This line (formally named the Krotoszynska Kolej Dojazdowa) dates back to 1900. At one time the line ran from Krotoszyn through Pleszew to Broniszewice, a total distance of 50km. The Pleszew Miasto – Broniszewice section only opened after the Second World War and closed in 1972, while the Krotoszyn – Pleszew Wask. section closed in about 1987. This left a section about 5km long from Pleszew Miasto to Pleszew Wask., on the standard gauge Jarocin – Ostrow Wielkopolski line.
In 1989 the line carried 189,091 passengers and 343,213 tons of freight. However, the line was mixed standard/narrow gauge throughout almost its entire length, and all freight was carried by standard gauge trains. Narrow gauge (750mm) trains used to always be two Romanian coaches hauled by a Lyd1 diesel, but one or more Romanian rail-cars were introduced in about 2000. Following a gradual reduction of the timetable, the last trains ran on 9 June 2001. This duty was performed by driver Pawel Piorek and conductor Czeslaw Dymny operating railcar MBxd2-216 with the last pair of trains being 7426 leaving Pleszew Miasto at 16.53, arriving at Pleszew Wask at 17.03, leaving Wask again at 17.34 and arriving back at Miasto at 17.44. The event was commemorated with a headboard and Polish flags on the front of the railcar, and a number of local residents and railway workers rode or watched the train, with detonators exploding on departure from Wask and arrival at Miasto. It was rumoured that the local authority was interested in taking over the line to run tourist trains, but this does not appear to have happened.
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© Andrew
Goodwin, Stephen Goodwin & Dave Meller
1996-2003
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