South of Pilica to the end of the line

South of Warka, south of the Pilica river, the Radom line ran single-track all the way to its destination, with track doubled up at all intermediate stations to provide passing facilities. Now, as part of the modernisation of line, the track is being doubled all the way down to Radom. While this is happening, there's immense disruption for passengers.

Stations serve sparsely dotted settlements and are used by few. Here's Grabów nad Pilicą, one of several somewhat misleadingly named station on the southern stretch of the line. The name of the village (population 650) is a misnomer; it actually lies six kilometres (over four miles) from the river. And the station does not serve the village as such - the station is four kilometres (two and half miles) from the village of Grabów nad Pilicą. [Not to be confused with Grabów nad Prosną, which is in Wielkopolskie province.]

Below: a train to Minsk Mazowiecki pulls into the station. Three people waiting at the platform.

Below: I watched the train depart northwards toward the river (another 4km to the north) and Warka beyond. Note the passing loop to the left for the 'down' train. When the line is modernised, it will be double-track working all the way to Radom.

Below: Grabów n/ Pilica station building, another original dating back to 1934. Note dip in the platform level to the right, helping passengers to cross the track. No doubt this feature will be replaced by a tunnel or footbridge. The station is in the middle of a forest. The nearest group of houses is one and half kilometres from here, the main road is a kilometre further on.

Below: looking south from the track crossing. To the left stands a signal box that guards the passing loop. The south end of the platform is 62.5km from Kilometre Zero at W-wa Centralna.

Onwards, south, to the next station. It is called Strzyżyna, although once again the station itself lies over four kilometres from the village of Strzyżyna (population 100). It is here that Radom-bound trains currently terminate and where passengers for stations to the south transfer to the replacement bus service.

Below: in the distance - Strzyżyna station; a Warsaw-bound train stands at the platform. Outside the station building, a number of buses await passengers wanting to travel south. One bus has already set off. The buses take two routes - one goes directly to Radom via Lesiów (the last stop before Radom); the other route stops at all the intermediate stations - Dobieszyn, Kruszyna, Wola Bierwiecka, Bartodzieje and Lesiów. The former takes just over an hour, the latter an hour and 21 minutes. The journey from W-wa Śródmieście to Strzyżyna had already taken over one hour and 40 minutes; some people are facing a six-hour daily commute. Work is already overrunning. Whole line completed by 2021? 2022 more likely. Years of misery for the people dependent on Warsaw's economic pull who live out here.

Below: I watch the train depart for Warsaw. Once it's gone, the station is left deserted. Note that as at Grabów n/ Pilicą, there are two platforms; one is on the passing loop.

Below: this telephoto shot shows the situation at the end of the passing loop, the two tracks merge back into a single line that runs 5km north to Grabów and the next passing loop.

Below: the station building, Strzyżyna. How will it look here once the line is completed?

Below: south of Strzyżyna. The line runs several hundred metres beyond the platforms' ends and reaches a stop sign. The train to the next station down, 7km to the south, Dobieszyn, took nine minutes. The bus takes 20 minutes.

POSTSCRIPT - 16.07.2017. Returning from Rzeszów by train on Tuesday evening, I changed at W-wa Zachodnia to catch the 22:37 to W-wa Jeziorki. This was the last train to Radom of the night, arriving at its destination at 01:09.

Full plan of the new track alignment all the way from Czachówek to Radom here.

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This time two years ago:
Trump flies into Warsaw

This time five years ago:
Making Poland's railways safer