'LOST IN OSTROLEKA' - A Report on a trip to Poland, November 1994. Saturday 12 November 1994 Having made my first visit to Poland back in March I was suitably impressed in order to make a return before the end of 1994. This time I was on my own, I opted for overnights in order to pack as much into the week as possible, something I've since regretted. Once again British Airways got me to Berlin to save a 24 hour overland trip, after landing early, a defective walk way had to be rejected by the Captain for a replacement followed by the usual wait for the bags. Consequently I chickened out of using the bus to Charlottenberg and the S Bahn to Lichtenberg (with the Stadtbahn being ripped up at the moment I didn't think it would be too wise!) so I paid out for the DM 45 fare and took a taxi instead. I made the 1700 out of Lichtenberg with 20 minutes to spare for the required border crossing via Küstrin-Kietz. After a painless passport check on the platform at Kostrzyn, I was in the land where necessities such as food are at give away prices, especially when Thomas Cooks back in London manage to sell me a couple of million Zlottys at 48,500 to the pound, whilst the local rate is somewhere around 32,000! However slight problems on the Zlotty front were to be encountered the following evening. The first of several unexpected platform alterations then happened, having been a victim of a missed connection on the last trip due to similar circumstances, I was very, very wary of what was advertised on posters etc, fortunately the trains are clearly plated and in this case the German speaking passport officers put me right on this one when I wandered down the wrong platform! My first overnight, sleeper compartment to myself was not to be the norm for the rest of the week. Despite being quite comfortable for a good nights sleep, things on the washing front leave a bit to be desired, no towels, no hot water, no bottled water..... Heathrow Terminal 1 -- 1245 G-BRMJ BA984 1245 Heathrow - Berlin-Tegel Berlin-Tegel 1530 -- Taxi Berlin-Lichtenberg -- 1700 202.474 5821 1700 Berlin-Lichtenbg - Kostrzyn Kostrzyn 1830 1926 SP32-085 11130 1926 Kostrzyn - Krzyz Krzyz 2142 2158 EU07-049 82200 1955 Szczecin Gl - Lublin Sunday 13 November 1994 Got off the train at Lublin in Arctic conditions, by midday it was snowing! Before my first move, I managed a quick visit around the depot at Lublin, something I would like to have done more of during the week as half the PKP loco fleet seems to sit idle or just be out of use. Complete lack of steam heating from SP42-188 saw me shiver away until suddenly half way into the journey the train became wedged solid, 7 more in the compartment managed to raise the temperature by a few degrees. My planned move from Przeworsk was to have been loco hauled, but like many services in Poland ran "as required", I thought being a Sunday I might be in luck, but instead I had to settle for a 90 minute bumpy ride on hard plastic seats in an EMU. Disaster struck back at Lublin, having hardly anything to eat all day, I placed an order in the buffet for a meal, only to find when I went to pay for it with a 100,000 Zl note I got the reply "Nie!" when handing the note to the woman behind the counter. It turned out that all my "high" value Zlotty notes from my previous visit plus everything sold to me at Thomas Cooks were now dud! New notes have been printed with red figures, the old ones can only be exchanged for new at a bank. I had just enough of the lower value ones (which are still valid) for a bowl of soup and I was completely broke! Feeling pretty fed up, I suddenly had a bright idea and went over the road to a hotel to try and change up some Deutche Marks but just got the reply "Nie" when I asked! As a last resort I asked if the receptionist could break up a million Zl note which she just about managed to, whether she spotted the one I gave her was dud or not I don't know, but I left pretty sharp! Fluid again, much to the surprise of the woman in the buffet I re ordered the steak and chips plus coffee before joining my overnight. Ostrów Wlkp 0100 0115 ??? 82200 1955 Szczecin Gl - Lublin Lódz Kaliska 0308 0326 EU07-130 82201 1955 Szczecin Gl - Lublin Lublin 0740 0915 EU07-333 12121 0635 Warszawa Zach. - Belzec Rejowiec 1023 1035 SP32-062 12121 0635 Warszawa Zach. - Belzec Belzec 1349 1411 SP42-188 2347 1411 Belzec - Przeworsk Przeworsk 1656 1744 EN57 EMU 32442 1744 Przeworsk - Stalowa Wola Rozwadów Stalowa Wola Rozwadów 1917 1925 SP45-045 420 1925 Stalowa Wola Rozwadów - Lublin Lublin 2136 2250 EU07-070 25200 2250 Lublin - Gdynia Gl Monday 14 November 1994 The Bureau de Change at Gdynia was more than happy to exchange the rest of my dud Zlottys for valid ones, I was a double millionaire again! This morning it was still freezing cold, having rained all night and the temperature dropping further, the platforms became like skating rinks and my plus 4 at Chojnice was beginning to look like a no no as I had to take things very slowly. Fortunately once I found the train, the loco still hadn't been coupled up. Once again no heat, the windows on one side of the carriage were like the ones in your bathroom! Dinner time stop at Laskowice Pomorskie - soup, main course, side salad and coffee for 28,000 Zl!! It was real canteen arrangements, fortunately the woman at the cash desk writes it all down on a ticket for you to collect it at the serving hatch. Whilst all that was going on, I noted outside the train I just got off was being re-engined to go on further, not with a a loco but with an SN61 DMU and left steam heating the two coaches. After getting SP42-087 again (steam heat still not working), a fairly uneventful afternoon before heading for Warszawa for my next overnight. Warszawa Wschodnia 0111 0129 EU07-076 25201 2250 Lublin - Gdynia Gl Gdynia Gl 0608 0726 SU45-256 90012 0726 Gdynia Gl - Chojnice Chojnice 1035 1039 SP42-087 19124 1039 Chojnice - Koscierzyna Laskowice Pomorskie 1210 1320 SP42-087 1938 1320 Laskowice P - Grudziadz Grudziadz 1350 1400 SP42-058 +SP42-083 55020 1400 Grudziadz - Torun Gl Chelmza 1452 1454 SP42-058 55020 1400 Grudziadz - Torun Gl Torun Gl 1526 1542 SP45-139 51028 1542 Torun Gl - Plock Sierpc 1755 1802 SP45-252 66618 1802 Sierpc - Nasielsk Nasielsk 2003 2015 EN57 EMU 51336 1800 Dzialdowo - Warszawa Wola Warszawa Wola 2129 -- Warszawa Zachodnia -- 2140 EU07-531 31108 1446 Przemysl Gl - Warszawa Wshd Warszawa Centralna 2145 2228 EU07-116 18701 2213 Warszawa Wshd - Szczecin Gl Tuesday 15 November 1994 Stargard Szczecinski 0631 0732 SP42-233 212 0732 Stargard Szczecinski - Pila Pila Gl 1050 1145 EU07-396 8536 1145 Pila Gl - Bydgoszcz Gl Bydgoszcz Gl 1307 1335 SU45-021 1112 1335 Bydgoszcz Gl - Brodnica Brodnica 1709 1740 SP42-058 19114 1740 Brodnica - Dzialdowo Dzialdowo 1850 1942 EU07-512 Ex1511 1942 Warszawa Zach - Olsztyn Gl Olsztyn Gl 2045 2130 EU07-490 53206 2130 Olsztyn Gl - Krak˘w Gl Wednesday 16 November 1994 Only couchettes on the overnight from Olsztyn, fortunately I only had to suffer once during the week in the end. I had to wait until 0800 for the buffet at Trzebinia to open up, like most buffets in Poland they display the hours they are closed, hence are in business around 21 or 22 hours a day as a norm! Then a long run through southern Poland (Silesia) literally clocking up everything as new track. The hour or so at Kamieniec Zabkowicki allowed a quick visit around the depot (mainly stored ST43s) before lunch and a chance to sample the infamous Polish dish, Bigos as there was very little else on the menu. Not bad after all I've been led to believe what they put in it! Tonights overnight was in sleepers again, starting off with a dud SU46 (the most powerful diesel on the PKP) right next to the sleeping car and load 11, believe it or not quite a bit of thrash, very unusual in Poland! Instead of changing over to an electric at Zielona Góra and back to diesel at Glogów, the SU46 works all the way to Krotoszyn. Torun Gl 0003 0018 EU07-415 53206 2130 Olsztyn Gl - Krak˘w Gl Trzebinia 0739 0847 ET22-206 3621 0754 Krak˘w Gl - Jelenia G˘ra Kedzierzyn Kozle 1141 1200 SU46-054 3621 0754 Krak˘w Gl - Jelenia G˘ra Kamieniec Zabkowicki 1415 1518 SP42-236 4433 1518 Kamieniec Zab - Legnica Legnica 1741 1819 SU46-048 67137 1819 Legnica - Zagan Zagan 1949 2025 SU46-032 71202 2025 Zagan - Warszawa Wschodnia Thursday 17 November 1994 Depending on how the sleeping car attendants feel, some mornings a free breakfast was brought along to the compartment. This morning the attendant was running behind time and the breakfasts with steaming hot coffee were delivered whilst we were sitting in Warszawa Zachodnia, 5 minutes from Centralna were most punters were getting off! With a +17, since the sleepers are chained and padlocked off from the rest of the train, I had to dash about 14 carriages length along the platform at Centralna in order to get the EU07 since the train had reversed during the night plus along with a further attachment. Then via one of the buffets for breakfast part two including a much cooler coffee before my next move. Ideally I would like to have spent more time in Elk, loads of dumped steam, narrow gauge etc but it was either a +5 or a very long fester for trains later in the afternoon. There are three routes to Olsztyn, I opted for the one via Mikolajki, if anything, the one most likely to close, although not under any threat at the moment. The 58 minute wait at Mikolajki was looking to be another one of my infamous food stops which fails as the buffet had shut ages ago, despite still being shown in the timetable as to have one. However a 10 minute walk into the town saw eating lunch in of all places, a clothes shop! Heading on to Olsztyn, trains going past the other way were all running late and my next move was a 20 minute late start awaiting delayed connections. The plan was for a +21 at Ostroleka to Tluszcz, which began to look dodgy as we began to lose more time Firstly losing our path on a single track section giving preference to one running on time coming the other way, faulty level crossing gates then finally trying to off load some old woman's fridge at some way side shack. I was prepared for the worst, although the conductor seemed to make out my next move will wait being the last connection of the day. But on alighting at Ostroleka I was completely daunted by the size of the station, no departure posters and the fact that my next move was shown in the timetable as an EMU, the only EMU in a platform I could see was not in service. So I reluctantly gave up, I tried to explain to the woman in the ticket office I needed to get to Warszawa, showing my sleeper reservation but she just gabbled away and wrote down 04.44, the first train the next morning! I asked a taxi driver outside the station for a hotel which despite the size of the town was quite some distance away but I wasn't bothered. Krotoszyn 0114 0134 ???? 71202 2025 Zagan - Warszawa Wschodnia Lódz Kaliska 0411 0427 EU07-130 71202 2025 Zagan - Warszawa Wschodnia Warszawa Centralna 0653 0712 EU07-390 77101 0700 Warszawa Zachodnia - Suwalki Bialystok 0930 0945 EU07-374 79121 0700 Warszawa Zachodnia - Elk Elk 1123 1128 SU45-018 9720 1128 Elk - Mikolajki Mikolajki 1321 1419 SP42-138 15222 1419 Mikolajki - Olsztyn Gl Olsztyn Gl 1628 1701 SP45-024 51721 1701 Olsztyn Gl - Ostroleka Ostroleka 2004 -- Friday 18 November 1994 After a shower and breakfast, I returned back to the station, a taxi having been ordered by the reception. The fact that my first move was loco hauled and not EMU as advertised along with the diagrammatic map in the timetable showing the layout of the lines around Ostroleka completely different, was no doubt part of the reason for missing last nights connection even if it was held! I had to completely re plan today and tomorrows moves, today I basically spent covering electrified lines heading south towards Wroclaw. Got bowled with a unit from Warszawa to Kielce, the EN57s that work main line expresses having much more comfortable seats and a buffet trolley! During the wait at Kluczbork I tried out the other Polish delicacy that seems to be served up everywhere, Flacki, or tripe soup! I think I'll stick to Bigos in future! Tonights overnight wasn't pre booked, but I managed to secure a compartment to myself all night, managing quite a bit of sleep until the heating suddenly went flat out and I had to have the window wide open to cool down! Ostroleka -- 0747 ET22-1064 70332 0747 Ostroleka - Tluszcz Tluzcz 0933 0943 EU07-116 77102 0457 Suwalki - Warszawa Zachodnia Warszawa Centralna 1033 1105 EN57 EMU 12115 1041 Warszawa Wschodnia - Kielce Kielce 1335 1345 ET22-128 24115 1345 Kielce - Katowice Katowice 1636 1722 EU07-166 4723 1722 Katowice - Poznan Gl Kluczbork 1954 2046 EU07-094 2621 1707 Kielce - Wroclaw Gl Wroclaw Gl 2229 2335 EU07-206 68201 2335 Wroclaw Gl - Slupsk Saturday 19 November 1994 Szczecinek at 0500 was completely dead, buffet shut so breakfast was postponed until Szczecin. After another long electric hauled run on the line that roughly parallels the German border, after nearly two days, I ended back on plan at Glogów. After a meal in the buffet and photographing the numerous freights passing through, I headed back for Germany via the border crossing at Forst, a route that sees very few services. An unexpected loco change at Zagan was a bonus and just 3 other passengers got off the train at Forst, how long will this cross border route last I ask? I then had a dud 202 on two double deckers into Cottbus where I spent the night. Poznan Gl 0140 0210 EU07-519 68201 2335 Wroclaw Gl - Slupsk Szczecinek 0451 0552 SU45-105 4011 0422 Chojnice - Szczecin Niebusz Runowo Pomorskie 0737 0747 EU07-418 4011 0422 Chojnice - Szczecin Niebusz Szczecin Gl 0906 0955 EU07-357 8620 0955 Szczecin Gl - Wroclaw Gl Glogów 1405 1609 SU46-020 3888 1609 Glogów - Forst (Lausitz) Zagan 1743 1755 SU46-014 3888 1609 Glogów - Forst (Lausitz) Forst (Lausitz) 1900 1922 202.787 3978 1922 Forst (Lausitz) - Cottbus Cottbus 1943 -- Sunday 20 November 1994 After an early breakfast, before my first move I paid a visit to Cottbus Travel Centre to invest in a copy of the Regional Kursbuch that covers basically all the former DR, predominantly for my next visit, a good buy at DM 5 that saves you carrying the full DB edition around. I also secured free copies of the Kursbuch supplements which come in handy. I then took a 234 via the required diesel route to Frankfurt (Oder) (where I was the only passenger leaving Cottbus!) for a 202 back the same way as far as Grunow for a pair of 202s and more required track including the unit only line from Beeskow to Fürstenwalde. Then finally onto Berlin and out to the airport for the return home. Cottbus -- 0750 234.475 5504 0750 Cottbus - Frankfurt (Oder) Frankfurt (Oder) 0900 1004 202.748 5507 1004 Frankfurt (Oder) - Cottbus Grunow (NL) 1029 1037 202.394 +202.705 5957 1037 Grunow/NL - Königs Wusterhausn Beeskow 1050 1115 772.005 5886 1115 Beeskow - Fürstenwalde/Spree Fürstenwalde (Spree) 1209 1258 112.035 E3314 1238 Frankfurt/Oder - Berlin Hbf Berlin Hbf 1329 1424 476 EMU S 5 1325 Strausberg Nord - Bln-Charottenburg Berlin-Charlottenberg 1445 -- Bus 109 Berlin-Tegel -- 1705 G-BIKT BA985 1705 Berlin-Tegel - Heathrow Heathrow Terminal 1 1800 -- Conclusions: When you're used to the relative ease of travelling in the likes of Germany, Belgium etc, Poland really can be an endurance test and to be quite honest overnight travel nearly every night wasn't perhaps the best option. With hotels being very cheap and relatively easy to find in most towns, that way seems to be more favourable. Usually there are hotel adverts (with directions above the main exit doors of the station or town plans just outside showing hotels, but if all else fails, simply ask at the booking office or a taxi driver. As a back up there are no end of overnights, plenty of compartment stock usually only one sleeper/couchette coach, ideally berths should be prebooked and can be done in the UK now. One real problem is finding the platform if in a hurry, if no yellow departure posters are displayed it is a case of deviating via the booking hall and checking, quite often junction stations are bigger than you expect. On the plus side, despite one late running train (35 mins) already mentioned, timekeeping was generally very good. You can eat for next to nothing and unlike countries like Hungary can almost be guaranteed getting something to eat in station buffets virtually any time. As for haulage, it is a loco hauled paradise, perhaps not for the thrash value but is more or less 100% hauled on the non electric routes, not all of which are a totter. An investment in the PKP timetable will give a good enough indication what is EMU (by an 'E' at the head of the column), some electrified lines are 100% unit. No problems with getting caught with bus substitutions although I did spot one or two notices indicating just a couple of early morning trains being bus substituted. Lastly numerous line closures are imminent, loadings on some lines were very poor, bearing in mind at busy times, most trains can get very wedged where traffic is quite buoyant Hotels used: Ostroleka: Mieski Ostrodek Sportu, Rekreacji, 07-412 Ostroleka. Single room with WC/shower Zl 193,000 + breakfast (from 0700). Approx 5 kms from station by taxi, as it turned out it wasn't too bad for the ridiculous cheap price. Enough English spoken at the reception desk to get by. Cottbus: Hotel Dorotheenhof, Waisenstraße 19, 03046 Cottbus. Tel: 0355 78380. Single DM 140/Double DM 195, WC/Shower/TV/buffet breakfast from 0600 including Sunday. Located directly opposite main entrance to Cottbus Loco Works(!), approx 20 mins walk or no. 16 bus from Bf. Good hotel, except a bit over priced, in particular the restaurant. Written by: Philip Richards originally November 1994, edited January 1997. CompuServe: 101471,731 Internet: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Philip_Richards