A UK and European excursion from the colony

[railfan99]

I knew little about Gdansk apart from it being a major shipbuilding centre, and its links with the fall of the Polish communist government: Lech W and so on.

Mistakenly, I thought it would be super unattractive.

However the station building was terrific, and pedestrian areas en route to the trram stops outside were undergoing a major upgrade.

My hotel was also excellent: old world charm, no noise from outside and high quality fittings.

I marvelled at the c.1400 Jecek Tower.

A 25 minute tram trip to Bretowo (route 10) occupied me mid afternoon. I had purchased a three day pass from a ticket machine at the station.

 

[railfan99]

The most famous railway station alluding to Hell is in Norway.

I was not there, but still in Poland.

A branch line near Gdansk terminates at Hel - close enough for the standard photo saying 'I've been to Hel(l) and back'. Cliched!

So on a mid-November 2024 Friday, I joined the 0931 hours train (on time) from Gdansk platform 2 to busy Gydnia, where we arrived a minute realy at 0955. This was train IC75106 from Poznan: EV160.033 and six cars.

SA133 (a two-car railcar) formed the 1038 hours to Hel.

The conductor sat near the front set of passenger doors. Ticketless travellers knew the conductor would be there, making a beeline for him or her after boarding. It was all very efficient: cash was accepted, and change quickly meted out.

My ticket was checked. The conductor wanted to clip my Eurailpass but I dissauded said individual. Horror of horrors, they might expunge the '1' showing it was a first class Global Eurailpass, not standard class.

At least 78 passengers joined en route. Amazing, including 27 at Puck and 12 at Swarzemo.

Scenry was good with some open fields, some forests. There were many holiday homes or the Polish equivalent of motels the closer we got to Hel.

Arrival was at 1203 with more than 60 off.

I walked to the port, viewed the deserted maritime museum and felt fairly chilly as I walked back, pausing at a bakery that had an excellent range.

SA133 formed the return: it had to run around its coach, a quite unusual move. The latter was much needed as again there were stacks of patrons joining at intermediate stations.

Gydnia arrival was at 1518 with EP07-444 (IC81104 to Bialystok) conveying me from 1541 to 1606 back to Gdansk.

A good day's travel.

 

[railfan99]

It became Saturday so I embarked on some serious tram travel.

The first journey was to Nowy Port: in common with so many cities, the port area was far from attractive but route 10 with tramcar 1110 was interesting as nearing the port, there was some single track running around narrow streets. After some more tram trips that afforded the opportunity for photos at termini, I was back at Gdansk station by 1340 hours.

Exploration of the Old Town occupied some further time. There were plenty of tourists but it was uncrowded: presumably it's far worse at the height of summer in say July or August. Strangely, the tourist information centre was closed though with Google maps and the ability to search online, maybe these offices have largely become redundant.

 

[railfan99]

Sunday was not an easy journey as there were road coach rail replacements for part given trackwork.

I departed Gdansk with EC17-1008 as the loco at 1025 hours after watching three freights, including an intermodal and an oil train proceed through the station.

We arrived Lebork at 1128. Unfortunately this station lacked lifts or ramps, so it was a (suit)case of drag my possessions down into the subway and then back up to ground level.

Six road coaches were waiting. I was among the last to board. Progress on what were sometimes single lane roads in each direction was slow, but we eventually arrived Slopsk (?) at 1234 where I had the pleasure of dragging the suitcase and carrying the backpack 400 plus metres to the train, including along a muddy path, in the rain.

As luck would have it, my car (coach) was at the other end of the platform. That'll teach me to travel in 1st!

EP17-1006 hauled cars 11 to 16 inclusive as we pulled out at 1309 after waiting for some of the other road coaches to arrive.

Some of the line to Szczecin was single track, and at least one station had European-style semaphore signalling. Szczecin arrival was at 1603 hours where I distinguished myself by taking the long route to the hotel, not the shorter route that had stairs. The hotel gave me a bright, cheerful and comfortable room that cost about GBP60 without breakfast.

I dined at night in the hotel restaurant with very attentive service.

Three tram routes had a stop right outside the hotel. A bonus.

 

[railfan99]

My first tram trip on a Monday was delightful, as it was coupled trams 219-220 on route 9, ye olde worlde examples of how trams used to be.

I viewed a church and subsequently enjoyed a hot chocolate overlooking the city from many storeys above. Not spectacular, but it showed the Old Town and less interestingly, Soviet-era drab blocks of flats.

By mid afternoon I found myself at grotty Goclaw, a port area interspersed with limited blocks of typically three storey flats. The trams shared the road with quite a few trucks.

I then travelled to a new tramway extension with an impressive terminus, again affording the opportunity to record it photographically. This rounded out the day, and all for the usual good value Polish public transport fare.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Some of the line to Szczecin was single track, and at least one station had European-style semaphore signalling...

Jokingly, I suspect Poland has long considered itself part of Europe.
Seriously, Szczecin used to be Stettin when it was German. Were they German-style semaphores?

 

[railfan99]

Jokingly, I suspect Poland has long considered itself part of Europe.
Seriously, Szczecin used to be Stettin when it was German. Were they German-style semaphores?

In answer to the latter, yes. I assume they must date from the Prussian days. Thank you for the history lesson

 

[eastwestdivide]

I’m sure there are plenty of other places in Europe where borders have changed but the railway infrastructure hasnt, but that’s probably for another thread. So much easier when one island=one country!

 

[railfan99]

The next morning it was another early start. A shame to leave my hotel so early, but rail takes precedence.

EP09-003 hauled cars 16 to 11 in that order. I was in coach 11.

There were only three first class compartments on the train: the rest was standard class. IC8304 was the train number. Five of my compartment's six seats were occupied.

We departed four minutes late at 0650. For some of the trip where there was a double line we engaged in left hand running. It was easy to look out the back at the track(s).

The conductress asked another for help as she'd presumably never seen a paper Eurailpass.

I enjoyed a hot chocolate in the dining car: PLN12.55 (about GBP2.30, so fairly reasonable). WiFi only seemed to work in that car.

After a pleasant trip, we arrived Wroclaw Glowny (main station) at 1121, 10 minutes late. It was not scheduled to depart until 1136: lengthy layovers at major stations seemed quite common for Polish intercity trains.

 

[railfan99]

The next day was spent travelling on Wroclaw's extensive tram/light rail network.

You can't miss the trams as you emerge from the railway station. There were several different models in use, including coupled sets.

It was simple to buy a ticket at a major tram stop. As usual in Poland (and much of Europe), English was one of the four languages offered. IIRC, the vending machine either didn't accept cards or that method wasn't working, so annoyingly I had to return to my hotel a short distance away to get smaller bills as the highest denomination accepted was 10 zloty.

Routes 9, 12 and 17 that terminated at Sepolno were particularly attractive as from memory they passed through extensive parks with delightful autumnal displays. The park had a short terminating route (13) at the Olympic Stadium route (I assume the stadium was once in use for Winter Olympics) with a cafe (that may not have been open) nearby.

I had an extremely late 1500 hours lunch at a city centre restaurant and then walked back to my hotel, for a short time losing my way but thanks to tram tracks, regaining it.

 

[railfan99]

Next morning I had time to do the remainder of tram route 9 to Park Poludniowy. This was a mix of street running and light rail. It only took 12 or 13 minutes each way plus a few minutes at the terminus so I was back at Wroclaw station by 0830 hours.

I then joined IC6503, the 1100 hours loco-hauled to Gydnia Glowny (main station).

This punctual departure had a dining car so I purchased a banana/mango drink (to remind me of the tropics) for 9 zloty.

This was a very short trip: I alighted at Poznan at 1220, a minute early.

In recent years, perhaps within the last 10 to 15, this station has been reconstructed as it is now attached to a shopping centre. The tram stop was about a 200 metre walk out of the station. It lacked weather protection.

My hotel was a five minute tram trip away, and thankfully a comfortable place to rest one's weary head.

I treated myself to a pizza at an Italian restaurant and then took some tram rides. The green and yellow liveried trams were a strikingly different design (in the main) to what I'd encountered in other Polish cities.

I travelled on a couple of tram routes to again work up an appetite.

 

[railfan99]

Next morning my tram ride in Poznan was coupled set 156-157: in four minutes, I was at the Poznan station stop.

It was sunny but cold, unlike many other days that lacked any sun.

My railcar for the 0950 hours to Wolsztyn was SA132.

This was a rare example of a route not covered by my 1st class Global Eurailpass. It was standard class only. After departing on time, I was charged a reasonable fare of PLN33.60 for the 90 minute journey.

Along the way, I saw the first snow of the season, and managed to take a photo from the train. No big deal for Yorkshire residents but for those from the other side of the world, always interesting.

There was a plough seen on a local road, probably deicing as the road didn't have snow on it from what I could see.

We left Poznan with about 35 passengers but at least another 26 joined en route.

There were 19 off upon arrival at Wolsztyn at 1120 hours, half a minute early if my watch could be replied upon.

 

[railfan99]

I had long weanted to do the 'Wolsztyn Experience' (not the training, just the trip behind a Polish steam loco).

The sad passing of the instigator plus the change in what line steam ran on made it imperative that I not delay this travel for another year.

The connections weren't great, so I had to have a light lunch before joining the 1415 hours from Wolsztyn to Zbaszynek.

It was a two car train that the loco, Pl-47-65 if I wrote it down correctly, could easily handle. We departed on time with 27 passengers who mostly seemed to be upper high school or university students.

It was typical Polish scenry: mostly cultivated fields, perhaps of wheat.

At Zbaszym Przedmiescie, we overtook an intermodal train that had many Amazon containers. Where else in the world would you find that occurring?

We arrived at Zbaszynek at 1506, a minute late, with fiv emore having joined en route and 11 leaving the train at its terminus. The 'cafe' was a fellow sitting at a desk with a PC who sold me a Snickers bar.

The return trip that started at 1534 was lightly patronised, with only seven passengers from Zbaszynek. However a further 10 joined en route. The loco's sounds were music to the ear but all too soon at 1620 hours, we drew to a stop at Wolsztyn.

The three car railcar 36WE departed at 1644 with arrival at Poznan after many stops at 1827 hours. I did not note being charged a fare but this must have occurred.

A satisfying day. Do this last remaining steam train while you can: I do not know for how much longer it will operate.

 

[railfan99]

It became a Friday with Poznan trams 223-224 undertaking the task of conveying me to the railway station by 0748 hours in plenty of time for the 0835 hours to Warsaw.

This loco hauled train did not dock until 0832. My car was at one end of platform 3: because the platform indicators didn't denote in which zone it'd be in, I had a long very brisk walk with my suitcase and backpack to reach it. We departed five minutes late at 0840 hours.

This train was only a third full if that in my first class car but standard class was busier.

The dining car lacked hot chocolate. The staff member was unfriendly, so I did not purchase anything.

We had a long wait prior to Warsaw Zachodnia allegedly due to the presence of other trains, and arrived Warsaw Central at 1128 hours. I haven't looked up the timetable but memory tells me this was almost half an hour late.

I dumped my suitcase at an excellent hotel and had a lengthy tram trip to Winnica and back. Outbound, the tram was very crowded so I had to stand for a major part of the journey. The last part was a 2021-opened extension so very modern.

A meal at a pizza restaurant completed the day.

 

[railfan99]

It had recently snowed in Warsaw so next day (Saturday) was ideal for making tram trips to Goclawek (route 9, returning on a route 24) at its other terminus. I visited a Warsaw museum prior to that.

A meal at a fairly cheap but good Chinese restaurant near Warsaw Central station was also on the agenda.

On Sunday, EC161-010 as IC1906 formed the 1203 hours on platform 3 also at Warsaw Centralna. I alighted at Lodz Fabrsyna at 1303 after a comfortable trip on this railcar set as 1st was only half full. I travelled by taxi to my hotel and then had a most enjoyable trip on tramcar 2795 on route 1 with track near one terminus in very poor condition. IIRC LOdz has the most track kilometres of any metre gauge tram network worldwide. I then went to the other end of the line (Doly) and returned to my hotel.

 

[railfan99]

Lodz had a most attractive street in which my hotel was located. The pedestrianised area was gaily lit with Christmas decorations, and there were many historic buildings that survived the communist era. I made a mistake in only having two nights in Lodz as this allowed the briefest encounter with the tramway network.

On the Monday my long distance train was departing from Lodz Widzew. I walked 20 minutes to Lodz Fabryczna that when I'd arrived on Sunday had an art exhibition going attracting hordes of people, but on Monday morning it wasn't at all busy.

A PolRegio four car electric was my transfer to Lodz Widzew, departing at 1119 and arriving at 1125.

I eschewed dragging my suitcase up a long ramp to get to the booking office and other facilities, so just stayed on the platform. A succession of trains came and went including a single car railcar for a nbranchline.

ED160 was my comfortable railcar: I was booked in car 2, a forward facing single seat.

We departed on time at 1223 and along the way saw a little snow.

I also observed Slovenian locos on a coal train at 1438. Not a sight one would now see in England, sadly.

Arrival at Katowice's main station was at 1521, on time after a comfortable journey. Fortunately my hotel was nearby.

 

[railfan99]

Covering some of Katowice's extensive tram network was a goal of the trip.

I started my Tuesday travels at 0900 hours, firstly travelling on route 15 on a newly extended route to Rondo John Paul II (my use is of English re the late Pope) with tram number 849 outbound and 840 inbound.

Next up was a lengthy route to the Huta Steelworks. Its balloon loop terminus was desolate: an ageing crew building (presumably with a lavatory inside) and partly snow-covered tracks. On the way back on tram 848 on this route 21, there were road widening works that caused a few minutes' delay.

By mid afternoon I had taken route 11 with tram 678 to Chebzie Petla, an interesting series of balloon loops with complicated trackwork. It took me a while to work out from where each route was leaving, so I was there for 26 minutes.

Tram 1030 on route 11, my notebook says, was 'very efficiently heated'. It was fairly chilly in the open air, as one would expect in late November.

Katowice's CBD had some tramway junctions where there was a tram every three or four minutes with an interesting variety of manufacturers represented.

It was impossible to cover the whole network in one day, but I achieved a good cross-section.

I highly recommend a visit to this city if trams are among your interests.

 

[D6130]

also observed Slovenian locos on a coal train at 1438. Not a sight one would now see in England, sadly.

Were they Slovenian or Slovakian locos? That's a long way North for Slovenian locos to venture. Can you remember which logos they carried?....SZ for Slovenia or ZSSK for Slovakia - which has a border with Poland?

Still enjoying your reports immensely! Thanks.

 

[eastwestdivide]

a coal train at 1438. Not a sight one would now see in England, sadly.

In fact there are still coal trains in England, just not for power generation. Cement making at Hope is one flow.

 

[railfan99]

Were they Slovenian or Slovakian locos? That's a long way North for Slovenian locos to venture. Can you remember which logos they carried?....SZ for Slovenia or ZSSK for Slovakia - which has a border with Poland?

I rechecked my trusty notebook. They were Slovakian locos. Apologies for the error. From memory, I didn't have more than two or three seconds' view of them, and did not write down the rail operator's name.

If it helps, these were observed between Zawiercie and Sosnowice Poludniowy stations. I noted there was a coal mine adjacent to the locos (an unsurprising observation).

I wouldn't have been familiar with either ZSSK or SZ. I have yet to stay overnight in these two nations so don't count them as adding to the 48 I've been to, as passing through is not good enough to recognise a 'visit'.

 

[railfan99]

In fact there are still coal trains in England, just not for power generation. Cement making at Hope is one flow.

Thank you. Interesting.

 

[railfan99]

Departure from Katowice was an early start, on the 0632 hours loco-hauled Spodek (IC41100) that departed on time with loco ED74-014.

By 0750 there had been some fog, but it cleared. I admired the large freight yards at Kluczbork (0816-17) as there was a steel freight in situ.

We then used a crossover to undertake some left hand running. There were track machines on the right hand track. I'd found the tracks in Poland to ride well, but this is a comment applying to most of the UK and Europe.

It became sunny prior to Poznan arrival at 1029, a minute early, where I changed trains to the 1126 hours scheduled departure for Berlin, unimaginatively known as the "Berlin-Warsaw Express'.

Poznan was an easy station to change at given all escalators and the limited number of lifts were operable (as they should be).

This train docked with little time to spare. Once again the platform indicators did not tell me at what position on the platform I should be, so I had to race along (trailing my suitcase and carrying my much loved Swiss brand backpack) to the front car. We departed four minutes late.

I was given free apple juice in the 1st class car (coach). I had a forward facing seat in a compartment for six that was a nice present given I was departing from Poland. Strangely though, my seat was the middle one, yet my compartment initially only had three in it, increasing eventually to four.

I enjoyed a cold apple pie (without ice cream, as it didn't include it) for PLN15 in the dining car.

We stopped at Frankfurt (Oder) from 1308 to 12 after which my ticket was checked by the pleasant German conductor.

Berlin Hbf arrival was three late at 1405. The island platform was crowded with many passengers waiting for a DB ICE train that was 25 minutes plus late. (Par for the course, many Germans would say).

My hotel was nearby but I initially stupidly went to the wrong side of this cavernous station.

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[railfan99]

My final European trip was next morning, a Thursday, on ICE75 with DB set 9491.

Prior to departure I had the pleasure of watching the loco hauled MAV train for Buadpest depart from the other side of the island platform. But burdened with my suitcase and trusty backpack, I didn't observe its loco.

My train was extremely well patronised, so initially my seat was facing backwards, an aisle seat at a table for four. Opposite me were a well educated German couple who spoke excellent English. One of the first things the husband said to me was 'you know, in Germany we have a problem with our railways', a reference to DB's lack of punctuality that's been widely discussed on this forum.

It was raining as we departed on time at 0926 hours.

The DB ICEs are far from the fastest high speed trains worldwide but to my mind, nothing beats them for good design. The seats in 1st class were very comfortable, the cars are quiet inside, the tables are excellent for dining at or popping one's printed European Rail timetable plus a notebook on, and the toilets are roomy and thankfully well maintained. The aircon was a suitable temperature, probably 22 degrees.

We reversed direction at Leipzig (1044-51, a minute late).

I purchased lunch from the dining car, an excellent foccacia.

By Fulda, we were 21 minutes late: 1306 to 1309 hours was our stop. The conductor then announced there were spare seats in standard class, as presumably there had been standees, though not evident in 1st. This mystified me, as being an international train, I thought this was a rare case of reservations being compulsory even for intra-German trips.

We were due at Frankfurt at 1344 but the actual timings were 1402-1414. Naturally, large numbers alighted and boarded.

We made up some time by Karlsruhe (1520-23 as opposed to the WTT's 1509).

At Freiburg in B, at least 60 passengers joined. After departing at 1628, we passed two freights that raced in the opposite direction at what seemed a two minute headway.

Basel Hbf at 1705 to 1712 (the latter 26 late) saw a very large contingent of well dressed employees/executives/consultants join. One young lady helped me with what train I ought take at Zurich Hbf, where arrival was at 1802 on platform 11.

I then caught a local SBB train at 1826 (four minutes late - ahem) to Rumlang, arriving at 1840 with at least 75 off. It was a 15 minute walk (partly uphill) to my hotel.

So concluded my Eurailpass that at 950 Euros for two months' consecutive travel in 1st was extremely good value.

 

[railfan99]

Some brief learnings from this trip:

1. Even though Germany is a pass-friendly nation with in most cases optional seat reservations, nowadays it's wise to book a seat on ICEs as patronage can be very heavy, even in 1st.

2. I'd only been to Krakow in Poland before: it was surprising just how good the Polish railway system was, even if it won't win plaudits for being the fastest passenger railway in Europe, as the loco hauled trains can be pretty slow, with lengthy stops at major stations.

3. Patronise the dining/buffet cars when you can but don't be surprised if they lack your favourite dish.

4. Surprisingly, at least one Polish intercity train I was on lacked catering of any sort. Try to acquaint yourself with this before you travel, so you can visit a supermarket and stock up on (if relevant) lunch items. Supermarkets are often in basements. At Berlin Hbf, this wasn't the case, but this useful facility was in a corner: I had to look hard to locate it.

5. I chose not to travel by sleeping car train from Berlin to Zurich, but opted (as above) for a not overly impressive Berlin hotel and an ICE day railcar. Was this a mistake? The jury is out.

6. 1st class on a Eurailpass or Interrail pass is well worth paying the relatively small extra for.

7. Controversially, UK railways don't deserve much of the criticism. I wasn't affected by cancellations, though had a small number of delays. That said, I wasn't a local travelling repeatedly on say a Northern-operated branch line where some trains might be regularly given the flick.

8. An obvious point, but if travelling with a suitcase, book an hotel close to the station. It saves so much hassle, and arguments with taxi drivers when travellers are at the end of their day and just want to have a shower and flop on the hotel bed.

9. I rarely had hotel breakfasts: this saved at least GBP500 over six weeks. If you're not a big breakfast eater, supermarkets may have what you like at a massive reduction compared with the price of hotel breakfasts. In one case in England, my train was leaving quite early: the hotel buffet staff hadn't finished laying out menu items when I was ready to go back up to the room and depart for the tracks.

10. The 'Seat 61' website is an invaluable resource. Hats off!

11. Travel on as many preserved railways as you can afford in money and time. They are worth supporting, and each is different.

12. Tramways are a wonderful way to explore European cities: you see everything from swanky residential areas to those populated by the less affluent. Robert Schwandl's erxcellent Urban Rail site and his amazing series of tramway books by country(ies) are terrific guides.

 

[Falcon1200]

I have enjoyed your informative trip reports @railfan99; Many thanks!

 

[railfan99]

Next morning I used the free minibus from my hotel to Zurich Airport. The Swiss lounge was rather mundane: the outdoor terrace that would afford the opportunity to hear as well as see aircraft was inexplicably closed.

A journey to Manila ensued in business class, but eventually it was back down to Melbourne in economy as the J class fares had risen while I decided if I'd be travelling. Chalk and cheese!

 

[railfan99]

I have enjoyed your informative trip reports @railfan99; Many thanks!

My pleasure: I have learnt a lot from RailUK's fora so it's always good if one can "repay" the wonderful advice from others.

 

[eastwestdivide]

A good philosophy - “pass it on”

 

[D6130]

I too have enjoyed your detailed travelogues, as I have done for the last couple of years. Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to post them!

 

[Iskra]

A fantastic collection of travels, thanks for sharing!