Rapid Regional Railway

Origins

In the 1990s, the rise of individual and bus transport led to a significant decline in passenger numbers on the Tychy to Tychy Miasto [pl] route. The route to Katowice via Katowice Murcki [pl] was circuitous, further reducing its appeal. Consequently, passenger services on the Tychy to Tychy Miasto line were suspended on 19 February 2001.^[6]

In 2005, the first plans of the Marshal's Office of the Silesian Voivodeship and the Tychy City Office appeared regarding the creation of a rapid urban rail system connecting Tychy, Katowice, and Sosnowiec.^[7] On 27 July 2006, the Silesian Voivodeship signed an agreement with Stadler Rail for the delivery of four 4-car FLIRTs to serve Rapid Regional Railway.^[8]

Operations

On 14 December 2008, Rapid Regional Railway commenced operations between Tychy Miasto and Katowice, serviced by newly acquired FLIRT trains.^[6]

From 13 December 2009, FLIRT trains also partially served the route from Częstochowa to Katowice route.^[9]

On 18 August 2010, a FLIRT EN75-003 train derailed near Niezapominajek Street in Katowice, tilting onto an embankment,^[10] injuring five people and sustaining significant damage.^[11] The damaged train was sent to Switzerland for repairs.^[12] On 12 December 2010, Rapid Regional Railway route was extended to Sosnowiec.^[13]

In early 2011, the voivodeship authorities decided to reassign all FLIRT trains to the Gliwice to Częstochowa route.^[14] On 15 February 2011, Tychy Municipal Transport Company [pl] signed a contract with the Transport Construction Enterprise in Kraków to construct the Tychy Aleja Bielska, Tychy Grota-Roweckiego, and Tychy Lodowisko railway stations and modernize Tychy Zachodnie [pl].^[15][16] In August 2011, a strike by Przewozy Regionalne employees led the voivodeship to temporarily abandon plans to transfer Rapid Regional Railway operations to Silesian Railways.^[17] On 1 October 2011, FLIRT trains previously used by the Silesian branch of Przewozy Regionalne, including those on Rapid Regional Railway, were transferred to the newly launched Silesian Railways.^[18]

On 22 March 2012, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe signed a contract with a consortium of Unitor B and KZA Katowice to revitalize Tychy–Mysłowice Kosztowy MKSB1 railway [pl] between Tychy and Górki-Ściernie [pl], excluding stops, which were covered by a separate contract signed the previous year.^[19] On 1 September 2012, three new stops – Tychy Aleja Bielska, Tychy Grota-Roweckiego, and Tychy Lodowisko – were opened, and the route was extended to Tychy Lodowisko.^[20] That same day, some bus services to Katowice operated by the Tychy Municipal Transport Company [pl] were discontinued.^[21] From 12 to 14 October 2012, a strike by Silesian branch of Przewozy Regionalne train drivers led to the cancellation of most services,^[22] which were replaced by Silesian Railways trains, marking their debut on Rapid Regional Railway route.^[23] For several days afterward, the line was operated by Silesian Railways drivers using Przewozy Regionalne rolling stock.^[24][25] On 9 December 2012, Silesian Railways fully took over Rapid Regional Railway operations, and the Tychy Miasto railway station was reinstated.^[26] On 18 December 2012, Tychy authorities signed a contract with Aldesa Construcciones to build two Park & Ride parking facilities, each for 352 cars, at the Tychy Lodowisko and Tychy railway stations.^[27][28]

On 1 June 2013, Silesian Railways implemented a recovery plan, reducing train services by half. In September 2013, construction began on a bus and trolleybus transfer hub at the Tychy railway station.^[29] On 15 December 2013, operations at Tychy Miasto railway station were discontinued again.^[30]

In January 2015, a Park & Ride parking facility opened at the Tychy railway station.^[31] In July 2015, another Park & Ride facility opened at Tychy Lodowisko.^[3]