Polish National Railroads Summer 1939
Encyclopedia
In the summer of 1939, the map of both Europe and Poland
looked very different from today. Obviously, the railway network of interwar Poland was also different from the present one, and also slightly different from the German, Austrian and Russian networks the Second Polish Republic
had partially taken over after 1918. These important junctions were on the Polish territory in summer of 1939:
- Lwów (Lviv), Tarnopol (Ternopil), Stanisławów
(Ivano-Frankivsk), Stryj
(Stryy), Kowel (Kovel), Chodorow (Khodoriv), Kołomyja
(Kolomyya) and Sarny
(Sarny) - all now in Ukraine
,
- Łuniniec (Luninyets), Baranowicze (Baranavichy), Brześć nad Bugiem (Brest), Lida
(Lida), Wołkowysk (Vawkavysk) and Mołodeczno (Maladzyechna)- all now in Belarus
,
- Wilno (Vilnius), Landwarow
(Lentvaris) - now in Lithuania
,
- Cieszyn Zachodni - Czeski Cieszyn (Český Těšín), Bogumin (Bohumin) - now in the Czech Republic
.
On the other hand, several junctions of today's Poland belonged in 1939 to Germany or the Free City of Danzig
. Among them were such hubs as: Oppeln, Breslau, Liegnitz, Stettin, Neustettin, Schneidemühl, Olsztyn
(Allenstein), Lyck.
late in the 18th century.
In the western part of Poland, in Poznań Voivodeship
, Pomorze Voivodeship, and the Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship
(former territories of the German Empire
), the rail network was very dense. There were stations in all the towns and almost every city served as a junction.
Southern Poland (the former Austrian province of Galicia with Kraków Voivodeship
, Lwów Voivodeship
, Stanisławów Voivodeship, and Tarnopol Voivodeship
) was less developed. The areas with a fairly dense rail network were only around Kraków and Lwów. In the very south, along the border with Slovakia
, Romania
, and Hungary
, rail lines were virtually non-existent, although it is fair to say that lines would have been difficult to build in that mostly mountainous region anyway.
The worst situation was in Central and Eastern Poland - the territory of the former Russian Empire
. These were the Voivodeships of Łódź, Kielce
, Warszawa, Lublin
, Białystok, Volhynian, Polesie
, Nowogródek
and Wilno
. The rail network in some parts, especially in easternmost provinces (close to the Soviet border), was nonexistent. A better situation was around Warsaw and Łódź.
Even though the Polish railway network in 1939 had deficiencies, the majority of important cities had convenient rail connections with each other. The major exception was the connection of Wilno to the seaport
of Gdynia
, some 500 km away. Trains running on this route had to cover a distance of about 900 km, because they had to go via Warsaw. Construction of a line that would shorten this distance was planned, but the start of World War II prevented any work. This line would have taken the route: Lapy
(on the Warsaw-Białystok line) - Ostrołęka - Przasnysz
- Mława (located on the Warsaw - Gdańsk/Gdynia line).
Another rail connection whose construction was stopped by the war was the line Dębica
- Pilzno
- Jasło. Works on it had already started in early 1939, but were never finished.
Electrification
of long distance lines was planned, but by 1939 only some of the suburban stretches around Warsaw were upgraded with the electric infrastructure.
, Poznań, Katowice
, Cracow, Radom, Lwów and Wilno, with PKP's headquarters located in Warsaw. Also, for practical purposes, PKP was divided into five communications districts and every train in the timetable was numbered according to the district within which it operated. The districts were as follows:
- First - North-West, starting with the 278 km route Warsaw - Mława - Grudziądz
- Laskowice Pomorskie (timetable route number 101),
- Second - West, starting with the 379 km route Warsaw - Kutno
- Poznań - Zbąszyń
(timetable route number 201),
- Third - South-West, starting with the 318 km route Warsaw - Koluszki
- Ząbkowice - Katowice (timetable route number 301),
- Fourth - South-East, starting with the 491 km route Warsaw - Radom
- Skarżysko - Rozwadów
- Przemyśl
- Lwów (timetable route number 401),
- Fifth - North-East, starting with the 571 km route Warsaw - Białystok - Wilno - Turmont (timetable route number 501).
Apart from the train timetable, the document also included the flight timetable of LOT Polish Airlines
.
). The MtE units achieved speeds up to 110 km/h and connected Warsaw with the most important cities, as well as major tourist areas. The 179 km journey from Warszawa Wschodnia (Warsaw East) to Białystok Centralny was covered in 1 hour 56 minutes.
MtE trains ran from Warsaw to Łódź (a distance of 133 km in 1 hour 28 minutes), Kraków, Katowice (through either Częstochowa
or Kielce), and Suwałki. They also operated on lines from Kraków to Katowice and the mountain resorts of Zakopane
and Krynica. In southeastern Poland, MtE trains ran from Lwów to Zaleszczyki, Boryslaw
, Tarnopol, and Kolomyja. In August 1939 a new MtE connected Warsaw with Poznań (due to the war the service lasted only few days).
Warsaw lacked an MtE connection with Lwów (the third largest city in 1939 Poland). This problem was solved by taking the morning express to Kraków where it split at Skarzysko, with one part becoming an express to Przeworsk
. There passengers could also change to an international fast train travelling between Berlin and Bucharest.
Fast trains served long distance lines, but they were not quite as fast as the MtE trains. The most interesting fast trains in the summer 1939 were:
The last train category in Poland were ordinary trains. They usually served short distance lines, but in some cases covered impressive distances, especially in the Polish Eastern Borderlands.
ran daily and it was the only train in Poland of the L (Luxurious) standard. This train consisted only of coaches owned by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. There also was another train to the English Channel coast: from Warsaw, Lwów, Kraków and Katowice to Ostend
. Warsaw was also connected with the capital of France by a Warsaw - Łódź - Paris train. Another train to France ran from Warsaw to Strasbourg
, with cars to Geneva
and Ventimiglia
.
As for the south of Europe, trains ran from Warsaw to Rome, and in the summer also to three cities in Yugoslavia
: Split
, Sušak
and Belgrade
. A train from Berlin to Istanbul
crossed the Polish territory. Warsaw, Cracow and Lwów had trains to Vienna
.
Warsaw was connected with Prague
, Bratislava
and Žilina
. Lwów and Gdynia were also connected with Prague. Budapest
had train connections with Warsaw, Cracow and Lwów (the train from Cracow to Budapest had a coach from Krynica to Budapest attached).
Romania
was served twice daily by Warsaw-Lwów-Bucharest
trains (in the summer an additional train reached the Romanian seaport of Constanţa
). Poland was also crossed by an international train Berlin - Breslau - Katowice - Kraków - Lwów - Sniatyn
- Bucharest
(with a direct car Katowice - Constanţa
). Other transit trains ran between Berlin and East Prussia
, Danzig, Riga
and Daugavpils
.
Twice a day a train from Wilno reached Kaunas
. One of them had a direct Warsaw-Kaunas coach.
Passenger rail connections between the Soviet Union and Western Europe required a change of trains due to the difference in gauge. If one travelled towards Moscow, it was necessary to change at the Soviet border station Niegoreloje. Travelling from Moscow, the change took place at the Polish station Stolpce.
Altogether there were 48 rail border crossings in operation in the summer of 1939.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
looked very different from today. Obviously, the railway network of interwar Poland was also different from the present one, and also slightly different from the German, Austrian and Russian networks 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...
had partially taken over after 1918. These important junctions were on the Polish territory in summer of 1939:
- Lwów (Lviv), Tarnopol (Ternopil), Stanisławów
Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-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....
(Ivano-Frankivsk), Stryj
Stryi
Stryi is a city located on the left bank of the river Stryi in the Lviv Oblast of western Ukraine . Serving as the administrative center of the Stryi Raion , the city itself is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast. Thus, the city has two administrations - the city and the raion...
(Stryy), Kowel (Kovel), Chodorow (Khodoriv), Kołomyja
Kolomyia
Kolomyia or Kolomyya, formerly known as Kolomea , is a city located on the Prut River in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , in western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative centre of the Kolomyia Raion , the city is also designated as a separate raion within the oblast...
(Kolomyya) and Sarny
Sarny
Sarny translated as Deer, is a small city in the Rivne Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Sarny Raion , and is a major railway node on the Sluch River.The current estimated population is 27,700....
(Sarny) - all now in 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...
,
Lida
Lida is a city in western Belarus in Hrodna Voblast, situated 160 km west of Minsk. It is the fourteenth largest city in Belarus.- Etymology :...
(Lida), Wołkowysk (Vawkavysk) and Mołodeczno (Maladzyechna)- all now in Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
,
- Wilno (Vilnius), Landwarow
Lentvaris
Lentvaris is a city in eastern Lithuania, 9 km east form Trakai, an important center of transportation, because many roads and railroads cross here.Lake Lentvaris is located near the city.- History :...
(Lentvaris) - now in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
,
- Cieszyn Zachodni - Czeski Cieszyn (Český Těšín), Bogumin (Bohumin) - now in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
On the other hand, several junctions of today's Poland belonged in 1939 to Germany or the Free City of Danzig
Free City of Danzig
The Free City of Danzig was a semi-autonomous city-state that existed between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig and surrounding areas....
. Among them were such hubs as: Oppeln, Breslau, Liegnitz, Stettin, Neustettin, Schneidemühl, Olsztyn
Olsztyn
Olsztyn is a city in northeastern Poland, on the Łyna River. Olsztyn has been the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. It was previously in the Olsztyn Voivodeship...
(Allenstein), Lyck.
Polish railway network in 1939
The 1939 rail map of Poland was set by the nation's pre-1914 borders that were determined by the three empires that partitioned the Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthPolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
late in the 18th century.
In the western part of Poland, in Poznań Voivodeship
Poznan Voivodeship
-1975 to 1998:From 1975 to 1998, Poznań Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland, superseded by Greater Poland Voivodeship.Capital city: Poznań.Major cities and towns :...
, Pomorze Voivodeship, and the Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship
Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship
The Silesian Voivodeship was an autonomous province of the interwar Second Polish Republic. It consisted of territory which came into Polish possession as a result of the 1921 Upper Silesia plebiscite, the Geneva Conventions, three Upper Silesian Uprisings, and the eventual partition of Upper...
(former territories of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
), the rail network was very dense. There were stations in all the towns and almost every city served as a junction.
Southern Poland (the former Austrian province of Galicia with Kraków Voivodeship
Kraków Voivodeship
Kraków Voivodeship, refers to several historical Voivodeships of Poland in the surrounding regions, with the city of Kraków as its capital.- Kraków Voivodeship 1975-1998 :...
, Lwów Voivodeship
Lwów Voivodeship
Lwów Voivodeship was an administrative unit of interwar Poland . According to Nazis and Soviets it ceased to exist in September 1939, following German and Soviet aggression on Poland . The Polish underground administration existed till August 1944.-Population:Its capital, biggest and most...
, Stanisławów Voivodeship, and Tarnopol Voivodeship
Tarnopol Voivodeship
Tarnopol Voivodeship was an administrative region of interwar Poland with an area of 16,500 km², 17 counties, and capital in Tarnopol...
) was less developed. The areas with a fairly dense rail network were only around Kraków and Lwów. In the very south, along the border with 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...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, rail lines were virtually non-existent, although it is fair to say that lines would have been difficult to build in that mostly mountainous region anyway.
The worst situation was in Central and Eastern Poland - the territory of the former 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...
. These were the Voivodeships of Łódź, Kielce
Kielce
Kielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship...
, Warszawa, Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
, Białystok, Volhynian, Polesie
Polesie Voivodeship
Polesie Voivodeship was an administrative unit of interwar Poland . It ceased to exist in September 1939, following German and Soviet aggression on Poland .-Population:...
, Nowogródek
Nowogródek Voivodeship (1919-1939)
Nowogródek Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division of the Second Polish Republic between 1919 and 1939, with the capital in Nowogródek . Following German and Soviet Invasion of Poland of September 1939, Poland's borders were redrawn in accordance with the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact...
and Wilno
Wilno Voivodeship
The Wilno Voivodeship was one of Voivodeships in the Second Polish Republic, with the capital in Wilno. It was created in 1926 and populated predominantly by Poles with notable minorities of Belarusians, Jews, and Lithuanians....
. The rail network in some parts, especially in easternmost provinces (close to the Soviet border), was nonexistent. A better situation was around Warsaw and Łódź.
Even though the Polish railway network in 1939 had deficiencies, the majority of important cities had convenient rail connections with each other. The major exception was the connection of Wilno to the seaport
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
of Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia 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...
, some 500 km away. Trains running on this route had to cover a distance of about 900 km, because they had to go via Warsaw. Construction of a line that would shorten this distance was planned, but the start of World War II prevented any work. This line would have taken the route: Lapy
Lapy
thumb|250px|Railwaymen's settlement Ossethumb|250px|[[Cerkiew św. Mikołaja w Łapach|Nonexistent St. Nicolas' orthodox church]]thumb|200px|[[Water_tower|The water tower]]thumb|200px|LTC Nilski-Łapiński's memorialthumb|200px|St...
(on the Warsaw-Białystok line) - Ostrołęka - Przasnysz
Przasnysz
Przasnysz is a town in Poland. Located in the Masovian Voivodship, about 110 km north of Warsaw and about 115 km south of Olsztyn, it's the capital of Przasnysz County. It has 18,093 inhabitants . One of the most important towns in Mazovia during the Middle Ages. City laws - 1427.-Famous...
- Mława (located on the Warsaw - Gdańsk/Gdynia line).
Another rail connection whose construction was stopped by the war was the line Dębica
Debica
Dębica is a town in southeastern Poland with 46,693 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It is the capital of Dębica County. Since 1999 it has been situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it had previously been in the Tarnów Voivodeship .-Area:...
- Pilzno
Pilzno
Pilzno is a town in Poland, in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in Dębica County. It has 4,484 inhabitants . It is located at the junction of important roads - West-East European E40 Highway, and National Road 73 Pilzno is a town in Poland, in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in Dębica County. It has...
- Jasło. Works on it had already started in early 1939, but were never finished.
Electrification
Electrification
Electrification originally referred to the build out of the electrical generating and distribution systems which occurred in the United States, England and other countries from the mid 1880's until around 1940 and is in progress in developing countries. This also included the change over from line...
of long distance lines was planned, but by 1939 only some of the suburban stretches around Warsaw were upgraded with the electric infrastructure.
Polish national railway's structure in 1939
In the summer of 1939, the PKP was divided into eight regions - Warsaw, ToruńTorun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
, Poznań, Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
, Cracow, Radom, Lwów and Wilno, with PKP's headquarters located in Warsaw. Also, for practical purposes, PKP was divided into five communications districts and every train in the timetable was numbered according to the district within which it operated. The districts were as follows:
- First - North-West, starting with the 278 km route Warsaw - Mława - Grudziądz
Grudziadz
Grudziądz is a city in northern Poland on the Vistula River, with 96 042 inhabitants . Situated in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship , the city was previously in the Toruń Voivodeship .- History :-Early history:...
- Laskowice Pomorskie (timetable route number 101),
- Second - West, starting with the 379 km route Warsaw - Kutno
Kutno
Kutno is a town in central Poland with 48,000 inhabitants and an area of 33,6 km2. Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship , previously in Płock Voivodeship . It is the capital of Kutno County....
- Poznań - Zbąszyń
Zbaszyn
Zbąszyń is a town in Poland, in Greater Poland Voivodeship, in Nowy Tomyśl County. It has 7,319 inhabitants .-History:The town was first mentioned in historical sources from 1231, and it received its city charter before 1311. As a result of the Second Partition of Poland in 1793 it became part of...
(timetable route number 201),
- Third - South-West, starting with the 318 km route Warsaw - Koluszki
Koluszki
Koluszki is a town, and a major railway junction, in Central Poland, in Łódź Voivodeship, about 20 km east of Łódź. Population: 13,331 . The junction in Koluszki serves trains that go from Warsaw to Łódź , Wrocław, Częstochowa and Katowice. Also, it is connected with Radom and Lublin by an...
- Ząbkowice - Katowice (timetable route number 301),
- Fourth - South-East, starting with the 491 km route Warsaw - Radom
Radom
Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
- Skarżysko - Rozwadów
Rozwadów
Rozwadów is a suburb of Stalowa Wola, Poland. Founded as a town in 1690, it was incorporated into Stalowa Wola in 1973. The Rozwadów suburb of Stalowa Wola included a thriving Jewish shtetl prior to World War II, closely associated with the Jewish communities of Tarnobrzeg and other nearby...
- Przemyśl
Przemysl
Przemyśl 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....
- Lwów (timetable route number 401),
- Fifth - North-East, starting with the 571 km route Warsaw - Białystok - Wilno - Turmont (timetable route number 501).
The summer 1939 timetable
"Urzędowy Rozkład Jazdy i Lotów Lato 1939" ("Official Train and Flight Timetable Summer 1939") was published in May 1939 and was valid from May 15, 1939 to October 7, 1939. What adds to this document's importance is the time it was published: just a few months before the Polish Second Republic (Druga Rzeczpospolita) ceased to exist. In the document we can find the following:- The following timetable is valid until October 7. On midnight of October 8, a new Winter timetable will be introduced, valid until May 18, 1940. All suggestions for necessary changes in the Winter timetable should be presented to the Polish National Railways Regional Directions not later than August 1.
Apart from the train timetable, the document also included the flight timetable of LOT Polish Airlines
LOT Polish Airlines
Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. , trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the flag carrier of Poland. Based in Warsaw, LOT was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Using a fleet of 55 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to 60 destinations in Europe,...
.
Types of trains in 1939
The following types of trains were run in Poland at that time: express, fast, and ordinary. The most interesting and impressive were the diesel express trains, or "Pociagi Motorowe-Ekspresowe - MtE" (some of them operated with the famous LuxtorpedaLuxtorpeda
Luxtorpeda was a common name of a famous Polish train, which ran on some of the most important rail routes of Poland in the 1930s. A Luxtorpeda consisted of a single, first-class only railcar, with its own internal combustion engine.- Name :...
). The MtE units achieved speeds up to 110 km/h and connected Warsaw with the most important cities, as well as major tourist areas. The 179 km journey from Warszawa Wschodnia (Warsaw East) to Białystok Centralny was covered in 1 hour 56 minutes.
MtE trains ran from Warsaw to Łódź (a distance of 133 km in 1 hour 28 minutes), Kraków, Katowice (through either 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...
or Kielce), and Suwałki. They also operated on lines from Kraków to Katowice and the mountain resorts of Zakopane
Zakopane
Zakopane , is a town in southern Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998 it was in of Nowy Sącz Province, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a...
and Krynica. In southeastern Poland, MtE trains ran from Lwów to Zaleszczyki, Boryslaw
Boryslaw
Borysław may refer to:* Boryslav, Ukraine, called Borysław in Polish*Borysław, Łódź Voivodeship...
, Tarnopol, and Kolomyja. In August 1939 a new MtE connected Warsaw with Poznań (due to the war the service lasted only few days).
Warsaw lacked an MtE connection with Lwów (the third largest city in 1939 Poland). This problem was solved by taking the morning express to Kraków where it split at Skarzysko, with one part becoming an express to Przeworsk
Przeworsk
Przeworsk Ukrainian: Переворськ, is a town in south-eastern Poland with 15,675 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. Since 1999 it has been in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, and is the capital of Przeworsk County....
. There passengers could also change to an international fast train travelling between Berlin and Bucharest.
Fast trains served long distance lines, but they were not quite as fast as the MtE trains. The most interesting fast trains in the summer 1939 were:
- Wilno - Lwów (a journey of 720 km.) It crossed practically the whole Polish Eastern Borderlands, stopping at Lida, Baranowicze, Luniniec, Rowne, and Zdolbunow.
- Lwów - Kraków - Katowice - Poznań - Bydgoszcz - Gdynia - HelHelHel may refer to:* Hel , a location in Norse mythology* Hel , ruler of Hel, the location* Hel , a Swedish Viking rock band* Hel, Poland, a town on the Polish Baltic coast* Hel Peninsula, the peninsula on which the town is situated...
(a journey of almost 1000 km). It traveled non-stop through the territory of the Free City of DanzigFree City of DanzigThe Free City of Danzig was a semi-autonomous city-state that existed between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig and surrounding areas....
.
The last train category in Poland were ordinary trains. They usually served short distance lines, but in some cases covered impressive distances, especially in the Polish Eastern Borderlands.
International trains
In 1939, trains tended to run over longer distances than today. The Nord Express Warsaw - Berlin - Paris - CalaisCalais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
ran daily and it was the only train in Poland of the L (Luxurious) standard. This train consisted only of coaches owned by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. There also was another train to the English Channel coast: from Warsaw, Lwów, Kraków and Katowice to Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
. Warsaw was also connected with the capital of France by a Warsaw - Łódź - Paris train. Another train to France ran from Warsaw to Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, with cars to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia
Ventimiglia is a city and comune in Liguria, northern Italy, in the province of Imperia. It is located southwest of Genoa by rail, and 7 km from the French-Italian border, on the Gulf of Genoa, having a small harbour at the mouth of the Roia River, which divides the town into two parts...
.
As for the south of Europe, trains ran from Warsaw to Rome, and in the summer also to three cities in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
: Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
, Sušak
Sušak
Sušak is a part of the city of Rijeka in Croatia, where it composes the eastern part of the city.In 1924, Rijeka belonged to the independent Free State of Fiume, which had been created four years earlier under the Treaty of Rapallo, but in the Treaty of Rome the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and...
and Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. A train from Berlin to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
crossed the Polish territory. Warsaw, Cracow and Lwów had trains to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
Warsaw was connected with Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
and Žilina
Žilina
Žilina is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the fourth largest city of Slovakia with a population of approximately 85,000, an important industrial center, the largest city on the Váh river, and the seat of a...
. Lwów and Gdynia were also connected with Prague. Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
had train connections with Warsaw, Cracow and Lwów (the train from Cracow to Budapest had a coach from Krynica to Budapest attached).
Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
was served twice daily by Warsaw-Lwów-Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
trains (in the summer an additional train reached the Romanian seaport of Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
). Poland was also crossed by an international train Berlin - Breslau - Katowice - Kraków - Lwów - Sniatyn
Sniatyn
Sniatyn is a city located in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, in western Ukraine along the Prut river. It is the administrative center of the Sniatynsky Raion , and is located at around . The current estimated population is around 10,500 ....
- Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
(with a direct car Katowice - Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
). Other transit trains ran between Berlin and East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
, Danzig, Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
and Daugavpils
Daugavpils
Daugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
.
Twice a day a train from Wilno reached Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
. One of them had a direct Warsaw-Kaunas coach.
Passenger rail connections between the Soviet Union and Western Europe required a change of trains due to the difference in gauge. If one travelled towards Moscow, it was necessary to change at the Soviet border station Niegoreloje. Travelling from Moscow, the change took place at the Polish station Stolpce.
Altogether there were 48 rail border crossings in operation in the summer of 1939.
Curiosities
- Rail lines of Wolne Miasto Gdańsk (Free City of DanzigFree City of DanzigThe Free City of Danzig was a semi-autonomous city-state that existed between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig and surrounding areas....
) were controlled by the Toruń region of the Polish State RailwaysPolskie Koleje Panstwoweis 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...
therefore were included in the Polish timetable,
- In the summer of 1939, three pairs of German transit trains crossed the Polish CorridorPolish CorridorThe Polish Corridor , also known as Danzig Corridor, Corridor to the Sea or Gdańsk Corridor, was a territory located in the region of Pomerelia , which provided the Second Republic of Poland with access to the Baltic Sea, thus dividing the bulk of Germany from the province of East...
daily en route to East PrussiaEast PrussiaEast Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
: two between Berlin and Eydtkau (now ChernyshevskoyeChernyshevskoyeChernyshevskoye is a settlement in Nesterovsky District in the eastern part of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, on the border with Lithuania.Between Chernyshevskoye and Lithuanian Kybartai is an important 24-hour border crossing point on the A229 principal road and the railway route connecting...
) and one between Berlin and Tilsit (now Sovetsk). They travelled through the Polish territory between ChojniceChojniceChojnice is a town in northern Poland with 39 670 inhabitants , near famous Tuchola Forest, Lake Charzykowskie and many other water reservoirs. It is the capital of the Chojnice County....
and TczewTczewTczew is a town on the Vistula River in Eastern Pomerania, Kociewie, northern Poland with 60,279 inhabitants . It is an important railway junction with a classification yard dating to the Prussian Eastern Railway...
-Liessau (Lisewo), the distance of 97 km.
- Apart of long-distance fast trains, there were also ordinary and accelerated trains, that ran on very long routes in interwar Poland. The best example is the train WejherowoWejherowoWejherowo is a town in Gdańsk Pomerania, northern Poland, with 47,435 inhabitants . It has been the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999; previously, it was a town in Gdańsk Voivodeship .-History:...
- Toruń - Kutno - Łódź Kaliska - Rozwadów - Lwów, which crossed virtually the whole Poland, from southeast to the coast (930 km). Other interesting examples are: Warszawa Wilenska - Brzesc n/B Centralny - PinskPinskPinsk , a town in Belarus, in the Polesia region, traversed by the river Pripyat, at the confluence of the Strumen and Pina rivers. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk. It is a fertile agricultural center. It lies south-west of Minsk. The population is about 130,000...
- Mikaszewicze (490 km), Warszawa Wilenska - SiedlceSiedlceSiedlce ) is a city in eastern Poland with 77,392 inhabitants . Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously the city was the capital of a separate Siedlce Voivodeship ....
- Wolkowysk - Lida - Molodeczno (530 km), Warszawa Glowna - Lublin - Kowel - Zdolbunow (480 km), Warsaw Gdanska - Lublin - Rejowiec - ZawadaZawadaZawada may refer to the following places in Poland:* Zawada, Lower Silesian Voivodeship * Zawada, Bydgoszcz County in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship...
- Rawa Ruska - Lwów (438 km).
Source
- Urzędowy rozkład jazdy i lotów Lato 1939. Ważny od 15 maja do 7 października 1939. Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Komunikacji Warszawa (Official Time-Table of the Polish State Railways, Summer 1939)