Rogów – Rawa – Biała Narrow-Gauge Railway

The heritage train from Rogów never goes faster than 40 km/h, and many of its wagons still carry the names of the sugar factories they came from. The Rogów – Rawa – Biała narrow-gauge railway is the only heritage narrow-gauge line in Łódź Province and one of the most interesting in Poland. German soldiers built it in 1915; volunteers saved it from closure and have gathered in Rogów the second-largest collection of narrow-gauge rolling stock in the country.

History: from field railway to museum on rails

Construction began on 28 February 1915. German railway companies linked the station in Rogów with Biała Rawska via Głuchów and Rawa Mazowiecka; the 600 mm field railway supplied the front on the Rawka and Pilica rivers, carried soldiers and evacuated the wounded. After the First World War the Polish State Railways took it over, and in 1954 the track was converted to 750 mm gauge.

In 1996 the railway was listed as a historic monument, yet in 2001 the state railways decided to close it. It was rescued by the Polish Narrow-Gauge Railways Foundation, which brought it back into service. Today the whole 49 km line is maintained mainly by volunteers.

What to see

• A ride from Rogów to Jeżów through open fields in historic carriages with wooden benches.
• The rolling-stock museum at Rogów Towarowy Wąskotorowy station: by 2007 it had gathered 52 vehicles, including 3 steam and 5 diesel locomotives.
• Rare vehicles such as a molasses tank wagon from 1905, a Saxon snow plough from the late 19th century and a 1930 baggage-and-mail van.
• Steam locomotive Px48-1911, built in 1955 and listed as a movable monument.
• Historic structures along the line: a 1928 steel bridge over the Rawka, the 1924 railway office in Rogów and the 1922 station building in Rawa Mazowiecka.

Did you know?

The rolling stock wears historic liveries and the markings of its former owners, so you can read the names of sugar factories, such as Dobre or Kruszwica, on the wagons. The Jeżów – Rawa Mazowiecka section has been closed to passenger trains since late 2015, but trains returned to the Rawa – Biała section in 2018.

Tripto tip

Summer trains between Rogów and Jeżów run from late April to the end of September, and on the last Saturday of each month from May to September there are also trains from Rawa to Biała. In December there are St Nicholas trains, and Winter Trains run during school winter holidays; for these, tickets are sold online only with seat reservations. In summer you buy tickets from the train crew (cash or card) or in advance via the KOLEO app. The easiest way to reach Rogów is by Łódź Agglomeration Railway (ŁKA) train, which offers a combined ticket. Dogs travel free (muzzled and on a lead), and food and souvenirs at Jeżów station are cash only. Arrive at least 10 minutes before departure and plan half a day, adding the nearby SGGW Arboretum.