Unisław Śląski Tunnel
| Unisław Śląski Tunnel | |
|---|---|
Southern portal of the tunnel | |
Interactive map of Unisław Śląski Tunnel | |
| Overview | |
| Other name | Unisławski Tunnel |
| Line | Wałbrzych Szczawienko–Meziměstí railway |
| Location | Unisław Śląski, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland |
| Status | Active[1] |
| Crosses | Podlesie hill, south-western spur of the Dzikowiec massif |
| Start | Kuźnice Świdnickie side |
| End | Unisław Śląski side |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1877[2][3] |
| Owner | PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe |
| Operator | PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe |
| Traffic | Railway |
| Character | Single-track railway tunnel |
| Technical | |
| Length | 262 m (860 ft)[2][3] |
The Unisław Śląski Tunnel (Tunel w Unisławiu Śląskim), also known as the Unisławski Tunnel, is a railway tunnel in Unisław Śląski in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship of south-western Poland. It carries the Wałbrzych Szczawienko–Meziměstí railway beneath Podlesie hill on the route from the Wałbrzych area toward Mieroszów and the Czech border.[2][3]
At 262 m (860 ft) in length, it is the only railway tunnel on this line and one of the historic railway tunnels of Lower Silesia.[2][3]
Description
The tunnel lies between Kuźnice Świdnickie and Unisław Śląski on the former main route linking the Wałbrzych coalfield with Bohemia and, in wider planning, with the projected Szczecin–Vienna corridor.[2] It was driven beneath Podlesie hill (603 m above sea level), described by Przemysław Dominas as the south-western continuation of the Dzikowiec massif.[3]
Wojciech Preidl describes the tunnel as a straight, single-track structure.[2] He notes that it was originally lined throughout with clinker brick masonry, although after numerous repairs and reconstructions much of the visible lining is now steel-and-concrete and shotcrete.[2]
PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe stated in 2025 that the tunnel is about 260 metres long and that trains were then limited to 20 km/h through the structure pending reconstruction works.[1]
History
The tunnel was constructed as part of the railway from Szczawno Zdrój and Kuźnice Świdnickie toward Meziměstí, a line completed in 1877.[2] Dominas lists the Unisław Śląski Tunnel among the Lower Silesian tunnels completed that year and identifies its builders in the surviving historical record as director Wernich, master builder Fredeknig and building councillor Vogt.[3]
About 900 metres south of the tunnel, the passenger halt at Unisław Śląski was opened in 1911.[3] In 1913–1914 the line and tunnel were equipped for electric traction as part of the electrification of railways in Lower Silesia.[3]
Dominas writes that, in the interwar period, pressure from the surrounding rock mass led to both portals being reinforced with concrete buttress blocks to prevent cracking.[3]
After the Second World War, regular rail traffic continued on the route, although the importance of the line gradually declined.[3] By the early 21st century, according to Dominas, regular services had ceased, but seasonal excursion trains were later reintroduced on the route from Wrocław via Boguszów-Gorce and Meziměstí to Adršpach.[3]
Present-day operation and planned reconstruction
The tunnel remains part of the operational infrastructure of line no. 291.[1] In June 2025, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe announced a planned reconstruction of the tunnel as part of wider works on the Boguszów-Gorce–Mieroszów section to support more reliable year-round services toward the Czech border.[1]
According to PLK, the project includes removal of the track, strengthening and refurbishment of the tunnel structure, installation of new track and lighting, and raising the permitted speed through the tunnel from 20 km/h to 100 km/h after completion of the works.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "Tunel pełen perspektyw – krok w stronę całorocznych podróży do Czech" (in Polish). PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. 30 June 2025. 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.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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. 59–61, 70. Retrieved 9 March 2026.