Czyżykiem Tunnel
| Czyżyk Tunnel | |
|---|---|
Portal of the tunnel | |
Interactive map of Czyżyk Tunnel | |
| Overview | |
| Other name | Schlossberg Tunnel (German) |
| Line | Jelenia Góra–Lwówek Śląski railway |
| Location | Pilchowice, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland |
| Status | Disused |
| Crosses | Czyżyk hill, Bóbr Valley |
| Start | Pilchowice Zapora side |
| End | Nielestno side |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1907[1][2] |
| Owner | Polish State Railways |
| Operator | Polish State Railways |
| Traffic | Railway |
| Character | Single-track railway tunnel |
| Technical | |
| Length | 187.3 m (615 ft)[1][3][4] |
The Czyżyk Tunnel (Tunel pod górą Czyżyk), also known historically as the Schlossberg Tunnel, is a railway tunnel near Pilchowice in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of south-western Poland. It formed part of the Jelenia Góra–Lwówek Śląski railway in the scenic Bóbr Valley.[1][4]
At 187.3 m (615 ft) in length, it is the first of the three historic railway tunnels on the Pilchowice–Wleń section of the line.[1][4]
Description
The tunnel lies between Pilchowice Zapora and Nielestno on the former railway route running along the Bóbr valley.[1] It was excavated beneath Czyżyk hill, which rises to about 425 metres above sea level.[1]
Przemysław Dominas classifies it as a summit tunnel on the Jelenia Góra–Lwówek Śląski line and gives its length as 187.3 m (615 ft).[1] Atlas Kolejowy gives the same length and notes that the tunnel is single-track and carries a constant gradient of 16.53‰ towards Wleń.[3]
The tunnel is built as a single masonry-lined bore. Wojciech Preidl notes that it was one of three single-track tunnels constructed on the short but technically demanding stretch between Pilchowice Zapora and Wleń.[4]
History
The tunnel was built as part of the construction of the railway through the Bóbr valley in the early 20th century.[4] Dominas dates the construction of the group of tunnels on this section to 1906–1909 and lists the engineers associated with the works as building inspector Kurowski and Dr Winter.[1]
Piotr Czaja lists the Czyżyk tunnel among Polish railway tunnels opened in 1907,[2] while Dominas places it within the 1906–1909 development of the line.[1] The line itself was completed to create a direct railway connection from Jelenia Góra to Lwówek Śląski through the valley of the Bóbr.[1]
Preidl writes that the tunnels on this line were the only railway tunnels in Lower Silesia to suffer wartime damage from military action, with their portals being blown up by German saboteurs during the final phase of the Second World War.[4] After the war, the portals were rebuilt in reinforced concrete rather than reconstructed in their original architectural form.[4]
Legacy
The Czyżyk Tunnel forms part of the engineering heritage of the former Bóbr Valley railway, a route often noted for its combination of tunnels, bridges and riverside scenery.[1][4] Together with the nearby tunnels at Pilchowice and Wleń, it remains one of the characteristic historic railway structures of this section of Lower Silesia.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Dominas, Przemysław (2020). "Tunele kolejowe na Dolnym Śląsku". In Przerwa, Tomasz; Keller, Dawid; Kruk, Bartosz (eds.). A jednak kolej! Historyczne i współczesne uwarunkowania rozwoju transportu (PDF) (in Polish). Wrocław: Instytut Pamięci Narodowej. pp. 66–69. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ a b Czaja, Piotr (2012). "Tunele – współczesne potrzeby cywilizacyjne" (PDF). Budownictwo i Architektura (in Polish). 10 (1): 53–70. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Pilchowicki I (tunel)" (in Polish). Atlas Kolejowy Polski, Czech i Słowacji. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Preidl, Wojciech (2005). "Dolnośląskie tunele kolejowe – zabytki techniki" (PDF). Górnictwo i Geoinżynieria (in Polish). 29 (3/1): 319–329. Retrieved 9 March 2026.