Upper Silesian Narrow Gauge Railways - Górnośląskie Koleje Wąskotorowe

Narrow-gauge railway lines in Upper Silesia; black marked sections are open, red sections are closed and liquidated

From the mid-nineteenth century, the Upper Silesian Narrow Gauge Railways played an important role in the industrial district of Upper Silesia. The railway network was hundreds of kilometers long, connected many industrial plants with each other, and was mainly used for the transport of bulk cargo and semi-finished goods. For over 100 years of its existence, the railway was profitable. Only at the end of the 20th century, after the collapse of the region's economy based on heavy industry, the narrow-gauge railway lost its importance. As a consequence, a large part of the extensive network and property was liquidated.

In 2002, the local government of the city of Bytom becomes the main owner of the narrow-gauge railway, and the operator of the surviving line Bytom - Miasteczko Śl. becomes the Association of Upper Silesian Narrow Gauge Railways. In the summer season, trains run regularly on the line Bytom - Tarnowskie Góry - Miasteczko Śląskie. The train pulls openwork and closed (glazed) passenger carriages, and sometimes a freight car for transporting bicycles.

An interesting remnant of the Upper Silesian Narrow-Gauge Railways are the 19th-century repair workshops for narrow-gauge railways in Bytom-Rozbark. It is a group of technical monuments unique in the world.

Link to the official website of the Upper Silesian Narrow Gauge Railway http://www.sgkw.eu