Infrastructure projects coming along nicely

May Day holiday - a good opportunity to see how road and rail projects are coming on. I will focus on the Warsaw-Radom line, as this is closest to my needs. Today, I checked progress between Chynów and Michalczew via Krężel stations; work began in September, so we are eight months in. It seems the pace is fairly even, the idea being to modernise the 'up' line first, then move single-line working across from the 'down' line, then rip that up and modernise it too.

Below: a Warsaw-bound Koleje Mazowieckie train heads north up the 'down' line. Trains pass each other at Czachówek Południowy, where double-track working resumes.

Below: the 'up' track at Krężel station; half the platform has been dismantled; the trackbed is down and awaiting ballast, sleepers and rails. A new platform will be built behind where I'm standing. Once done, the remaining half of the platform will be removed and the process repeated. Island platforms such as this one are disappearing from the Radom line.

Below: level crossing near Janów, betweeen Krężel and Michalczew stations. Barriers will be installed here, as at all other level crossings on the line.

Below: new ballast is in place on this stretch of track between Krężel and Michalczew. Public holiday so no one around here.

Below: at Michalczew, work is in a similar phase to that seen at Krężel, Chynów and Sułkowice - half of an island platform for 'up' and 'down' services both using the same singe track. Note the cables coming in from the right of the pic; at Michalczew, there's an electricity substation (out of frame) that provides power for this stretch of track.

Below: the station building at Michalczew; it will remain and receive a fresh lick of paint. About 400m to the south (behind my back as it were) there were a handful of workers in bright orange overalls toiling away with an excavator, despite the public holiday.

Bonus photos from today - below: the S2 expressway (southern Warsaw bypass) on the western side of the Vistula. Much work has been completed, but there's still a vast amount to do before traffic can cross the river here.

Below: a section of the Góra Kalwaria bypass as it approaches the town. The bypass is sorely needed as Góra Kalwaria is often totally choked by traffic. Work started in mid-May 2017.

This time last year:
'Twas on a Monday morning the Electrician came to call

This time two years ago:
The Gold Train film shoot - Day Three

This time four years ago:
45 years under one roof

This time seven years ago:
May Day in the heat (it was 31C in Warsaw!) 

This time nine years ago:
Bike ride across rural Poland

This time 12 years ago:
Mazovian landmark from the air