Miłkowice–Jasień railway
| Miłkowice–Jasień railway | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Line number | 282 |
| Locale | |
| Termini |
|
| History | |
| Opened | 1845 (first section) |
| Electrified | 1985 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 103.622 km (64.388 mi) |
| Number of tracks | 2 (1 between Węgliniec and Żary) |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Electrification | Overhead catenary (Miłkowice–Węgliniec) |
| Operating speed | 160 km/h (99 mph) |
The Miłkowice–Jasień railway is a double-track and single-track railway connecting Miłkowice railway station in Miłkowice and Żary railway station in Żary.[1] The section between Jasień and Żary has been closed since 1992.[2]
History
Pre World War II
The first section of the line opened on 1 October 1845, between Legnica and Bolesławiec, part of the Berlin–Wrocław railway. In 1846 the line was extended to Żary via Węgliniec. On 15 May 1875, the line to Jasień via Żary opened as a 93 km (58 mi) long branch off Bolesławiec.[3][4]
This line was about 30 km (19 mi) shorter than the line it replaced, "Berlinka" to Żary but via Węgliniec.[5] During this time, the line was still a double-track railway.
On 3 February 1942, a potbelly stove in a locomotive overheated and exploded on the section between Miłkowice and Węgliniec. 20 people died and 15 were injured.[6]
Post World War II
After World War II, the area came under Polish administration. As a result, the line was taken over by Polish State Railways. One of lines of track between Węgliniec and Żary were dismantled by the Red Army under 'war reparations' of World War II. The line is still single-track today.
On 21 December 1985, electrification of the section between Miłkowice and Węgliniec was completed, while in 1990 the section between Węgliniec and Żary underwent major track modernisation.[3]
The section between Żary and Jasień was closed in 1992. Tracks were dismantled in 2000.[2]
Between 2005 and 2008, the Miłkowice–Węgliniec section, which is part of the E30 main line, underwent a complete overhaul and modernisation of the line. The modernisation covered stations, tracks, signalling systems, level crossings, and overhead wires, as well as the construction of modern LCS-type signal boxes.[7]
Since the completion of the E30 modernization on the Miłkowice–Węgliniec section, all passenger trains have been able to reach a maximum speed of up to 160 km/h (99 mph), and freight trains up to 120 km/h (75 mph).[8]
Train services
The line is served by the following services:
- Intercity services (IC) Zgorzelec - Legnica - Wrocław - Ostrów Wielkopolski - Łódź - Warszawa[9]
- Regional services (KD) Lubań Sląski - Węgliniec - Legnica - Wrocław[10]
- Regional services (KD) Berlin - Cottbus - Węgliniec - Legnica - Wrocław[11] (only on weekends)
- Regional services (KD) Wrocław - Legnica - Żary - Forst[12]
- Regional services (KD) Legnica - Chojnów - Chocianów[13]
- Regional services (R) Görlitz/Zgorzelec - Węgliniec - Żary - Zielona Góra[14]
Gallery
-
Railway line near Stary Węgliniec
-
Railway bridge near Chojnów
-
Modernisation works of the line near Chojnów in 2005
-
Miłkowice railway station
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
References
- ^ "Wykaz linii" (PDF). Id-12 (D-29). Warsaw: Polish State Railways: 34. 2009.
- ^ a b "Linia kolejowa nr 282 Miłkowice - Żary (- Jasień)" [Railway line 282 Miłkowice–Żary (/Jasień)]. polska-org.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ^ a b "282 Miłkowice - Jasień". Atlas Kolejowy (in Polish). Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ "Linia Miłkowice - Jasień". Jelenia Rail (in Polish). Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ Berliner Briefe (in German). 4 June 1875. p. 414.
- ^ Ritzau, Hans (1979). Eisenbahn-Katastrophen in Deutschland. Splitter deutscher Geschichte [Railway Disasters in Germany: Fragments of German History] (in German). Vol. 1. p. 130.
- ^ "Koleją na Euro 2012 – linie kolejowe" [Rail for the 2012 Euros]. transinfo.pl (in Polish). 6 May 2008. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ^ "Modernizacja linii kolejowej E 30 na odcinku Legnica-Węgliniec - umowa podpisana" [Modernisation of the E30 main line between Legnica and Węgliniec]. Polish State Railways (in Polish). 28 January 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ^ Koleo. PKP IC 1626 ŁUŻYCE Warszawa Wschodnia — Zgorzelec. Timetable. https://koleo.pl/pociag/IC/1626-%C5%81U%C5%BBYCE/
- ^ "D1 Wrocław Główny - Legnica - Węgliniec - Lubań Śląski" (PDF). Rozkład jazdy (in Polish). Lower Silesian Railways. 31 August 2025.
- ^ "D99 Wrocław Główny - Berlin-Lichtenberg - Wrocław Główny" (PDF). Rozkład jazdy (in Polish and German). Lower Silesian Railways. 31 August 2025.
- ^ "D14 Wrocław Główny - Legnica - Chocianów / Żagań - Żary - Forst (Lausitz)" (PDF). Rozkład jazdy (in Polish). Lower Silesian Railways. 31 August 2025.
- ^ "D13 Legnica - Chojnów - Chocianów" (PDF). Rozkład jazdy. Lower Silesian Railways. 31 August 2025.
- ^ Polregio. Goerlitz - Żary - Zielona Góra Główna. Timetable (2022/2023) https://polregio.pl/media/21089/goerlitz-zary-zielona-gora-gl.pdf