Kujawy Feeder Railway

This large network has its origins in sugar beet railways which were first built in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Much of the network came into existence as supply lines for the German military in the first months of World War I. At one time there have been sections of 600mm, 716mm, 750mm and 900mm gauge, but the entire network is now 750mm gauge. The PKP network is (or was) linked to a number of sugar works lines, but there has been a gradual reduction in traffic and a number of lines have closed.

In 1959 the system was as follows:

The network map for that year can be found on Paul Engelbert’s web site at: http://www.fortunecity.de/lindenpark/bruecke/549/kujawien.htm

At that time, however, the PKP network had junctions with a number of systems owned and operated by various sugar works.  
Kruszwica  sugar works (after taking over the network formerly owned by Matwy sugar works) had a network of some 320km of track, connecting with PKP at Piotrkow Kujawski and Walentynowo.  
Tuczno sugar works had about 160km of track, connecting with PKP at Przybranowo and possibly with the Kruszwica system.  
Brzesc Kujawski sugar works had a network of some 200km of track, connected with PKP. 
Dobre sugar works had about 80km of track connected with PKP and possibly with the Kruszwica system, 
Ostrowy almost 50km and Goslawice about 10km.  
Lesmierz sugar works’ railway system, although crossing the PKP tracks between Leczyca and Ozorkow, was mostly 600mm gauge.  
Thus the connected system in the Kujawy area at the end of the 1950s probably amounted to almost 1500km of lines.

 On the PKP network closures started in earnest in the 1960s, with the Kolo – Dabie Kolskie line closing completely in 1963, and the 7km line from Wloclawek to Wloclawek Port in 1968.  Other short branches such as Kruszyn – Guzlin, Krzywa Gora – Zieliniec, Zieliniec – Bieganowo and Zydowo – Gorazdowo all closed in the late 1960s or early 1970s.  The Jablonka Slupecka – Konin section closed in 1965, and Wrzesnia – Sokolowo in 1972.  Grotkowo – Czeluscin and Mierzewo – Stanislawowo closed in 1973 and in 1976 the Wrzesnia – Pyzdry section closed.  In 1985 the line from Aleksandrow Kujawski to Straszewo was lifted but in 1986, in connection with expansion of the nearby brown coal mine, the line between Jablonka Slupecka and Slesin was rebuilt on a completely new alignment with a large yard at the junction with the Wilczyn branch, heavy rail and colour light signals!

 By 1989 the system had 384km of track on which were carried 297,279 passengers and 544,001 tons of freight.  In 1992 the lines from Krosniewice to Dzierzbice, Krzewata and Opiesin were all lifted.  On 1 December 1992 the system was split into three divisions based at Gniezno, Sompolno and Krosniewice.

 Bogdan Pokropinski’s book “Kujawskie Koleje Dojazdowe”, published by Poznanski Klub Modelarzy Kolejowych in 1994, is a good history of the network and copies may still be available.  Hopefully one day there will be a fully definitive book on the fascinating history of this truly unique system.  It is surely a deserving case.

In April 2000 a tour was organised which covered virtually the whole system over six days with Px48 traction throughout.  PKP have produced prices for running charter trains, and for a group of twenty or so enthusiasts the cost of such a trip is not unreasonable in western European terms.  But anybody thinking of attempting to tour the whole network should do so soon.

 Other sites featuring the Kujawy network:

 Paul Engelbert’s site (German language) covers Gniezno, Sompolno, Krosniewice and Dobre: http://www.fortunecity.de/lindenpark/bruecke/549/polen.htm

Wieslaw Firlag’s site (Polish language) covers Gniezno and Sompolno: http://kolej.koti.com.pl/

Marcin Wojda has some photographs at Gniezno: http://www.kw.sacer.com.pl/photoIdx.php?gnzkd

Andrzejew Przemyslaw has some interesting information about Krosniewice (Polish language): http://friko6.onet.pl/pl/krosn/

Return to Narrow Gauge Railways of Poland		© Andrew Goodwin, Stephen Goodwin & Dave Meller 1996-2003 Last Updated 14 October 2003