Railway in Baborów ANG

The beginnings of the railway in Upper Silesia date back to the first half of the 19th century. The railway was to serve as a faster means of transporting coal from Upper Silesia to Prussia. The Prussian Society of the Upper Silesian Railway (Oberschlesische Eisenbahn AG) was one of the largest railway companies in Europe.
The single-track railway running through Baborów (Jaroniów) was commissioned at the beginning of the 20th century. In the second half of the 19th century, when on May 24, 1853, the Wilhelm Railway Society obtained a concession to build a railway line on the Racibórz - Głubczyce route through Baborów. The patronage over the construction of this undertaking was assumed by Emperor Frederick William IV. The earthworks, progressing on a grand scale, began in February 1854. On January 1, 1855, this connection was opened, which was 37.9 km long. Initially, it was only passenger traffic, and from October 1, 1856, cargo traffic, which was related to the economic development of the city and the surrounding area. The newly opened connection was given the number 126 p. Initially, 2 pairs of passenger and freight trains traveled through Baborów during the day.
On the initiative of Baborów sanitary counselor W. Proske, the building of the railway station was built. Although it was formally located in Jaroniów, it was called Baborów. On the ground floor of this building there were two waiting rooms (1st and 2nd class), a ticket hall, station offices, a restaurant with a small room for its owner. On the first floor was the apartment of the station manager and assistant. The track master, who supervised the condition of the track surface, resided on the second floor. The side wings of the second floor played the role of an attic, but not for long, because already in the 1880s they were used as an apartment for switchmen and an additional office.
The appearance of the railway in Baborów resulted in the establishment of the Railway Post Office on October 1, 1856, which initially had its post in the station building, and later a new one was built. The railway replaced the cart and horse mail. In December 1867, 42 trains with mail passed through Baborów.
The year 1876 brought another passenger and goods connection. Racławice Śląskie was added to the line Racibórz - Baborów - Głubczyce. Thanks to this, the inhabitants of the former Baborowo and its vicinity, with a change in Racławice Śląskie, could travel and transport their goods (vegetables) to the fair in Wrocław.
In the 1880s, the idea of ​​building a single-track railway on the Baborów - Opawa - Koźle route and an additional connection with the city of Kietrz was born. This undertaking was to be handled by the Lenz company from Szczecin, which in 1893 obtained the permission of the registration authorities. Work on the route of the new railway line was carried out in several stages: in September 1898. the connection Koźle - Reńska Wieś was opened for public use, and in October Reńska Wieś - Polska Cerekiew. On July 1, 1908, the final route Polska Cerekiew - Baborów was officially handed over. The entire Koźle - Baborów line was 39.31 km long with 8 stops.
The next big step of the railway leading through Baborów was the commissioning of the Koźle - Opawa line, which connected Baborów with Opava in 1909. This route was 31.5 km. Thus, in 1909, Baborów became a four-way junction. Railway lines from Baborowo to Koźle, Głubczyce, Racibórz and Opava made it easier for students commuting to secondary schools. The number of trains passing through Baborów was growing. In 1907, seven pairs of trains ran through the city during the day, in 1914 5 pairs of trains traveled to Koźle via Baborów, to Opava - 3. In addition, from Katowice to Racławice Śląskie via Baborów - 7 and one accelerated connection Bytom - Racławice Silesian. In 1935, the number of trains going through Babory from Koźle and Opawa was 6, and on the Racibórz - Głubczyce route - 9. These data indicate that it was a renaissance of the railway in Baborów.
The development of railways contributed to the establishment of a siding in the city for freight trains at a sugar factory and brickyard, an engine shed for five trains, a water tower, two control rooms, two new platforms, railway post office, a building for a dispatcher and railway service. With the passengers traveling next to the station in mind, the hotel "Am Bahnhof" was established. In 1929, a green area was set up in front of the station building, and in 1938 the station was thoroughly renovated. With the expansion of the Baborów station, the number of railway staff increased, which in 1940 consisted of 63 people .
In November 1939, the inhabitants of Baborowo learned about a train disaster that took place near the village of Sukowice on the Koźle - Baborów route. Two trains collided head-on and crashed into each other. About 48 people died in the crash and 77 were injured.
After World War II, in 1945, the Soviet military administration handed over the railway in the Recovered Territories to the Polish State Railways. All railway lines running through Baborów were subordinated to the Directorate in Katowice. In the years 1945 - 1946 the station was called Baworów. After 1945 the railway connection with Opava, which became part of Czechoslovakia, was liquidated. The last one the stop on this route was the Pilszcz station.
The 1970s saw a dynamic development of the railway in Baborów. For the needs of the local industry, railway sidings were built for the grain elevator and the Pasz Factory, as well as two new tracks for freight cars for Elewator and Gmina Spółdzielnia (GS). Freight trains with wagons over 550 meters long came to the railway expedition to collect goods and goods.
In 1975, the railway in Baborów, under a new administrative division, was taken over by the Lower Silesian State Railways district with its seat in Wrocław. In the 1980s, steam locomotives were replaced with newer ones - diesel ones. A telephone booth and a telegraph were installed in the station building, and a railway medical clinic and a pharmacy were opened.
The beginning of the 1990s saw a slow reduction in the number of passenger trains. In September 1991, the passenger connection with Pilszcz was suspended, and a year later the cargo connection. In January 1993, this railway line was completely closed. In 1995 and 1996, at the request of the Association of Railway Enthusiasts, a special train - extraordinary - left for Pilszcz. From its windows, the natural values ​​of the Głubczyce Region were admired. Along with the liquidation of individual railway stations, employment in the railway decreased. In 1996 The Baborów railway employed 25 people. 22 passenger and freight trains passed through the station.
The flood in 1997 caused a temporary suspension of passenger and goods traffic on the Kędzierzyn Koźle and Racibórz routes.
For the last two months of 1997, a passenger train from Kraków to Jelenia Góra passed through Baborów. On April 2, 2000 at At 8.30 p.m. the last passenger train from Racławice Śląskie - Racibórz departed from Baborów. It was the end of the railway in Baborów. Currently, talks are underway regarding the renewal of the Racibórz - Głubczyce and Racławice Śląskie - Głubczyce railway lines by Baborów.