Lower Silesian Railways

Lower Silesian Railways
Native name
Koleje Dolnośląskie
TypeSpółka Akcyjna
IndustryRail transport
PredecessorLower Silesian Regional Railways
Founded28 December 2007 (2007-12-28)
HeadquartersLegnica, Poland
Area served
Lower Silesia
Key people
Damian Stawikowski
CEO
OwnerLower Silesian Voivodship
Websitewww.kolejedolnoslaskie.pl

Lower Silesian Railways (Polish: Koleje Dolnośląśkie; KD) is a Polish regional rail operator primarily serving the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of Poland. Founded in 2007, KD is fully owned by the Lower Silesian Voivodeship – it was the first Polish state-owned rail operator to not be owned by Polish State Railways.

Outside of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, KD operates several routes, both regular and seasonal to Germany and the Czech Republic, sometimes jointly operated between Trilex (in Germany) and České dráhy (in the Czech Republic). KD also operates the Lower Silesian Agglomeration Railway, a commuter railway serving the Wrocław metropolitan area.

Train categories

The only train category operated by KD is local passenger trains (Polish: osobowy).

Apart from KD's tickets, tickets issued by Polregio are accepted on board of KD trains.

History

Wrocław Główny Główny is the most served station by the operator

Following a decision of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Sejmik, Lower Silesian Railways (KD) was founded on 28 December 2007.[1] It formally commenced operations on 6 February 2008, after being registered into the National Court Register, however passenger services did not commence until late 2008. KD then began recruiting and training staff in June of the same year, were Arriva RP collaborated with the company with the training programme.[2] Driver training was held at the Żmigród Test Track in cooperation with the Lower Silesian branch of Polregio.[3]

In September 2008, KD applied to the Polish Office of Rail Transport for the authorisation to commence passenger services. Due to the long waiting process, KD began operating services on behalf of Dolnośląskie Linie Autobusowe, which allowed KD to commence passenger services earlier, but resulting in criticism from Polregio.[4] After establishing a partnership with PKP Cargo, KD gained access to Legnica Depot, setting up headquarters there in the same city.[2]

KD leased its first train on 8 December 2008, an SA106 unit 011 during the ceremony of the handover of Świdnica Miasto railway station from Polish State Railways (PKP) to the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.[5] KD officially commenced its first regular passenger services on 14 December, first on the Katowice–Legnica railway, operating from Legnica to Międzylesie via Kłodzko.[6] In the initial phase of its operations, KD adopted the transport tariff, carriage regulations, and ticket prices from Polregio. Tickets issued by Polregio where accepted on board KD trains, however KD-issued tickets where not accepted on board Polregio trains.[7]

When KD began operation, it became Poland's first state-owned rail operator which wasn't owned by PKP, and fully by the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Also in 2008, KD leased two type 102A Ryflaki carriages from Lower Silesian Regional Railways, a now defunct private railway company.[8] Despite extensive retrofitting of the carriages in 2009, they never entered service and were instead stored at Miłkowice Depot.[9]

On 14 June 2026, Bielawa Jezioro and Bielawa Góry Sowie railway stations opened, which KD began serving. Route D30 was introduced to Leszno, from Wrocław Główny. The seasonal service to Świnoujście was re-introduced, and another seasonal service, a dedicated cyclist train, the KD Sprinter Ryszard Szurkowski, began operating between Wrocław Główny and Milicz.[10]

Rolling stock

Unit 064 was the 100th train of KD's fleet, pictured at Wrocław Główny in August 2026.[11]

At first, the rolling stock consisted of diesel units provided by the Lower Silesian voivodeship government which had previously been used by Przewozy Regionalne (now known as Polregio): one SA106, one SA132, three SA134 and three SA135 diesel multiple units. Additional Diesel units were purchased in 2010 (three SA135 vehicles), 2011 (three SA134 vehicles) and 2015 (modern Pesa Link units marked as SA139).

Koleje Dolnośląskie obtained their first electric multiple unit from Polregio in 2013 (it was an EN57AL which had been retrofitted the previous year). Three more EN57-class units were purchased and retrofitted at the cost of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. The company also purchased completely new electric vehicles – the first Newag Impuls units (31WE) were ordered in 2011 in a batch of five. In 2014 the operator ordered six Impuls 36WEa units; the following year, they ordered five more 31WE units.[12] One of the largest orders in KD's history was its purchase of eleven 45WE units in 2017,[13] which, when the order was placed, were described as "the most well-equipped and comfortable trains in the country".[14]

On 30 June 2026, the 37th Pesa Elf 48WEc was delivered to KD. Unit 064 was the one-hundredth train to enter service in KD, subsequently receiving its own livery in commemoration of the achievement. This is one of the Elfs ordered in the August 2024 contract; in the future the total number of Elfs on KD will be 55. This is the largest rolling stock order in KD's history.[11]

The company uses the following rolling stock:[12]

Class Picture Cars per set Type Top speed Number Builder Built / Retrofitted
km/h mph
SA106 1 Diesel multiple unit 12075 1 Pesa SA 2005
SA109 2 Diesel multiple unit 12075 2 Kolzam 2005
SA132 2 Diesel multiple unit 12075 1 Pesa SA 2006
SA134 2 Diesel multiple unit 12075 8 Pesa SA, ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki 2008, 2011
SA135 1 Diesel multiple unit 12075 9 Pesa SA, ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki 2008, 2010–2011
SA139 2 Diesel multiple unit 12075 4 Pesa SA 2015
EN57 3 Electric multiple unit 11068 4 Pafawag, ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki 1988 / 2016
EN57AL 3 Electric multiple unit 11068 3 Pafawag, ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki 1982–1992 / 2012–2015
EN57AKD 3 Electric multiple unit 11068 1 Pafawag, ZNTK Mińsk Mazowiecki 1991 / 2013
31WE 4 Electric multiple unit 16099 10 Newag 2013–2015
36WEa 3 Electric multiple unit 16099 6 Newag 2014
45WE 5 Electric multiple unit 16099 11 Newag 2017
48WEc 5 Electric multiple unit 16099 45 (out of 55)[15] Pesa SA 2022–present

Routes

Source: Rozkłady jazdy pociągów [Train timetable] – Lower Silesian Railways (in English and Polish)

Trains

Buses

  •  D31  Rawicz – Góra
  •  D81  Oleśnica – Syców
  •  D92  Kłodzko – Lądek-Zdrój – Stronie Śląskie

Route map

Route map as of December 2023

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Uchwała w sprawie utworzenia Spółki Koleje Dolnośląskie Spółka Akcyjna oraz wniesienia przez Województwo Dolnośląskie wkładu pieniężnego" [Resolution on the establishment of Koleje Dolnośląskie Spółka Akcyjna and the financial contribution made by the Lower Silesian Voivodeship]. BIP (in Polish). Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Nowe linie i nowe szynobusy, czyli Koleje Dolnośląskie w 2009 roku" [New lines and new railbuses, Lower Silesian Railways in 2009]. Info Rail (in Polish). 27 January 2009. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Portal informacyjny o kolei na Dolnym Śląsku" [Portal about railways in Lower Silesia]. Lower Silesia (in Polish). 5 September 2008. Archived from the original on 17 December 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "Prawdy i mity o "Kolejach Dolnośląskich"" [Truths and myths about "Lower Silesian Railways"]. Wolna Droga (in Polish). Archived from the original on 17 December 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  5. ↑ "PKP oddały dworzec w Świdnicy" [PKP handed over the railway station in Świdnica]. Rynek Kolejowy (in Polish). 5 December 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "15 lat Kolei Dolnośląskich. Dziś rocznica pierwszego przejazdu" [15 years of Lower Silesian Railways. Today is the anniversary of the first run.]. Lower Silesian Railways (in Polish). 14 December 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Koleje Dolnośląskie ruszają w niedzielę" [Lower Silesian Railways commences on Sunday]. Rynek Kolejowy (in Polish). 12 December 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "SKPL wozi pasażerów „ryflakami". To wagony z długą historią" [SKPL transports passengers in "ryflaki" (drawing carriages). These are carriages with a long history.]. Rynek Kolejowy (in Polish). 16 April 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Ryflaki przyjechały do Miłkowic" [Ryflaki came to Miłkowice]. Legnica Naszemiasto (in Polish). 7 May 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Koleje Dolnośląskie od czerwca jadą Sprinterem do Leszna" [From June, Lower Silesian Railways will run to Leszno]. Rynek Kolejowy (in Polish). 3 June 2026. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  11. 1 2 "100 pociągów Kolei Dolnośląskich. Kamień milowy dolnośląskiego przewoźnika" [100 Lower Silesian Railways trains. A milestone for Lower Silesian Railways]. Lower Silesian Railways (in Polish). 30 June 2026. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  12. 1 2 Przemysław., Dominas (2017). Od kolei na Dolnym Śląsku po Koleje Dolnośląskie (in Polish). Przerwa, Tomasz (1973- )., Księży Młyn Dom Wydawniczy. Łódź: Księży Młyn Dom Wydawniczy. pp. 291–294. ISBN 9788377293652. OCLC 1020451759.
  13. ↑ Janduła, Martyn (13 January 2017). "Newag z umową na ezt-y dla KD". Rynek Kolejowy (in Polish). Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  14. ↑ Szymajda, Michał (11 October 2016). "KD zamawiają elektryczne pociągi w wersji lux. Wjadą też do Czech". Rynek Kolejowy (in Polish). Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  15. ↑ "Już 45 Elfów jeździ po Dolnym Śląsku!" [45 Elfs are now running in Lower Silesia!]. Legnica Naszemiasto (in Polish). 21 August 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
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