With the change to the train timetable, modern Pesa Link trains will enter service on Lower Silesia’s railway lines. This good news was announced by Cezary Przybylski, Marshal of Lower Silesia, following a meeting of the Polish-German Intergovernmental Commission for Interregional and Cross-Border Cooperation in rail transport. Also attending the press conference were Piotr Rachwalski, president of Koleje Dolnośląskie SA, and Christoph Mehnert of the Upper Lusatia and Lower Silesia Rail Transport Association.

Details

Thanks to cooperation between the Lower Silesian Voivodeship authorities, German transport organizers and the carriers Koleje Dolnośląskie, DB Regio and Vogtlandbahn, the Wrocław–Dresden connection will be restored from 13 December. Trains on this route will operate in a more favorable, modified form. The existing RegioExpress services will be replaced by Regio services. On the Polish side, the trains will operate under the Regio fare (cheaper than RegioExpress) and stop at more stations. These services will therefore serve not only a cross-border role, but also a regional one. This integrated solution saves approximately PLN 3 million annually, enabling the Voivodeship authorities to subsidize the services. Koleje Dolnośląskie has prepared a special fare offer for passengers traveling to or from Dresden. Trains to Dresden will depart from Wrocław Główny at 6:06, 14:30 and 18:08, while return services from Dresden are scheduled for 10:04, 15:42 and 22:03.

New timetable in Lower Silesia

These are not the only major changes to rail traffic in Lower Silesia. The new timetable will take effect on 13 December 2015. The changes will also affect passengers using services running via Zgorzelec to or from Jelenia Góra, Węgliniec, Żary and Zielona Góra. Some trains will be routed to Görlitz station, where connections with trains to or from Dresden, Zittau and Cottbus are planned. New services will run directly from Wrocław towards Nysa (evening services on Fridays and Sundays), Kudowa-Zdrój (morning weekend services and daily midday services) and Krotoszyn (morning weekend services). Direct services to Łódź, Racibórz and Gliwice will continue. Following modernization of the railway lines towards Rawicz and Jelenia Góra, the service offering will improve, the number of connections will increase and new rolling stock will be introduced. On the Wrocław–Rawicz section, in addition to Przewozy Regionalne trains running to Leszno and Poznań, services operated by Koleje Dolnośląskie will be launched, including additional peak-period services. Most connections will be operated by new or modernized rolling stock. As a result, the fastest trains will cover the Wrocław–Rawicz section in 54 minutes. The service on this route will improve significantly thanks to four new train pairs.

New trains on Lower Silesia’s railway lines

The line towards Jelenia Góra will be served by modern, air-conditioned EZT 36WE “Impuls” and EN57AL rolling stock operated by Koleje Dolnośląskie. The fastest trains will travel from Wrocław to Wałbrzych in 1 hour 7 minutes, and to Jelenia Góra in 2 hours 10 minutes. Modernized EZT EN57AL trains operated by Przewozy Regionalne will also serve all trains from Wrocław to Zielona Góra and two train pairs to Międzylesie. Passenger service standards will also improve on some non-electrified railway lines. New rolling stock (Pesa LINK diesel multiple units) will serve connections from Wrocław to Trzebnica, Dzierżoniów and Kudowa-Zdrój. The new vehicles are currently undergoing testing, and drivers are being trained. The trains will operate from mid-December.

Minister to decide on Berlin connection

Today’s press conference, attended by Marshal Cezary Przybylski, was preceded by a meeting of the Polish-German Intergovernmental Commission for Interregional and Cross-Border Cooperation. Meetings of the commission and its individual committees take place once a year and are organized alternately by the Polish and German sides. The agenda covers issues related, among other things, to supporting the economic development of border areas, including improvements to road and rail transport.

Today’s meeting discussed the possibility of restoring the Berlin–Wrocław rail connection and launching the cross-border Zgorzelec–Görlitz rail connection. The voivodeship authorities continue to lobby for the restoration of the Berlin connection. However, the final decision may be made only by the minister responsible for transport.

“We will continue persuading the government that restoring this connection is necessary. It is significant not only in terms of prestige, but above all economically and socially. It will increase the investment and tourism appeal of our region. The connection between Lower Silesia and Berlin is also gaining particular importance in the context of the upcoming events associated with the 2016 European Capital of Culture,” Marshal Cezary Przybylski argues.

UMWD/ii