So many years have passed... Finally, trains will run to Lwówek Śląski and Kowary

– Lwówek Śląski and Kowary will return to Poland’s railway map. As the voivodeship government, we are investing heavily in the development of modern rail transport in the region. The revitalization of lines in the Lwówek area and the Jelenia Góra region will allow thousands of Lower Silesian residents to use accessible rail transport and Koleje Dolnośląskie trains, says Paweł Gancarz, Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.

Lwówek Śląski is one of three county capitals in Lower Silesia currently without passenger rail connections. Since the railway lines leading to the town were taken over by the voivodeship government, they will be rebuilt, and Lwówek Śląski will return to the country’s railway map, with Koleje Dolnośląskie trains running to the town.

The Lower Silesian Roads and Railways Service has just announced a tender for the first section, from Jerzmanice-Zdrój to Lwówek Śląski. At Jerzmanice-Zdrój, the two railway lines running to Lwówek Śląski and Marciszów will be rebuilt by DSDiK. These investments will significantly shorten travel times from Legnica, Lubin and Głogów to Jelenia Góra and the foothills of the Sudetes.

– We have begun preparatory work for the tender on the railway line from Jerzmanice-Zdrój to Marciszów. Soon, a junction station will be built near Złotoryja, connecting two more county capitals to Lower Silesia’s railway network, says Michał Rado, Deputy Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, who is responsible, among other things, for rail transport.

In the near future, passengers from the Copper Basin will be able to choose between two railway routes from Legnica to Jelenia Góra – via Marciszów or Lwówek Śląski. The tender for the Jerzmanice-Zdrój–Lwówek Śląski section covers the construction of approximately 24 km of track.

Jelenia Góra – Kowary – Kamienna Góra

The Jelenia Góra–Karpacz railway line, which the voivodeship reopened in June 2025, has become a railway hit not only in Poland but also across Europe. Media in Germany, the Czech Republic and even the Netherlands have reported on the line. Work on the line running from Mysłakowice to the boundary of Kowary station is already close to completion. This section is being carried out with funds from the National Recovery Plan.

DSDiK has now announced a tender for the next section: from Kowary station to the tunnel under Kowarska Pass and, beyond it, from Ogorzelec to Kamienna Góra. To establish a route connecting Jelenia Góra with Kamienna Góra via Mysłakowice and Kowary, only the section running through the tunnel will remain to be completed.

– We are waiting until the end of the year for guidelines concerning bats in the tunnel at Kowarska Pass. Once we receive them, we will also announce a tender for this section. We want the construction to have as little impact on the environment as possible, explains Mateusz Masłowski, Director of the Lower Silesian Roads and Railways Service.

This line will give residents of Kamienna Góra and Kowary a direct connection with Jelenia Góra. The route from Kamienna Góra to Jelenia Góra will be approximately 38 km long in total. The scenic mountain railway line will become one of Lower Silesia’s tourist attractions. In both tenders, bidders may submit documents to DSDiK by December 30, 2025.

Where will trains run in the coming years?

The Lower Silesian Roads and Railways Service is currently carrying out investments in several locations. Railway lines from Kłodzko to Lądek-Zdrój and Stronie Śląskie are already being built, while the line from Dzierżoniów via Bielawa is being extended as far as Srebrna Góra.

In two years, Koleje Dolnośląskie trains will also run from Legnica and Chojnów not only to Chocianów but to Przemków in Polkowice County as well. Work is also underway south of Wrocław – a tender will soon be announced for the Kobierzyce–Łagiewniki section, from where trains will eventually continue south to places including Ząbkowice Śląskie.

No other voivodeship in Poland is revitalizing railway lines on such a scale – in recent years, rail connections have been restored to towns inhabited by a quarter of a million Lower Silesian residents.