Two trains, two snowy days

How much Poland's railways are improving is the theme here; the modernisation of the Warsaw-Radom line has reached a milestone, as of Monday 8 February trains are now crossing the Pilica south of Warka and are carrying on to Dobieszyn. Timetable improvements mean that the journey on the semi-fast service from W-wa Śródmieście to Chynów has been cut to 41 minutes from 51 minutes, with the promise of an even faster time once the entire line is completed down to Radom.

Below: this is the RE8 przyspieszony service (R = regional, E = express, 8 = LK8, the Warsaw-Radom-Kielce-Kraków line) on its way south, stopping only at full stations and not at halts (przystanki osobowe) such as W-wa Jeziorki.
 

From W-wa Zachodnia, the only stops on the way to Chynów are W-wa Służewiec, Piaseczno, Zalesie Górne and Czachówek Południowy. Dashing through the snow, between W-wa Dawidy and W-wa Jeziorki.

Two days later, I catch a full coal train, hauled by a single modernised SM48. In years gone by, such a train would have needed two or even three engines to haul it...

Nostalgia corner - taken from the other side of the tracks, but at same point between W-wa Dawidy and W-wa Jeziorki, 31 January 2010. Three engines needed to haul the train. The modernised ST48 is based on the old Soviet TEM-2 (ST48 in Polish service). Here we see a pair of ST48s headed by an SM42. [Note Polish loco designation - first letter denotes power, so 'S' = spalinowy, or diesel, whereas ''E' = elektryczny. And long ago, 'P' = parowy, or steam. The second letter denotes use, so P = pasażerski, T = towarowy (freight), M = manewrowy (shunting), U = uniwersalny. Numbers denote type. So EU07 is the seventh type of electric loco for universal use.]

The way things were. Smell the fumes.

Below: heading south to Siekierki power station, much coal. Contributing to Poland's image as the filthy man of Europe. So - progress needed in weaning Poland off fossil fuels.

BONUS SHOT: 13 February, a coal train bound for Siekierki and a passenger train bound for Góra Kalwaria both pass W-wa Jeziorki. Photo taken from the southern end of the 'up' platform at W-wa Jeziorki station.

BONUS BONUS SHOT: 18 February, a double-decker not servicing the semi-fast pospieszony to Radom, but the all-stations service to Góra Kalwaria.

This time last year:
"I wake up at five and queue for bread and soup"

This time two years ago:
Getting over this year's flu

This time three years ago:
War and the absence of war

This time five years ago:
Sensitivity to spiritual evolution

This time six years ago:
75th anniversary of Stalin's deportations of Poles

This time seven years ago:
Peak Car (in western Europe at least)

This time eight years ago:
Pavement for Karczunkowska NOW!
[I still have to walk through mud or snow dodge speeding drivers!]

This time nine years ago:
Until the Vistula freezes over 

This time ten years ago:
Of sunshine, birdsong and wet socks

This time 13 years ago:
Dziadzio Tadeusz at 90