Żurawica 2023-05-15
Railway stations Żurawica and Żurawica Rozrządowa.
Geographic coordinates: 49.821N 22.825E. Elevation 210 - 243 m above sea level.
Żurawica village.
Żurawica is a town in Poland in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Przemyśl District, Żurawica Commune. From the south, the town borders directly on Przemyśl. Żurawica lies directly on the Żurawianka River, which is a left tributary of the San River. Historically, the town is located in Lesser Poland. In the Second Republic of Poland (1918 - 1939) the village was located in the Przemyśl county in the Lviv voivodship. In the period 1945 - 1946 Ukrainian nationalists from the OUN-UPA murdered many Poles here. In the period 1975 - 1998 the town belonged administratively to the Przemyśl Voivodeship. In 2015, the town had about 4,500 inhabitants.
Żurawica is known for its military units (armoured troops) and a large railway junction. Currently (2023) the 1st Tank Battalion named after Colonel Józef Koczwara is stationed here.
Żurawica railway junction.
The railway junction is located on the railway line No. 91 Kraków - Medyka (E30 railway line) and further to Ukraine to Lviv.
The railway junction consists of two railway stations; Żurawica and Żurawica Rozrządowa. The stations are part of the reloading complex, currently between Poland (European Union) and Ukraine. Both Żurawica and Żurawica Rozrządowa stations also serve passenger traffic. There are Passenger Stops here. In 2018, both stations served up to 150 passengers per day. Passenger trains to Przemyśl, Jarosław, Przeworsk, Rzeszów, Dębica, Tarnów stop here. Passenger traffic is served by trains of carriers - Koleje Podkarpackie and PolRegio.
Żurawica railway station.
The Żurawica station was opened in 1860, during the construction of the Kraków - Lviv railway line, at a time when Poland was under partition. The station was still called Żurawica, except for the period 1939 - 1944, when it was called "Zurawica", because the occupiers could not pronounce the letter "Ż".
Żurawica railway station, in passenger traffic is called Żurawica Osobowa. The station building is located at Dworcowa Street. Platform 1 has only one platform edge. There is no tunnel for travelers or a bridge over the tracks at the station. People walk riskily through six tracks from the platform to Bernarda Wapowskiego Street. In 2021, information was given that an underground passage for travelers and residents will be built. The investment is to be built in connection with the modernization of railway stops at the Żurawica - Przemyśl - Medyka railway junction. In Podkarpacie, the Government Stop Program (until 2025) includes 9 investments: Przemyśl, Hurko, Medyka, Żurawica, Ropczyce, Strzyżów, Mielec, Zaklików.
Six tracks run through the Żurawica station, including two wide tracks. The three normal tracks are electrified. At the station, on the south-east side, there is a large loading yard with a ramp. The ramp is 280 m long. In the north-eastern station, along Owocowa Street, there is a rail-road crossing equipped with dams (barriers) near the Żurawica ŻRB signal box.
Żurawica Rozrządowa station.
The station was built by the Germans in 1941, during preparations for the attack on the Muscovites. The station was named Zurawica Nord. When in 1944, the Soviet front approached Żurawica, the station was named Zurawica Towarowa (written in Cyrillic). In 1946, PKP changed the name of the station to Żurawica Rozrządowa.
Passenger traffic is served by an island platform with two edges and a single-edge platform at the station building. The platforms are 200 m long.
The Żurawica Rozrządowa station serves mainly freight traffic. The station has standard gauge tracks and wide gauge tracks. The tracks on the western side of the station are electrified and passenger trains from/to Przemyśl pass here. There is a locomotive depot and many elements of railway infrastructure for transshipment of goods. Iron ore imported from the CCCP was mainly transshipped here. Trains and individual wagons are mainly served by SM48 diesel locomotives. Żurawica is the seat of PKP Cargo Terminale and the ORLEN - Zagościniec Fuel Bottling Plant.
There is a station building at the station. The building is inaccessible to travelers. In the building of the station there is an outpost of the Railway Protection Guard.
The station plain measures approximately 3,000 m x 400 m. The area is illuminated with lanterns. The station plain is crossed by a bridge (overground passage) for travelers and railway employees, which is about 300 m long. Currently, there are over 50 tracks at the station, of various purposes, width, electrified or not. A significant part of these tracks is not used, due to less cross-border exchange of goods than in socialist times.
There is a disused water tower at the station which was built in 1941. The tower is made of brick with two tanks, with an elliptical cross-section. In the northern part of the station there is the "ŻRA" Żurawica control room. The "ŻRB" signal box is located between the stations. The "ŻRC" signal box is located to the south of the Żurawica station.
Railway lines.
The railway line No. 91 Kraków - Medyka runs through both stations. It is 235.889 km of the trail (Żurawica Rozrządowa), 237.631 km (Żurawica).
Railway line No. 119 (1985) Żurawica - Małkowice. The line is closed and partially dismantled. At the crossing in Bankowa Street there are railway tracks and signs "Krzyż św. Andrew".
Railway line No. 125 Żurawica - Małkowice, dismantled broad-gauge line to the Małkowice reloading point.
The railway line No. 613 Żurawica - Hurko is single-track, normal width, electrified. The line bypasses the Przemyśl Główny station. The line crosses the San River over a three-section truss bridge supported by stone pillars. In parallel, there is a second identical bridge on line No. 614.
The railway line No. 614 Żurawica - Hurko is single-track, wide-gauge, non-electrified. It runs parallel to line No. 613. The line is used by freight trains from/to Ukraine.
There are several railway sidings at the Żurawica junction. The most important are the sidings to PKN ORLEN and to the Military Unit.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman