Rybnik 2023-02-15
Railway station in Rybnik.
Geographic coordinates: 50.089N 18.548E.
Rybnik is a city in Poland, located in the Silesian Voivodeship. Historically, it lies in Upper Silesia. The development of the mining industry has brought the city's population to 132,923 (2021).
PKP Rybnik.
Railway line No. 140.
On August 9, 1853, the construction of a railway line from Katowice - Ligota through Rybnik to the town of Nędza was started. Currently, the line has No. 140. On October 1, 1856, the Orzesze - Rydułtowy section (then the Czernica railway station) was launched. At that time, Rybnik became an important station and it was possible to get to Racibórz and further to Chałupki and Bohumin. It should be remembered, however, that initially the trail was laid provisionally, with steep climbs, and the wagon train was pulled by two locomotives. The travel time was long. The situation improved when, in January 1857, the Rydułtowy railway tunnel, 727 meters long, was opened. However, already in May 1857, the tunnel partially collapsed, and the reconstruction was completed on December 20, 1858. On December 29, 1856, another railway section Orzesze - Mikołów was commissioned. On December 20, 1858, the section Mikołów - Katowice Ligota was put into service. On this day, the railway line No. 140 was completed.
Line No. 140 Katowice Ligota - Nędza runs parallel and lies almost along its entire length in the Śląskie Voivodeship. It is 67.203 m long, electrified, and the maximum speed of the train is 120 km/h. The line is indirectly connected to Racibórz and Kędzierzyn-Koźle via line No. 151. On the Leszczyny – Rybnik Towarowy and Sumina – Nędza sections, the line is double-tracked. Since 2017, modernization works have been carried out on the trail.
Railway line No. 158.
In October 1882, as part of the construction of the railway line No. 158, called the "second Bogumin route", the section to Wodzisław Śląski was launched. The trail leads through Niedobczyce (currently Rybnik Towarowy) to Wodzisław Śląski through Areas and Radlin. On December 22, 1882, the railway line was extended to Chałupki via Czyżowice, Bełsznica and Olza. In 1884, a connection between Rybnik and Zagłębie Ostrowskie (then belonging to Austria) was established.
The railway line No. 158 is 25.327 km long, electrified and runs from Rybnik in the south-west direction. The line runs through the city of Rybnik, the Wodzisław district, including two cities: Radlin and Wodzisław Śląski, and the Racibórz district. On the Rybnik Towarowy – Wodzisław Śląski section, the line is double-tracked. The maximum speed of the train is 80 km/h.
Construction of further railway routes.
On September 1, 1884, Rybnik obtained a railway connection with Żory, thanks to the opening of the section Orzesze - Żory. It was a circular line. The direct connection between Rybnik and Żory was built in 1936.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, many railway sidings to mines and factories were built. In 1907, the Niedobczyce station (now Rybnik Towarowy) was connected with the Chwałowice mine. The siding was 4 km long. In 1915, the siding was extended to the Jankowice mine by another 4 km.
On July 16, 1912, the two-track section Rybnik - Leszczyny, 8 km long, was put into operation. On March 15, 1913, a 12.5 km long two-track section from Rybnik to Sumina was put into operation.
In 1933, it was decided to build a new, latitudinal railway line Rybnik - Żory - Suszec - Pszczyna. The assumption was that the shorter route and faster travel would bring measurable benefits. Currently, this line has No. 148. The line was commissioned in stages. On November 21, 1936, the Rybnik - Żory section, and on November 29, 1938, the Żory - Pszczyna section.
Electrification.
The electrification of the railway junction in Rybnik began in 1969. The first electrified route was Kędzierzyn Koźle - Rybnik. The first electric locomotive with a set of wagons passed on December 1, 1970. In 1973, the Rybnik-Żory railway section was electrified. In 1977, the Rybnik-Katowice route was electrified. All lines used in passenger traffic were electrified, and the last electrified section of Rybnik Towarowy - Sumina was put into operation on May 22, 1989.
Rybnik railway station.
Currently, 5 railway lines used for passenger and freight traffic run through Rybnik: Railway line No. 140 Katowice Ligota - Nędza. Railway line No. 158 Rybnik Towarowy - Chałupki. Railway line No. 173 Rybnik - Sumina. Railway line No. 148 Pszczyna - Rybnik. Railway line No. 688 Rybnik Freight RTA – Rybnik RBC.
There are 8 active railway stations and stops in Rybnik: Rybnik (Śródmieście), Rybnik Niedobczyce, Rybnik Niewiadom, Rybnik Paruszowiec, Rybnik Towarowy, Rybnik Rymer, Rybnik Piaski, Rybnik Gotartowice.
During the day, 73 passenger trains depart from Rybnik station (data from February 2023). From the Rybnik railway station you can reach: Bielsko Biała - 1 InterCity train "Szyndzielnia". Bohumín - 6 InterCity trains "Chopin", "Porta Morawica", "Silesia" (morning and evening), "Cracovia", "Sobieski". Bydgoszcz - InterCity "Halny". Chałupki - 9 trains of Koleje Śląskie. Gdynia - InterCity "Sobieski". Katowice - 11 trains of Koleje Śląskie. Oświęcim - 9 trains of Koleje Śląskie. Przemyśl - 2 InterCity trains. Pszczyna - 4 trains of Koleje Śląskie. Racibórz - 16 trains of Koleje Śląskie. Ustka - InterCity "Szyndzielnia". Warsaw - 3 InterCity trains. Wodzislaw Slaski - 7 trains Wodzislaw Slaski. Zakopane - InterCity "Halny".
The Rybnik railway station is located in the south-eastern direction from the city center. There are three platforms at the station. Platform 1 is a one-sided platform located at the station building. Platform 1 is 290 m long. Platform 2 is island, covered and 327 m long. Platform 3 is island, covered, 215 m long and relatively narrow. Passengers can access the platforms through a tunnel under the platforms. The tunnel connects the station and the railway street on the south-eastern side of the station. The railway station is located at the intersection of Piłsudskiego, Kościuszki and Dworcowa streets. There is a fan-shaped locomotive depot at the station, which still serves its purpose. The locomotive depot is located in the north-eastern head of the station.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman