Prussian Eastern Railway

Berlin–Tschernyschewskoje
Braniewo (formerly Braunsberg) station on Russian-Polish border
Main routes of the Prussian Eastern Railway marked on map of 1905
Route number:	200.50 Berlin–Strausberg 209.26 Berlin–Kostrzyn 345 00 Kostrzyn–Piła 426 00 Piła Gł–Tczew 400 00 Tczew–Malbork 505 00 Malbork–Braniewo
Line length:	724,3
Gauge:	(Berlin–Kaliningrad) 1435 mm (Braniewo–Kybartai) 1520
Voltage:	(Berlin S-Bahn) 750 V DC (Tczew–Malbork) 3 kV DC
Voltage:	(Berlin main line) 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC
Maximum speed:	100
Legend from Friedrichstraße Ostbahnhof 0.1 Küstriner Bahnhof Warschauer Straße to the Ringbahn Ostkreuz Ringbahn to Frankfurt (Oder) Ringbahn–Rummelsburg connection 3.4 Nöldnerplatz from the Ringbahn 4.7 Lichtenberg Friedrichsfelde Ost to Werneuchen 6.2 to outer ring S-Bahn to Springpfuhl Biesdorf cross outer ring 8.5 from outer ring 8.6 Biesdorf 9.8 Wuhletal from Rummelsburg (now U-Bahn ) 10.8 11.7 Kaulsdorf 12.4 Mahlsdorf Berlin–Brandenburg state border 14.9 Birkenstein 16.6 Hoppegarten (Mark) Altlandsberg Light Railway 18.5 Neuenhagen (b Berlin) 21.2 Fredersdorf Rbf 22.8 Fredersdorf (b Berlin) to Rüdersdorf 25.4 Petershagen Nord connection to Strausberg Railway Strausberg station S-Bahn station 27.9 Strausberg Regionalbahn station to Strausberg Nord to Herzfelde 31.2 Herrensee 33.7 Rehfelde 41.6 Rotes Luch Anschluss Buckow Light Railway 45.8 Müncheberg (Mark) Müncheberg Light Railway connection 50.7 Obersdorf 53.5 Trebnitz (Mark) 58.4 Alt Rosenthal 63.5 Seelow-Gusow 67.2 Werbig Eberswalde–Frankfurt (Oder) from Wriezen 68.3 Werbig freight yard 74.5 Golzow (Oderbruch) 77.1 Gorgast Alte Oder from and to Frankfurt (Oder) 81.0 Küstrin-Kietz Odervorfluter 82.5 Küstrin Altstadt 83.0 342.3 Oder, Germany–Poland border Warthe 340.4 Kostrzyn (Küstrin) Wrocław–Szczecin from and to Chojna to Grzmiąca 335.0 Dąbroszyn (Tamsel) 329.6 Kamień Mały (Stolberg [Neum]) 321.0 Witnica (Vietz) 313.8 Nowiny Wielkie (Döllensradung) 308.2 Bogdaniec (Düringshof) 305.0 Łupowo (Loppow) 300.6 Gorzow Wlkp. Wieprzyce (Wepritz) from Myślibórz Landsberg (Warthe) freight yard 297.1 Gorzów Wielkopolski (Landsberg (Warthe)) to Zbąszynek 293.3 Wawrów (Lorenzdorf) 291.1 Czechów (Zechow) 283.9 Santok (Zantoch) 276.3 Górki Noteckie (Gurkow) 271.5 Sarbiewo (Mückenburg [Neum]) von Strzelce Krajeńskie (Friedeberg) 268.2 Strzelce Krajeńskie Wschód (Friedeberg [Neum]) 261.5 Stare Kurowo (Altkarbe) 251.0 Nowe Drezdenko (Driesen-Vordamm) from Skwierzyna 244.9 Stare Bielice Altbeelitz Lubusz–Greater Poland border from Stargard Szczeciński 237.9 Krzyż (Kreuz) to Poznań and Wałcz 226.4 Wieleń Północny (Filehne Nord) 214.0 Biernatowo (Ascherbude) 209.2 Siedlisko Czarnkowskie (Stieglitz) 202.1 Trzcianka (Schönlanke) 197.4 Biała Pilska (Behle) 188.3 Stobno[disambiguation needed ] (Stöwen (Netzekreis)) Kattun from Szczecinek and Ulikowo Schneidemühl Vbf 179.5 Piła Główna (Schneidemühl) to Czarnków to Poznań and Bydgoszcz 176.0 Piła Podlasie 173.1 Płociczno[disambiguation needed ] (Albertsruh) 167.3 Skórka (Schönfeld [Grenzm]) 161.5 Dolnik (Wittenburg [Ostb]) 156.0 Krajenka (Krojanke) from Wałcz 147.1 Złotów (Flatow [Grenzm]) to Więcbork 138.3 Zakrzewo Złotowskie (Buschdorf [Kr Flatow]) 126.4 Lipka Krajeńska (Linde) Greater Poland–Pomerania border 115.1 Bukowo Człuchowskie (Buchholz [Grenzm]) 108.0 Wierzchowo Człuchowskie (Firschau) 104.2 Moszczenica Pomorska (Mosnitz) from Szczecinek and Więcbork 96.2 Chojnice (Konitz) to Kościerzyna and Tuchola 90.1 Krojanty (Krojanken) 84.1 Rytel (Rittel) 80.8 Rytel Wieś 74.7 Gutowiec (Guttowitz) 67.0 Czersk (Czersk) to Kościerzyna and Bydgoszcz Kościerzyna–Bydgoszcz 59.9 Łąg (Long) 56.1 Czarna Woda (Schwarzwasser) Kamienna Karczma (Steinkrug) 46.9 Kaliska (Dreidorf) 42.3 Bytonia 39.4 Zblewo (Hochstüblau) 36.0 Pinczyn 32.7 Piesienice (Pischnitz) from Skarszewy 24.0 Starogard Gdański (Preußisch Stargard) to Kwidzyn 17.5 Szpęgawsk 12.8 Swarożyn (Swaroschin) 5.4 Rokitki Tczewskie Lunau from Bydgoszcz 3.6 Tczew Suchostrzygi 2.1 from and to Gdańsk 0.0 296.2 Tczew (Dirschau) 295.2 from and to Bydgoszcz Most Lisewski 293.8 Lisewo (Liessau [Westpr]) Żuławska Light Railway connection 286.7 Szymankowo (Simonsdorf) Żuławska Light Railway connection 279.6 Malbork Kałdowo (Kalthof) Żuławska Light Railway connection Nogat 277.9 0.3 Malbork (Marienburg) to Kwidzyn (Marienwerder) to Warsaw and Olsztyn 5.0 Królewo Malborskie 11.0 Stare Pole (Altfelde) Pomerania–Warmia-Masuria border 14.3 Fiszewo (Fischau) 18.7 Gronowo Elbląskie (Grunau [Westpreußen]) from Ostróda (Osterode) 26.6 Tropy junction from Braniewo (Braunsberg) 29.0 Elbląg (Elbing) Beginn Breitspurstrecke 37.2 Komorowo Żuławskie (Kämmersdorf) 41.3 Bogaczewo (Güldenboden) to Morąg (Mohrungen) 49.6 Stegny (Steegen [Ostpr]) 53.7 Słobity (Schlobitten) 60.8 Młynary (Mühlhausen [Ostpr]) 65.6 Kurowo Braniewskie (Kurau) 71.2 Chruściel (Tiedmannsdorf) 79.0 Bemowizna (Böhmenhöfen) from Elbląg (Elbing) from Pieniężno (Mehlsack) 83.7 Braniewo (Braunsberg) 90.6 1339.7 Poland–Russia border 1334.6 Mamonovo (Heiligenbeil) to Bagrationovsk (Preußisch Eylau) 1333.x O.p. 1333 km Snamenka Nowaja (Hoppenbruch) Primorskoje Nowoje (Wolittnick) O.p. Sosnowy Bor (Schölen) 1314.1 Ladushkin (Ludwigsort) 1312.x O.p. 1312 km Pörschken Nowo-Moskowskoje (Poplitten) 1307.x O.p. 1307 km 1305.x O.p. 1305 km von Olsztyn Swetloje (Kobbelbude) 1296.x Golubewo (Seepothen) Laskino (Godrienen) Kaliningrad-Mamonowski (Prappeln) O.p. Kijewskaja (Königsberg-Ponarth) to Kaliningrad station Kaliningrad Sort. from Kaliningrad north station 1285.x Kaliningrad station (Königsberg [Pr] Hbf) from and to Korsze (Korschen) 1279.x O.p. Aivasovski (Könisgberg-Seligenfeld) 1275,5 Lugovoye Novoye (Gutenfeld (Ostpr)) 1265.3 Komsomolsk Sapadny (Löwenhagen) to Pravdinsk (Friedland in Ostpreußen) 1257.x Ozerki Novoye (Groß Lindenau) 1245.1 Gvardeysk (Tapiau) Wehlau–Friedländer District Railway 1235.3 Znamensk (Wehlau [Ostpr]) to Pravdinsk Puschkaryovo (Puschdorf) Lehwald 1213.9 Meschduretschje (Norkitten) 1206.8 Pastuchovo Novoye (Waldhausen) from Bolshakovo (Groß Skaisgirren) from Olsztyn (Allenstein) and Ełk (Lyck) 1195.6 Chernyakhovsk (Insterburg) to Sovetsk (Tilsit) from and to Sovetsk (Tilsit) Penderhof Veselovka (Judtschen) from Ozyorsk and from Chistye 1170.4 Gusev (Gumbinnen) Podgorovka (Groß Baitschen) Divnoye Novoye (Trakehnen) from Dobrovolsk (Pillkallen) 1144.9 Nesterov (Stallupönen) to Krasnolesye (Rominten) Chernyshevskoye (Eydtkuhnen) 1133.9 Russia–Lithuania border Kybartai (Wirballen) to Kaunas

The Prussian Eastern Railway (German: Preußische Ostbahn) was the railway in the eastern Kingdom of Prussia until 1918. Its main route, approximately 740 kilometers (460 mi) long, connected the capital Berlin with the cities of Danzig (Gdańsk) and Königsberg (Kaliningrad). At Eydtkuhnen (Chernyshevskoye) it reached the German Empire's border with the Russian Empire.

History

The first part of the line opened in 1851, reaching Eydtkuhnen in 1860. By March 1880 the total route length reached 2,210 kilometers (1,370 mi), with a main parallel route in the south via Bromberg (Bydgoszcz) and Thorn (Toruń) to Insterburg (Chernyakhovsk). The lines were the first part of the later Prussian State Railways (German: Preußische Staatseisenbahnen).

In 1918 the Treaty of Versailles created the Polish Corridor separating the Free City of Danzig and East Prussia from Germany, leaving East Prussia as an exclave. This caused a bottleneck at the bridge over the Vistula to the south of Danzig near Dirschau (Tczew) which was under Polish control. Along with the other German state railways, the Prussian Eastern Railway lines remaining in Germany's Free State of Prussia became part of the Deutsche Reichsbahn in 1920.

Conflicts over the use of the railway during the interwar period were declared by Nazi Germany as part of the causes of World War II.

Today

See also: Kaliningrad Railway

Today, in the 21st century, the railway is used, but is not of great importance. It does not pass any major cities (except Berlin) and is still single-track and not electric. The Russian section is partly rebuilt into the Russian gauge and is operated by the Kaliningrad Railways.

Branch and spur railway lines

• Danzig – Neufahrwasser (1867)
• Fredersdorf – Rüdersdorf (1872)
• Neustettin – Wangerin (1877, Pommersche Centralbahn)
• Neustettin – Konitz (1878, Pommersche Centralbahn; now the Chojnice - Runowo Pomorskie line)
• Neustettin – Belgard (1878)
• Neustettin – Zollbrück (Pommern) – Rügenwalde/Stolpmünde (1878)
• Schneidemühl – Posen (1879)
• Schneidemühl – Neustettin (1879)
• Laskowitz – Graudenz – Jablonowo (connecting the railways Bromberg – Königsberg and Thorn – Insterburg, 1879/78)
• Insterburg – Goldap – Lyck (1878/79)

Bridge over the Vistula near Dirschau (Tczew)

See also

• History of rail transport in Germany
• History of rail transport in Poland

References

• http://www.bahnstrecken.de/ob.htm (German)
• http://www.ostbahn.eu (German)
• http://www.preussische-ostbahn.de (German)

External links

• German and Polish timetables of various section sof the railway, 1867-1998]
• The webpage devoted to the old roundhouse in Schneidemühl (Piła)