Border Crossings: Germany - Poland

(Heringsdorf) - Ahlbeck Grenze - Świnoujście Centrum

[D] (Re)opened in September 2008, this route was operated by Usedomer Bäderbahn until December 2017 but is now operated by DB Regio Nordost. It is on the opposite side of the River Oder/Odra from PKP Świnoujście.

(Pasewalk -) Grambow DB - Szczecin PKP

[D] DB works to Szczecin Głowny.

(Angermünde -) Tantow DB - Szczecin PKP

[D] DB works to Szczecin Głowny. It is planned to electrify this route in the next few years.

(Wriezen -) Neurüdnitz DB - Siekierki PKP (- Godków)

Line closed.

Küstrin-Kietz DB - Kostrzyn PKP

[D] The Berlin - Kostrzyn passenger service has been operated by NEB (Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn) since the 2006/2007 timetable, currently using Polish-built Pesa Link DMUs. This line is closed for three years from December 2020 while the bridge over the River Oder/Odra is replaced by a new structure at a slightly higher level. Trains from Berlin terminate at Küstrin-Kietz on the German side of the river with a bus replacement cross border.

Previously there were through trains scheduled across this border with the 2019/2020 timetable having one Gorzów Wielkopolskie - Berlin Ostkreuz train pair. Any freight is worked by DB to Kostrzyn.

(Frankfurt (Oder) -) Frankfurt Oderbrücke DB - Kunowice PKP (- Rzepin)

[E*] DB has responsibility for the cross-border EuroCity services, but PKP dual voltage Class 370 electrics work through to Berlin. The only local passenger trains from Poland to Frankfurt (Oder) are the Polregio DMUs working through to/from Zielona Góra. PKP works freight to and from Frankfurt Oderbrücke where DB and PKP different voltage electric locomotives are changed.

Guben DB - Gubin PKP (- Czerwieńsk)

This border crossing was freight only from 1945 until 1972 and again from 1981. Passenger service was reintroduced on June 2 1996 but last ran 6 October 2002

A trial weekend-only passenger service between Guben and Zielona Góra re-started from 12 June 2022 under the designation RB92, three train pairs on Saturdays, two on Sundays and public holidays. This went daily from the December 2022 timetable, with two pairs at weekends extended to/from Cottbus from 1 April 2023. Freight traffic remains worked by PKP to Guben.

Guben DB - Gubinek PKP

Line closed. No passenger service since 1945 last used for freight 30.11.1994

Forst (Lausitz) DB - Zasieki PKP (- Tuplice)

[D] PKP formerly worked all services to Forst. Following withdrawal of the "Wavel" IC service at the December 2014 timetable change, there were just two local terminating services each way. However, in 2023 four pairs of RB93 Forst - Żagań services were introduced, operated by DB Regio on behalf of Polregio.

From December 2023, DB Regio has operated five RB93 train pairs at three-hourly intervals through from Cottbus Hbf to Żagań. This is as well as the local RB46 services which run between Cottbus and Forst, operated by ODEG.

In addition a weekend "Kulturzug" DMU return working between Berlin and Wrocław has run since mid-2016, initially as one train pair but for several years as two pairs. It was suspended during the Coronavirus pandemic and between January and June 2023. Between June and December 2023 it ran via the Horka – Węgliniec crossing instead, but it is expected to return to this route in due course, probably later in 2024.

(Weisswasser -) Bad Muskau DB - Leknica PKP (- Tuplice)

Line closed.

Horka DB - Bielawa Dolna PKP (- Węgliniec)

[E*] Freight only. The boundary between the German 15 kV ac and Polish 3 kV dc electrification systems is 1.5 km west of the bridge over the river Neiße/Nysa, which forms the border. This route was long term closed for upgrading including electrification with Węgliniec to the east to north curve at Horka reopening on 25 November 2016, and the main freight artery via Horka High Level in December 2018.

It has been suggested a passenger service might be introduced but so far the only use has been by limited diversions of the weekend only Berlin - Wroclaw Pociąg do Kultury DMU service via the east to north Horka curve. The Kulturzug / Pociąg do Kultury trains ran this way every weekend between 16 June 2023 and 1 January 2024. See Obscure Services entries DE24/332 and PL24/168 for details.

Görlitz DB - Zgorzelec PKP

This crossing was established on May 22 1957 when the rebuilt Neisse viaduct was opened, it had been blown up by nazis on May 7 1945. Before upper Silesia was ceded to Poland Zgorzelec was part of Görlitz and the station was Görlitz-Moys on the electrified mainline to Breslau (Wrocław). The Görlitz to Brelsau (15000v AC) electrification was removed by Russian forces in 1945-1946. PKP re-electrified the line at 3000v DC in stages from 1965 except the section from Luban Slaski to Zgorzelec. Luban Slaski to Węgliniec (Lauban to Kohlfurt) which had been 15000v AC between 1928 and 1945 was electrified at 3000v DC 30.05.1986 and Węgliniec to Zgorzelec, which was not electrified when part of Germany, on 15.12.2019

[D] From 1 March 2015 when the DB operated Dresden - Wrocław services were withdrawn there were no cross-border passenger services until a PKP operated Jelenia Góra - Lubań Śląski - Zgorzelec - Görlitz service commenced on 12 December 2015. These are now operated by Koleje Dolnośląskie.

In addition some Trilex DMUs operating RE services from Dresden Hbf were extended to Zgorzelec from December 2019 to connect with the new electric PKP service towards Wrocław as Görlitz DB - Zgorzelec PKP currently remains unelectrified, joined by some PolRegio services from Żary and Legnica. These are all listed in PKP PDF 260.

It is planned to electrify the 1.282km from the border viaduct into Görlitz Hbf at the Polish standard 3 kV dc to allow through Wrocław – Görlitz services to operate. The currently disused island platform 3&4, outside the overall roof at Görlitz Hbf, is planned to be used.

DB/PKP freight normally uses other border crossings but any via this route would be worked by PKP diesels to Görlitz.

(Görlitz -) Hagenwerder DB - Krzewina Zgorzelecka PKP - Hirschfelde DB (- Zittau)

[D] This line carries domestic German services between Görlitz and Zittau, which call at Krzewina Zgorzelecka in Poland mainly to serve the German village of Ostritz which is accessed by a footbridge over the river Neisse from the station entrance. Between Krzewina Zgorzelecka and Hirschfelde the line crosses the river twice and traverses a 200m section within Germany.

See also

• Border Crossings - General Information