World War I History of rail transport in Poland

russian infantry marching along railway lines

soon after occupying polish areas, german railway army readjusted railway russian (broad gauge) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ⁄2 in) standard gauge. on russian side, of rolling stock of warsaw–vienna rail, warsaw–bydgoszcz , kaliska rail (as headquarters of these lines) relocated retreating russian army. in retreat tsar s army destroyed central locomotive hall of russian-polish standard gauge railways in Łowicz , saint petersburg station in warsaw. in response counter-attack russian army, german general ludendorff ordered destruction of strategic parts of warsaw–vienna line , kalisz railway between warsaw, Łódź, kutno , kalisz.

in 1915, german , austrian armies completed adapting significant portion of broad gauge track standard gauge. railway bridge on vistula river had been damaged, germans used ferries move locomotives across river in warsaw. same year saw construction of military railways on wielbork–ostrołęka , rozwadów–sandomierz routes, additional lines on kalisz railway. modern german railway rolling stock replaced broad gauge stock had been removed russia.