through torture to learn the secret behind his gunman skills and passport fabrication techniques.
The Transversal Railway started at Čadca
Cadca
Čadca is a district town in northern Slovakia, near the border with Poland and the Czech Republic.-Geography:It is located south of the Jablunkov Pass, surrounded by the Javorníky, Kysucké Beskydy and Turzovská vrchovina mountain ranges. It lies in the valley of the Kysuca river, around 30 km...
(present day Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
), and ended in Husiatyn
Husiatyn
Husiatyn is a town in the Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine. Alternate spellings include Gusyatin, Husyatin, and Hsiatyn. Husiatyn is the administrative center of the Husiatyn Raion , and is located on the west bank of the Zbruch River...
(present day Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), with total length of around 800 kilometers. Main towns located along the route are:
- ŻywiecZywiecŻywiec is a town in south-central Poland with 32,242 inhabitants . Between 1975 and 1998, it was located within the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship, but has since become part of the Silesian Voivodeship....
, - Nowy SączNowy SaczNowy Sącz is a town in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the district capital of Nowy Sącz County, but is not included within the powiat.-Names:...
, - Jasło,
- KrosnoKrosnoKrosno is a town and county in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland with 47,455 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009.Notably Krosno is the site of the first oil well in the world....
, - SanokSanokSanok is a town in south-eastern Poland with 39,110 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It's the capital of Sanok County in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship. Previously, it was in the Krosno Voivodeship and in the Ruthenian Voivodeship , which was part of the Lesser Poland province...
, - ZagórzZagórzZagórz is a town in Sanok County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Poland, on the river Osława in the Bukowsko Upland mountains, located near the towns of Medzilaborce and Palota...
, - Chyrów,
- SamborSamborSambor - is a Slavic name, consists of words: "sam" - alone, and "bor" - war, fight, warrior, and may refer to:-People:* Sambor, a prince of Rugia * Sambor I, Duke of Pomerania * Sambor II, Duke of Pomerania -Places:...
, - Drohobycz,
- StryjStryjStryj may refer to:*Stryj, Lublin Voivodeship *Stryi, Ukraine - Stryj in Polish...
, - StanisławówIvano-FrankivskIvano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
.
Before construction of the Transversal Railway began, several connections had already existed, such as:
- Zagórz – Krościenko – Chyrów (part of the LupkówLupkówŁupków is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Komańcza, within Sanok County, in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship of south-eastern Poland, close to the border with Slovakia. It lies approximately south of Komańcza, south of Sanok, and south of the regional capital Rzeszów.The village...
– PrzemyślPrzemyslPrzemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
connection, 1872), - The Dniestr Railway, Chyrów – Sambor – Stryj (1872),
- The Prince Albrecht Railway, Stryj – DolinaDolinaDolina may refer to:Places*Dolyna, a city in Ukraine*Dolina, Tržič, a village in Tržič municipality in Slovenia*Dolina, Szczecin, Poland*Dolina, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Dolina, Łódź Voivodeship...
– Stanislawów (1873). - Nowy Sącz – StrozeStrózeStróże is a village, located in southern Poland, in the Nowy Sącz County of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Situated some 4 kilometres north of Grybów, Stróże is an important railroad junction, with lines going into three directions - northwards to Tarnów, westwards to Nowy Sącz and eastwards to...
(part of the TarnówTarnówTarnów is a city in southeastern Poland with 115,341 inhabitants as of June 2009. The city has been situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship since 1999, but from 1975 to 1998 it was the capital of the Tarnów Voivodeship. It is a major rail junction, located on the strategic east-west connection...
– PlavečPlavecPlaveč is a village and municipality in Stará Ľubovňa District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia.-History:In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1287. The ruins of the 13th century Plaveč Castle lie above the town, after a fire in 1856. -Geography:The municipality lies at...
connection, 1876)
The lines built within the Transversal Railway project totalled 577 kilometers and these were:
- Čadca – ZwardońZwardonZwardoń is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Rajcza, within Żywiec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in the Silesian Beskids mountain range in southern Poland, on the border with Slovakia. It lies approximately west of Rajcza, south-west of Żywiec, and south of the regional capital...
– Żywiec – Sucha BeskidzkaSucha Beskidzka-Famous people from Sucha Beskidzka:* Billy Wilder* Walery Goetel - geologist and palaeontologist; researcher of geological structure of the Tatra Mountains-Twin towns — sister cities:...
– ChabówkaChabówkaChabówka is a village located on the outskirts of the southern Polish town of Rabka, in the Nowy Targ County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship. With population of 1,600 , Chabówka is a popular tourist attraction because of its location, near the Gorce Mountains.It also is an important rail junction,...
– LimanowaLimanowaLimanowa is a small town in southern Poland, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is the capital of Limanowa County....
– Nowy Sącz (together with side lines Suchá – SkawinaSkawinaSkawina is a town in southern Poland with 27,328 inhabitants .Situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship , previously in Kraków Voivodeship .- Twin Towns - Sister Cities :Skawina is twinned with:...
– Kraków-Plaszów, and Skawina – OświęcimOswiecimOświęcim is a town in the Lesser Poland province of southern Poland, situated west of Kraków, near the confluence of the rivers Vistula and Soła.- History :...
), - Stróze – Jasło – Sanok – Zagórz (together with a side line to GorliceGorliceGorlice is a city and an urban municipality in south eastern Poland with around 29,500 inhabitants . It is situated south east of Kraków and south of Tarnów between Jasło and Nowy Sącz in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship , previously in Nowy Sącz Voivodeship...
), - Chryplin (near Stanisławów) – Buczacz – Czortków – HusiatynHusiatynHusiatyn is a town in the Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine. Alternate spellings include Gusyatin, Husyatin, and Hsiatyn. Husiatyn is the administrative center of the Husiatyn Raion , and is located on the west bank of the Zbruch River...
.
See also
- Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways
- History of rail transport in PolandHistory of rail transport in PolandThe history of rail transport in Poland dates back to the first half of the 19th century when railways were built under Prussian, Russian, and Austrian rule. Of course, "divided Poland" in 19th century was the territory of the former Commonwealth of Poland and not that one of today's Republic of...
- Galician Railway of Archduke Charles LouisGalician Railway of Archduke Charles LouisThe Galician Railway of Archduke Charles Louis was a railway system, named after Archduke Charles Louis of Austria...