Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa

Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line (Polish: Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa, LHS), is the longest broad gauge railway line in Poland. Except for this line and a few very short stretches near border crossings, Poland uses standard gauge. The single-track line runs for almost 400 km from the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing just east of Hrubieszów to Sławków Południowy (near Katowice). It is used only for freight, mainly iron ore and coal. It is the westernmost part of the broad-gauge network based on the former Soviet Union.

Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line
ST40s on the Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line.
Overview
Owner	PKP LHS Sp. z o.o.
Locale	Southern Poland
Termini	Bug River Bridge (Poland-Ukraine border) Sławków
Stations	6
Service
Type	Freight
System	S64/R65 (main) UIC60
Services	1
Operator(s)	PKP LHS Sp. z o.o.
History
Opened	Construction commenced November 15, 1976, opened November 30, 1979
Technical
Line length	394.65 km (245.22 mi)
Track length	600 km (372.82 mi)
Track gauge	1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ^27⁄32 in) Russian gauge
Electrification	No
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
LHS in Poland

Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa
Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line
km to Tscherwonohrad 0 Volodimir-Volinsky (Володимир-Волинський) to Kovel 8 8 KM (8 км) 11 Volin (Волинь) 22 Ustilug (Устилуг) 29 Izov (Ізов) 34 Ludin (Лудин) 35 0.00 Bug River Ukraine Poland border Zawada–Isow railway (standard gauge) 3.12 Hrubieszów Towarowy Hrubieszowska Commuter Railway (narrow gauge) 18.90 Werbkowice Zachodnie 36.89 Miączyn Zawada–Isow railway 53.75 Zamość Północ Zawada–Jarosławiec railway 59.52 Zamość Bortatycze Zawada–Jarosławiec railway Zawada–Isow railway Rejowiec–Rawa-Ruska railway 77.20 Szczebrzeszyn 87.26 Zwierzyniec Towarowy Rejowiec–Rawa-Ruska railway 107.20 Biłgoraj 119.56 Ciosmy 140.44 Huta Deręgowska Zwierzyniec–Stalowa Wola railway Lublin–Przeworsk railway 159.32 Puszcza 179.26 Drozdów Ocice–Rzeszów railway 195.78 Wola Baranowska Łódź–Dębica railway 210.99 Niekrasów Rytwiany–Połaniec railway Włoszczowice–Chmielów railway 230.30 Staszów 238.62 Grzybów 255.15 Raczyce Włoszczowice–Chmielów railway Jędrzejów–Szczucin railway (narrow gauge) 270.79 Gołuchów Sitkówka-Nowiny– Busko-Zdrój railway Jędrzejów–Szczucin railway (narrow gauge) 296.00 Łączyn 314.61 Sędziszów Północny Warszawa–Kraków railway 335.89 Kępie Tunnel–Sosnowiec railway 362.40 Zarzecze 378.08 Olkusz 386.44 Bukowno Bukowno–Jaworzno railway to Jaworzno Tunnel–Sosnowiec railway to Sosnowiec 394.65 Sławków Południowy Sławków Euroterminal proposed extension to Germany km.00

The line is operated by PKP Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa spółka z o.o. company.

Its previous name was Linia Hutniczo Siarkowa (En. Metallurgy - sulphur line), but after sulphur ceased to be transported its name was changed, keeping the initials the same.

History

In the 1970s the new giant Katowice Steelworks, then in its most prosperous period, required great quantities of iron ore. The main source was mines near Kryvyi Rih (then in the USSR, now in Ukraine), from where it was transported by rail via Medyka, Przemyśl, and Tarnów to Jaworzno Szczakowa. This line had inadequate capacity to carry the traffic.

PKP considered two plans: to modernise the existing tracks to allow more freight to be carried, or to build a new broad-gauge line to ease transit across the border. The latter was chosen, designed by CBSiPBK (Central Bureau for Railway Construction Designs and Studies) in Warsaw. Eng. Józef Skorupski was the general designer. Twenty-one other design bureaus, eight geological companies and three technical universities took part in the project.

The line opened in 1979 and was used to import iron ore from the USSR and export coal and sulphur. After the fall of communism and the economic changes of 1989 traffic greatly diminished. Various schemes are being tried to increase its profitability.

On 5 January 2020 the first intermodal container train from China used the line to reach the Sławków terminal, after travelling the 9 477 km route from Xi'an via Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine over 12 days. [1] The company responsible for the line hopes that regular connections with China are established, taking advantage of the fact that its wide-gauge permits quick crossing of the border between Poland and Ukraine.

Names

The original, 1970s name of the project was Linia Hutniczo-Siarkowa (Metalworks-Sulphur Line) using the acronym LHS.

Sometime in the 1990s, the name was changed to Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa (Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line). The new name retained the acronym LHS, which is widely known, but dropped the Sulphur part, as sulphur is no longer traded between Poland and the East.

Future proposals

• Full length of track doubling.
• Full length of electrification at 25kV 50Hz AC, with minimum overhead wiring height at 6.75 metres (22 ft 2 in) above rails.
• Extension from Sławków to Germany.
• Extension of broad gauge lines from Brest, Belarus through Warsaw to Berlin, Germany, and from Kaliningrad, Russia through Gdynia, Stettin and Rostock to Hamburg.

ST44 on the Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line in Sędziszów

Brest-Berlin broad-gauge line to Minsk Brest Belarus Poland border Warsaw Poznan Poland Germany border Berlin proposed extension to Ruhrgebiet

Kaliningrad-Hamburg broad-gauge line to Riga & Klaipeda │ to Vilnius & Kaunas Kaliningrad Russia Poland border Erblag Gdansk Gdynia Stettin Poland Germany border Rostock Hamburg proposed extension to Ruhrgebiet

References

1. Dziennik Zachodni, January 6, 2020. Pierwszy pociąg z Chin wjechał do Polski szerokim torem LHS bez przeładunku na granicy. Wczoraj dotarł do stacji końcowej Sławków LHS

See also

• Uzhhorod–Košice broad-gauge track

External links

• PKP LHS company official website URL accessed at February 7, 2006 (in Polish)
• LHS fan website URL accessed at February 7, 2006 (in Polish)