Łódź–Koluszki railway
Gałkówek railway station
Overview
Native name	Linia kolejowa Łódź Fabryczna - Koluszki
Status	In use
Owner	PKP PLK
Locale	Łódź Voivodeship, Poland
Termini	Łódź Fabryczna, Łódź Koluszki, Łódź Voivodeship
Continues as	1  Warsaw-Katowice railway (toward Warsaw)
Connecting lines	Łódź Widzew:  16  to Kutno  540  to Chojny  541  to Olechów Gałkówek:  25  Łódź-Dębica railway Koluszki:  1  to Katowice  534  to Słotwiny  535  to Żakowice Południowe
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Route number	17
History
Opened	1865 (freight service) 1866 (passenger service)
Technical
Line length	26.347 km (16.371 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Old gauge	1,524 mm (5 ft) (second track, 1901-1915)
Electrification	Overhead wire, 3000 V DC
Operating speed	150 km/h (93 mph)
Route map Łódź Fabryczna Łódź Niciarniana  458  intercity│ 17  local  540  to Łódź Chojny  16  Łódź–Kutno railway to Zgierz Łódź Widzew ŁKA depot  541  to Olechów Łódź Widzew Janów former car maintenance shop Łódź Andrzejów Bedoń Justynów  25  to Olechów Gałkówek Żakowice Południowe Żakowice  1  Warszawa Zachodnia– Katowice line to Piotrków Trybunalski  25  Łódź-Dębica railway to Tomaszów Mazowiecki Koluszki  1  to Skierniewice

The Łódź—Koluszki railway is a national importance railway line in Poland.,^[1] connecting Łódź Fabryczna station with Koluszki station. Due to its character it is the main route for passenger trains passing through the city of Łódź. It is a crucial part of Łódź Cross-City Line.

One section between Łódź Fabryczna and Gałkówek stations is exclusively used by passenger trains.

History

The history of the railway begins in the 19th century. The textile industry in Łódź started to bloom, yet the city had no convenient transportation routes for exporting the goods to other parts of Russian Empire. The closest railway station - Rokiciny, on Warsaw—Vienna railway - was located over 28 kilometres (17 mi) away. It was clear - for further development Łódź needs the railway link.

In 1865, The Łódź Factory Railway Company (pol. Towarzystwo Drogi Żelaznej Fabryczno-Łódzkiej^[2]) - a joint venture company of Karl Wilhelm Scheibler and Jan Bloch - was formed, and in the same year, on 30. June. Russian authorities gave the company permission to build a single 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) track railway from Łódź to Koluszki, which were situated on the Warsaw—Vienna railway.

The construction began on 1. September and was finished on 18. November 1865. On 19. November the railway was ceremonially opened, and the freight service began to operate. One year later, due to opening of Łódź Fabryczna station, a regular passenger service started operating.^[3]

From 1898 to 1901 the railway received a second track - this time built with 1,524 mm (5 ft) gauge, due to connection with newly built circular railway, going around the southern border of the city to connect with Łódź Kaliska station, located on the west side of the city.^[4] Track gauges were unified by Germans during World War I. In 1954 the railway was electrified,^[5] while a decade later a connector line, allowing trains from Łódź to head toward Piotrków Trybunalski without turning around in Koluszki, was built.

From 2006 to 2008 the railway line was slightly refurbished to raise the maximum operating speed to 150 kilometres per hour (93 mph).^[6] From 2011 to 2012 the section between Łódź Fabryczna and Łódź Widzew stations was rebuilt, as the construction of cross-city tunnel commenced. The section was reopened in December 2016.^[7]

Future

The railway is scheduled to receive an extension to the west within the cross-city tunnel, which will allow trains to travel through Łódź Fabryczna station toward Łódź Kaliska and Żabieniec stations^[8]

References