Tourist Assets of the Cross-Border Railway Line Brest–Włodawa–Chełm

Transport Geography Papers of Polish Geographical Society 2020, 23(4), 19-31 DOI 10.4467/2543859XPKG.20.024.13126 Received: 30.06.2020 Received in revised form: 04.09.2020 Accepted: 05.09.2020 Published: 30.09.2020 TOURIST ASSETS OF THE CROSS-BORDER RAILWAY LINE BREST–WŁODAWA–CHEŁM Walory turystyczne przygranicznej linii kolejowej Brześć–Włodawa–Chełm Renata Anisiewicz Division of Regional Geography, Institute of Geography, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Bażyńskiego 4, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland e-mail: [email protected] Citation: Anisiewicz R., 2020, Tourist assets of the cross-border railway line Brest–Włodawa–Chełm, Prace Komisji Geografii Komunikacji PTG, 23(4), 19–31. Abstract: The article is to show tourist assets of the cross-border railway line Brest–Chełm, which is disrupted by a state border and the lack of a bridge on the Bug River barring access to Brest–Włodawa line section on the Belarus side and to Włodawa– Chełm section on the Polish side. The locally operating sections, built in the eighties of the twentieth century, of the strategic railway linking the Warsaw–Terespol line with the Vistula River Railroad (Nadwiślańska) have a great potential for the development of railway tourism. The line runs along prized nature areas of the macro-regions West Polesie and Wołyńskie Polesie. Sundry landscapes of the border countryside and their biological diversity are decisive in enjoying the highly valued scenery along the line on the Polish side. The attractiveness of the Belarus side – in practice accessible to foreigners following the introduction of the tourist and recreation zone ‘Brest’ in 2018 – is usually associated with the uncommon rules of travelling by train in the Belarus cross-border region. Both fragments of the line Brest–Chełm lead to and run through interesting tourist localities and cross-border culture sites. The article also touches on the present restrictions for railway tourism along this route, and the chances of reviving regular traffic in the Polish section in view of the governmental programme Kolej+. Keywords: railway line Brest–Włodawa, railwayline Chełm–Włodawa, cross-border railway line, railway tourism, tourist assets Renata Anisiewicz 1. Introduction strategic1 and planning2 documents. Nonetheless, nothing indicates that the situation will change in Tourism is among those terms, which are defined by the next few years. These investments are projected many authors (compare A. Kowalczyk, 2000; W.W. for the next EU financial perspective by the self gov- Gaworecki, 2007; W. Kurek, M. Mika, 2008). The key ernment of Lubelskie Voievodship, which submitted element linking all aspects, and the core feature of a revitalization project of the said route – including tourism, is translocation. A trip may be the way of the construction of a bridge near Włodawa and the reaching a tourist destination or be the tourist objec- laying of 1520 mm tracks from Włodawa to Zawada tive (J. Górny, 2014). – as a backup project to the regional operational Rail transport is popular among tourists. Taking programme (Lubelskie: Linia…, 2020). The separately into account the purpose of railway tourism excur- operating segments of the Brest–Chełm railway line sions, we can identify travelling to reach a destina- demonstrate assets of a potential tourist attraction tion, or railway focused tourism, when the voyage even if lacking a direct railway link. itself is an objective and the reaching of sites con- The Polish section of the line is open to passen- nected with railways, for example historical rolling gers in the summer season. The introduction of the stock parks (J. Górny, 2014). The objective of railway ‘Brest’ zone, with visa-free tourist and recreational tourism defined above does not eliminate other trav- traffic, on January 1, 2018, and the merging with the elling motives such as sightseeing or travelling for lei- earlier established zone ‘Grodno’ on 10 November sure. Railway fans enjoy in particular peripheral lines, 2019 to create a joint zone, provided access to the which run in the midst of outstanding landscapes Belarus section of the Brest–Chełm line for Polish and where railway tracks are often non-electrified. and foreign tourists. This step facilitated the stay Cross-border railways belong to the more interesting of foreigners in border areas of this country, which in terms of railway tourism. Experiencing a train jour- neighbours Poland. In Belarus, however, access to ney, apart from the railway related aspects, is linked these territories is limited for both foreigners and Be- with travelling abroad, which may be an additional larus non-inhabitants of the area. The establishment tourist attraction. of a tourist-recreation zone resulted in opening, for Seventy-eight railway lines cut across the Polish citizens of other countries, the option of travelling borders established after World War Two, including by local railway lines, like the line Brest–Włodawa 72 standard gauge tracks and six narrow gauged (station in Tomaszówka), in the border area of the tracks (T. Lijewski, 1996). Regions, where such lines country which was basically impossible in the past. were not disconnected following the changes to Po- The aim of the article is to demonstrate the tour- land’s borders are in a better position. Less lucky were ist assets of the railway line Brest–Chełm, which is the locations where the infrastructure was destroyed split by the border and the missing bridge on the during the war, and where the rail tracks were split by Bug River. Taking advantage of the railway tourist op- a border, which functioned as a barrier unfavourable portunity may supplement the cross-border region’s for rebuilding rail connections. tourist offer and stimulate the development drive on An example of the above is the nearly 115-kilome- both sides of the border. Tourist assets mean here tre long Brest–Chełm line presently partly in Poland specific features and elements of the natural envi- and partly in Belarus. The continuity of the line, built ronment as well as humankind activity, which are of in the eighties of the nineteenth century on the ter- interest for tourists (T. Lijewski i in., 2008). The line’s ritories annexed by Russia, suffered with the destruc- missing section, which would ensure its cross-border tion of the bridge on the Bug River near Włodawa at nature, indicates the tentative use of the term ‘border the end of World War Two. Its latitudinal route in the railway line’ today. new geopolitical situation (Polish USSR border on the The spatial scope of the study covers the length Bug River) failed to favour the reconstruction of this of the line on the Belarus side from Brest to the sta- railway infrastructure. In effect, the split fragments tion Włodawa, and on the Polish side from Chełm to of the route Brest–Chełm operated locally, providing Włodawa. The study takes into account places and transport to the meagrely developed Polish and USSR objects by the railroad, as defined by rail tourism, and border area – later the Belarus border. those accessible by a train journey distanced up to Attempts made since the nineties of the twen- several kilometres of the line itself, as of 2020. tieth century by self-governmental bodies of both countries to restore the railway passage and open 1 The ‘Cross-border Cooperation Strategy of the Lubelskie a border crossing in Włodawa have failed as of to- Voivodeship, the Volyn Oblast, the Lviv Oblast, and the day. The construction of the bridge on the Bug River Brest Oblast for 2014-2020’. and the circa 4 km long railway tracks are part of 2 Spatial development plan of the Lubelskie Voivodship. Tourist assets of the cross-border railway line Brest–Włodawa–Chełm 21 2. Genesis of the railway line Brest–Chełm river Bug, no attention was given to joining locations nearby (Sz. Komusiński, 2010). Only major obstruc- To find the origin of the Brest–Chełm railway line tions were taken into account. In effect, it featured we must look back to the sixties of the nineteenth only five built stations and five stops3. Looking from century. Following the suppression of the January the Brest side these were – on the right bank of the Uprising on the former territory of the Republic of Bug River: Bernady (stop), Stradecz (station), Dubit- Poland, Russian tsar authorities instigated a program sa (stop), Domachevo (station), Przyborowo (stop), of developing strongholds and connecting railway Włodawa (station) and on the left bank: Sobibór lines (W. Wojasiewicz, 2009). (stop), Uhrusk (station), Ruda (stop), Chełm (station). The key role fell to Brest stronghold located on The stations (with the exception of Stradecz) featured the borderline of the Kingdom of Poland. In 1870, several wooden housing structures, and in Włodawa a private railroad Warsaw–Terespol reached Brest, and Chełm warehouses were built, additionally following the State funded prolongation of the line Chełm boasted a two-stand locomotive shed and from Terespol. In 1871, a railway line with Moscow two turntables. Water reached the stations from the and Smoleńsk, later called the Moscow–Brest line, Bug River (in Chełm from Uherka River) and water became operable. Railway lines Brest–Grajewo and towers were built to supply the steam engines. The Brest–Kiev started operating two years later. Each line had one set of rail tracks and foundations for railway line had a separate station, with the stations, a second set. The initially Russian gauged tracks (1520 after some time, marked by numbers. In order to mm) were adapted to relevant gauging depending avoid difficulties in using several stations in the node, on the changing borderline. The engineering facili- Moscow–Brest line built a single station, opened in ties included: 11 steel bridges, three wooden bridges Brest to all the lines in 1886.

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