Koleje Śląskie

Koleje Śląskie (Polish for Silesian Railways; KŚ) is a regional rail operator in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland. The company was founded in 2010 and is fully owned by the local government. It started servicing in October 2011.

Railways in Poland in the second half of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century

Contrary to appearances, rail transport did not play a key role in the country's economic policy after 1945. Therefore, despite intensive industrial development, including heavy industry, a significant increase in coal mining and military needs, over the years the underinvestment in the Polish State Railways (Polskie Koleje Państwowe – PKP) – the key railway operator and carrier in Poland – became increasingly apparent. This resulted in a railway crisis, which had been evident since at least the mid-1970s. Initially, it was not yet visible due to the steady growth in passenger and freight traffic.[1] It was not widely recognised until the following decade and became chronic in the 1990s (passenger shift to road transport, new roads, job changes, progressive infrastructure degradation). One of the effects of this crisis was the systematic pursuit by the General Directorate of PKP (formally the most important governing body of the company) of 'suspending' transport on individual lines, reducing the number of trains in service, and 'suspending' and closing sections of railway lines. In view of the drastic decline in PKP transport in the 1990s, the need for reforms (especially those related to adapting PKP to European legislation) and the lack of state support, PKP had to undertake the difficult task of modernisation on its own. A symbolic step was the adoption of the Act on the Commercialisation, Restructuring and Privatisation of Polish State Railways PKP (2000), which, especially in terms of regional railways, did not solve anything in essence.[2] At the beginning of the 21st century, a pattern had been cyclically observed, in which attempts were made to make the financing of regional transport more realistic, the concepts for these changes were changed, and passengers were regularly left in a situation of uncertainty as to whether transport would continue in their province or town.[3] The successful reform associated with the establishment of Mazovia Railways (Koleje Mazowieckie) was not continued in other voivodships. Instead, voivodship authorities were obliged to bear the costs of passenger transport in their regions without having any real influence (for various reasons defined in the literature) on the amount of these costs or the quality of the service received.[4]

Railways in Upper Silesia and the Silesian (Śląskie) Voivodship

Historically, the railway network in the Silesian Voivodship was mainly developed in the 19th century. The first sections ran from Wrocław to Mysłowice (1842–1846), from Warsaw to Granica (Sosnowiec-Maczki, 1845–1848), and from Kędzierzyn-Koźle to Chałupki and Bogumin (1846–1848). During the following decades, the public and private (including narrow-gauge) networks grew steadily, not only in terms of length but also in terms of transport volume. In the first half of the 20th century, the last major investment projects were completed (the Ustroń–Wisła Głębce, Rybnik–Pszczyna and Kalety–Podzamcze lines). During the 20th century, Upper Silesia handled a significant proportion of the country's passenger traffic and most of its goods (especially bulk cargo). After 1945, the area of Upper Silesia (including Opole Silesia), the Dąbrowa Basin, part of the Kraków Basin, Cieszyn Silesia and Podbeskidzie was subordinated to the Silesian DOKP (Regional Directorate of State Railways in Katowice).[5] Despite its liquidation along with the transformation of the PKP, this situation persisted both in terms of transport directions and the organisation of transport lines. Due to the volume of transport in the Silesian DOKP, low-capacity rolling stock was not used until the beginning of the 21st century. On the contrary, high-capacity rolling stock (double-decker coaches, EN57 electric multiple units) was used.[6]

Establishment of the Silesian Railways Company

Source:[7]

In the second decade of the 21st century, as a result of many years of negative experiences with the former Regional Transport (Przewozy Regionalne) Company, the authorities of the Silesian Voivodship decided to establish their own railway operator. These difficult relations were symbolised by the suspension (justified by the insufficient amount of the deficit covered by the voivodship authorities (the legal transport organiser)) of transport services on successive sections (including (e.g. Cieszyn – Bielsko-Biała – 10 January 2009,[8] Herby Nowe – Chorzew Siemkowice – 12 December 2009,[9] Żywiec – Sucha Beskidzka – from 12 December 2010 Railway Bus Transport, 11 December 2011[10]).

Transport operations since 2013.

As a result of the Regional Transport (Przewozy Regionalne) Company's complaint to the administrative court, the voivodship board shortened the contract with the company to a one-year period in January.[55] In the following weeks, the train traffic was successively cleaned up and a repair programme was prepared and implemented (see Controversies). On 2 April 2013, the Railway Transport Office suspended the indefinite operator's licence while issuing a six-month temporary licence. On 2 October 2013, the company was re-issued an indefinite licence. Between 2013 and 2014, the scope of the company's activities was tidied up, its participation in the project to expand the Silesian Public Services Card was abandoned[56] (to which, however, an attempt was later made to return[57]), rolling stock was acquired (mainly in the form of leases) and the route network was modified. The most important change after the December 2012 crisis was the aforementioned handover of the operation of so-called contact connections to the Regional Transport (Przewozy Regionalne) Company by the Silesian Voivodship government. On 31 December 2013, another transport agreement was concluded with the Silesian Voivodship (valid until 31 December 2015). On 24 November 2015, an agreement was signed for a further 10 years (from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2025 – 10 July 2017 annexed to 31 December 2030), covering the following railway line sections: Częstochowa – Zawiercie – Katowice – Gliwice, Sosnowiec – Katowice – Tychy Lodowisko, Katowice – Bielsko Biała – Zwardoń, Katowice – Skoczów – Wisła Głębce, Katowice – Orzesze – Rybnik – Racibórz, Katowice – Orzesze – Rybnik – Wodzisław Śląski – Chałupki – Voivodship border, Katowice – Bytom – Tarnowskie Góry – Lubliniec, Katowice – Voivodship border – Oświęcim – Voivodship border – Czechowice-Dziedzice, Czechowice-Dziedzice – Zebrzydowice – Cieszyn – Voivodship border, Rybnik –

Lines operated by the Silesian Railways

Commercial offer

Rolling stock

Source:[152]

Acquisition of rolling stock after 2013.

In January 2013, the company again leased 15 wagons from PKP Intercity,[153] to replace those leased from the Heros Rail Rent Company.[154][155] Silesian Railways wanted to withdraw from the contract with Heros Rail Rent, but ultimately this did not happen as the company provided additional documents. On 31 January 2013 Silesian Railways took delivery of 4 Elf trains with a one-month delay.[156] On 25 February, the first of the 8 ordered Diesel Multiple Units VT614 (SN84) arrived in Katowice, but it was not handed over to the Silesian Railways. These vehicles then at that time did not have an operating authorisation issued by the Railway Transport Office.[157]

Social promotion activities

In the first year of the company's operations, promotional activities focused on familiarising customers with the new carrier (especially on the Gliwice - Częstochowa and Katowice - Wisła Głębce lines) - for example, a pilgrimage train to Częstochowa was launched in August 2011.[194] The following year, similar initiatives were taken incidentally (the 'Amber' train between Łazy and Kołobrzeg[195][196]). At that time, most of the activities focused on the provision of information to all railway passengers in the voivodship about planned December timetable changes and the carrier. The company had its own information display cabinets at some of the stations and train stops it operated. Due to the wide range of modernisation activities carried out by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. and the introduction of so-called closure adjustments in successive editions of the annual timetables (e.g., as many as six different timetables in 2014), the Company decided to carry out periodic information campaigns for passengers, conducted at key stations at information points and through mobile information officers. In 2014, the company also started to provide information on train obstructions on an ongoing basis using a dedicated element of the website.

Since 2016, the company has also undertaken a number of activities related to its involvement in local, national and international cultural and social events. Since 2016, the company has also undertaken a number of activities related to its involvement in local, national and international cultural and social events.

Company authorities

Management Board[251] Supervisory Board[251]

Controversies

Source:[252]

Controversies have been associated with the establishment of the company and its first months. Some of them concerned a dispute with the employees of the local branch of the Regional Transport Company, who feared redundancies. In public discussions, the company was accused of concentrating on the most profitable (carrying the most traffic) line in the voivodship. As a result, and because of problems with rolling stock, the date for the commencement of transport operations was postponed several times (March, June 2011). The background to these disputes was also the policy towards regional railways at that time and the difficult relations between local authorities and the Regional Transport (Przewozy Regionalne) Company (in the first half of 2012 alone, the Regional Transport (Przewozy Regionalne) Company deleted 100 out of 480 planned trains from the timetable in two stages, i.e. almost 20%[253][254]). This resulted, among other things, in the local government's decision to significantly extend the original plans to transfer transport tasks to the company (at the same time abandoning the previously announced tender for transport services). At the beginning of 2012, it was envisaged that the company would commence transport between Sosnowiec and Tychy ('Fast Regional Rail') and between Katowice and Bielsko Biała as of 8 December. Meanwhile, in June 2012, the voivodship decided to entrust the entire voivodship transport to the company, which was confirmed by a relevant three-year contract on 5 September 2012.

Affiliated companies

Source:[252]

In 2012, the company established two subsidiaries Inteko Sp. z o.o. and Silesia Rail Sp. z o.o. Inteko's articles of incorporation were signed on 11 May 2012, with the aim of creating innovative solutions in the field of railway infrastructure and technologies, especially related to the Cluster of Innovative Railway Technologies of Southern Poland.[257] In 2012, the Inteko Company published a signal (test) issue of the monthly on-board magazine of the Silesian Railways Company Koleją po Śląsku.[258] Due to its poor financial situation, a bankruptcy petition was filed on 23 December 2013, and a liquidation petition was filed on 29 November 2014. The company was finally deleted from the National Court of Register on 3 February 2024.[259]

The Silesia Rail Company was established, according to the objectives defined for it, to provide a better cleaning and decontamination service for the rolling stock operated by the Silesian Railways. On 15 May 2013, following an earlier decision to cease operations, the shares were sold to companies from the Newag group (entry dated 4 June 2013).

Gallery

External links