Chabówka 2025-10-27
Railway line No. 622 Podłęże – Piekiełko.
Mountain railway trails are very charming and liked by tourists. Railway tracks laid on the slopes of hills with numerous bridges, viaducts, and often tunnels, provide positive impressions for observers. There are numerous ascents and descents on the trails, as well as very tight curves, which make the journey on this line long. A moving train resembles a snake that winds among the rocks. There are many such mountain trails in Poland. They occur both in the Sudetes and the Carpathians. One of such lines is the Chabówka – Nowy Sącz trail, which is currently (2025) No. 104.
LK No. 104 has long passed its glory days. But during the government of the United Right, a large-scale campaign to revitalize railway routes began. This revitalization was intended not only to renovate the trail, but also to build a new line, popularly called Podłęże – Piekiełko.
The history of the Chabówka – Nowy Sącz route.
The line was opened in 1884, during the partitions of Poland, as part of the Austrian, state-owned Galician Transversal Railway, leading from Čadca (a district town in northern Slovakia) to Husiatyn (a town in Ukraine near Tarnopol). When it was put into operation, the entire line was located in Austria-Hungary. The trail was built mainly for military purposes. The main railway route from Vienna through Kraków, Tarnów, Rzeszów, Przemyśl to Lviv ran too close to the border with Russia. Specifically, the Kingdom of Poland, which was under the rule of the Muscovite state.
The Galician Transversal Railway was created by combining several existing railway sections and was also intended to serve the economic revival of the Beskids. During the Great World War, the railway passed its test and, despite its low capacity, successfully supported Austrian military operations in the Gorlice operation and then in the battles near Przemyśl.
After World War II, the Chabówka – Nowy Sącz trail is No. 104. The length of the trail is 76.65 km.
Railway electrification in Małopolska under the Krakow Directorate began in 1959. In 1975, the electrification of the Krakow – Zakopane route was completed. There were also plans to electrify the Chabówka – Nowy Sącz line. It ended with electrification on the Chabówka – Rabka Zdrój section (1993, about 1.50 km) and Nowy Sącz – Marcinkowice (about 9.50 km). The result was that it was impossible to close the locomotive depot in Chabówka, where steam and diesel locomotives were serviced. The second effect was the pulling of passenger trains with electric traction using steam and diesel locomotives on the Chabówka – Nowy Sącz section. These were passenger trains from Zakopane to Tarnów and further to Rzeszów and Lublin.
During the electrification of the route, some of the shape signals were replaced with traffic lights. However, the replacement of the traffic lights with traffic lights has not been completed.
In 2004, regular passenger traffic on the route was suspended. Freight traffic was sporadic. In 2005, PKP PLK informed that the trail required renovation. No general renovation was carried out, only ad hoc renovations were carried out to keep the trail passable at a speed of only 30 km/h.
Currently (2025) the route is very popular for Retro trains and special occasion trains that are run by the Chabówka open-air museum, especially during the holiday season. In 2021, the last commemorative train passed on November 11, 2021, on the occasion of the anniversary of Poland regaining independence.
In the 1970s, plans were made to electrify all railway routes in Poland. However, this did not happen. The Chabówka – Nowy Sącz route was planned to be electrified by 1988. On May 28, 1986, the 9.50 km long Nowy Sącz – Marcinkowice section was electrified. On May 21, 1993, the Chabówka – Rabka Zdrój section, 1.50 km long, was electrified.
Plans to expand the railway network.
Plans to expand the railway network in Małopolska are very extensive. It is planned to build a completely new railway line No. 622, which will connect Podłęże – Piekiełko. The idea of building a new line is to shorten train travel times between Tarnów – Zakopane, Kraków – Krynica Zdrój and others. From Krakow to Zakopane the route will be 20 km shorter, and from Krakow to Krynica by 60 km. Analyzes show that the travel time from Krakow to Zakopane will be shortened to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
The project is commonly called “Podłęże – Piekiełko” and involves the construction of a 58 km long railway line, which will start in the village of Podłęże in the Niepołomice commune (Podłęże R401 branch station) and head south. In Szczyrzyc, the line will branch and run east to Tymbark (line No. 622) and west to Mszana Dolna (line No. 623). In these towns, the new line will connect with the existing 76 km Chabówka – Nowy Sącz line (line No. 104), which will be modernized.
The scope of work is very large, as it requires not only the construction of a new, electrified line, 58 km long, but also a general renovation of the Chabówka – Nowy Sącz route, along with electrification. The investment will include the construction of 58.47 km of electrified tracks, 8 flyovers with a total length of 7.79 km, 11 tunnels with a total length of 11.82 km, 20 bridges, 89 culverts, 17 railway viaducts, 14 car viaducts, and 11 rail-road crossings. Four traction substations will be installed on the new route (Przymłynie, Mszana Dolna, Pisarzowa and Limanowa). The estimated investment cost is PLN 180 million (stage 1, 2016). In 2017, technical documentation was prepared for the following investments: Podłęże – Szczyrzyc – Tymbark – Mszana Dolna. In 2019, the main contractor was selected. The trail was scheduled to be closed during construction in November 2021. The work was planned to be completed in 2026, but the investment may be delayed due to the coronavirus epidemic. We wish the investors, contractors and ourselves that the investment will be implemented.
Let us also mention that the first attempts to build a new Krakow-Zakopane railway route were planned at the time when Zakopane was applying to organize the Winter Olympics in 2006.
The basic assumption of the creation of the newly designed railway lines LK No. 622, station Podłęże R401 – Tymbark and LK No. 627 station Podłęże R301 – Podłęże Balachówka and the modernization of the existing LK No. 104 on the Tymbark – Nowy Sącz section is to create alternative railway lines on the north-south axis of Europe for rail freight transport. Thanks to the “Podłęże – Piekiełko” project, which is a common name and a commonly accepted name for the task related to the construction and modernization of sections of the above-mentioned lines.
During the United Right government, the planned lines were to be included in parts of spokes 7.2.1 of the railway component of the task related to accessibility to the Central Communication Port. Alas, let us remember that the new lines will radically increase the transport accessibility of the southern part of Małopolska. In this article, we will ignore the lofty European plans for railway corridors, which, in the opinion of Germans, are intended to serve their economy.
LK No. 622, Podłęże station R401 – Tymbark will be a double-track, and there will be a single-track LK Szczyrzyc – Tymbark and a single-track LK No. 623. The lines are planned to have a maximum speed of up to 160 km/h. However, the single-track section of LK No. 104 on the Chabówka – Fornale police station section up to 120 km/h.
The beginning of the new LK No. 622 is planned at the Podłęże R401 branch station (according to SW Węgrzyce), which is located on the railway line No. 91 Kraków Główny – Medyka at km 14.540 km, and then will head south through Gdów to Szczyrzyca. In the town of Szczyrzyc it will branch towards Tymbark (continued LK No. 622) and the Fornale station (LK No. 623), where it will connect with the planned modernization LK No. 104 Chabówka – Nowy Sącz. In total, these are lines No. 622, 623, 628, 104.
On January 7, 2019, an agreement was signed for the development of documentation. The value of the developed project documentation is PLN 180 million. The general contractor started obtaining all permits and arrangements. Preparations for the purchase of land have begun.
The entire track on LK No. 104 will be replaced. 26 railway turnouts will be installed. One 1,110 km long flyover will be built. Two tunnels will be built with a total length of 5,760 km. There will be 62 road bridges, 16 railway viaducts, 237 culverts, 23 km of retaining walls, and 63 railway and road crossings. 10 new platforms will be built. On the new line No. 622 there will be; 58,470 km, 8 flyovers with a total length of 7,790 km, 11 tunnels with a total length of 11,820 km, there will be 20 bridges, 89 culverts, 17 railway viaducts, 14 road viaducts, 11 rail-road crossings.
An analysis was carried out of the construction of a passing passage near the Męcina passenger stop and the construction of a new Kasina Wielka Północna passenger stop on line No. 623. The works were planned to be carried out in the period 2021-2027. But the implementation period changed several times. Investment value from PLN 4,349,978,339.04 to PLN 7,790,000,000.
On January 7, 2019, contracts worth PLN 180 million were signed with the EGIS Rail consortium; EGIS Poland and MGGP, for the development of the entire project documentation. On January 10, 2019, the Decision on Environmental Conditions (DŚU) for the Contract was issued. On February 8, 2019, commencement of geodetic measurement works on the railway line No. 104 Chabówka – Nowy Sącz and on the new railway lines No. 622, 623, 627 and 628. On April 18, 2019, design work on electric traction began. By August 2020, all geodetic maps were prepared. By June 2021, all geological and geotechnical works were completed. By January 2022, all construction plans were completed. By October 2022, a complete set of water permits was obtained. On April 25, 2023, contracts were signed with the Center for EU Transport Projects to co-finance works related to the modernization of railway line No. 104 on the sections Chabówka – Rabka Zaryte (Section A1); Rabka Zaryte – Mszana Dolna (Section A2); st. Limanowa (Section C2); Limanowa – Klęczany siding (Section D) and Klęczany – Nowy Sącz siding (Section E). From May 2025, the signing of contracts with contractors on individual sections of the investment began. In September 2024, contracts were signed for the construction of traction substations PT Pisarzowa, PT Limanowa and PT Przymłynie with the consortium of PNUiK Kraków and GRINEA, as well as traction substations: PT Fornale, PT Tymbark, PT Marszowice and PT Janowice, and the construction of section cabins KS Surówki and KS Sawa. In December 2024, contracts were signed for the implementation of a railway traffic management system on individual sections.
On October 6, 2025, a contract was signed for the construction of the Szczyrzyce – Tymbark section. The contractor is a consortium of Budimex S.A., Budimex Kolejnictwo S.A. and Gülermak S.A. Construction works are expected to be completed within 46 months. Thus, the first fragment of railway line No. 622 with a length of 8 km will be built. The new railway line will run through the foothill areas. The designers planned to run the tracks through two tunnels (3.8 and 1 km long), bridges and railway viaducts. All track intersections with local roads will be collision-free.
On August 31, 2025, regular train traffic was resumed on the Chabówka – Rabka Zdrój section of railway line No. 104 Chabówka – Nowy Sącz.
Interesting engineering investments include the railway tunnel in Koszary on LK No. 104 Chabówka – Nowy Sącz, 40 km. Railway overpass in Limanowa on LK No. 104 Chabówka – Nowy Sącz, at 43 km. Road viaduct in Tymbark on LK No. 104 Chabówka – Nowy Sącz, at 36 km. Podłęże Balachówka station with platforms and a tunnel on the railway line No. 622 Podłęże R401 – Tymbark. Tunnel T10 in Mordarka on LK No. 104 Chabówka – Nowy Sącz. Railway bridge in Mszana Dolna at 15 km, on LK No. 104 Chabówka – Nowy Sącz. New bridge over the Dunajec River in Nowy Sącz on LK No. 104 Chabówka – Nowy Sącz.
Route LK No. 622: Podłęże station, Zagórze stop, Wiatrowice station, Gdów station, Gruszów stop, Szczyrzyc stop, Stróża stop near Dobra, Tymbark station.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman