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Trip to Hel
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Does Vagonweb help? You might have to trawl a bit…
class ep-09
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Unfortunately Number of The Beast public bus 666 has changed its number due to opposition from religious zealots .
Otherwise you could say you had “ Hel of a ride …”
).
Various stocks go this way - seasonal trains from all over the country with various types of carriages run by PKP IC , regional DMU’s with carriages attached including double deckers run by PolRegio
It can get very busy such as trains leaving people behind on intermediate stops between Hel and Gdynia / Gdansk.
Otherwise you could say you had “ Hel of a ride …”
).Various stocks go this way - seasonal trains from all over the country with various types of carriages run by PKP IC , regional DMU’s with carriages attached including double deckers run by PolRegio
It can get very busy such as trains leaving people behind on intermediate stops between Hel and Gdynia / Gdansk.
Henffordd
Member
Is it possible to go in a handcart???
Doddle. Polregio R905xx and R55255.
The formations look a little satirical. Anyone know the reason for a single deck coach wedged between two DMUs as well as in the middle of a double deck rake? Aren't all the platforms ultra-low in ex-prussianland away from main stations?
There again, if it was Germany you might have summer-only ICEs to Hel, similar to Binz which looks strange to british eyes (4 ICEs parked overnight at the equivalent of Pwllheli).
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And is there a road paved with good intentions?
m0ffy
Member
Would it be advisable to buy a return?
Single-leg pricing applies - "that undiscovered bourn from which no traveller returns" (Hamlet)
class ep-09
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only you if one repents
gordonthemoron
Established Member
Binz is a lot nicer than Pwllheli, I’ve been to both several times
Zamracene749
Member
My only advice is get to Gdansk early if you travel on a morning service. About 12 years ago, I rode on the morning summer IC service in 1st class. I ended up sharing a six seater compartment with 10 people. The service was so busy that at some stations the younger Poles were boarding and alighting via the corridor windows!
Just for extra capacity? Sounds as if it might be needed.
Terry Tibbs
Member
The extra carriage in the middle is for the conveyance of bikes. There’s usually dozens of bikes and cyclists on these busy summer trains who have cycled around the coast from Gdańsk/Gdynia/Sopot to Hel. The regional trains are extremely busy and there’s no reservations on these for bikes or foot passengers. Can be a bit of a scrum.
Theres usually a few long distance Intercity PKP trains during the day and last time I was there a CD sleeper train was stabled there during the day. Local trains have a good variety from DMUs to loco hauled and coaching stock. You can walk almost right up to the locos and stock stabled in the sidings. It’s not a huge facility but there’s a decent amount of movements especially in late afternoon.
I’d suggest train out from Gdansk and a few hours in Hel. Maybe rent a bike and explore the peninsula. There’s an old narrow gauge military railway operating certain days too. An interesting ‘museum of communism’ is on the quay side too. The boat back in the evening to Gdańsk with a beer or two on the deck will round off a very enjoyable day. This is in summer though; I’ve not been in winter to Hel.
Theres usually a few long distance Intercity PKP trains during the day and last time I was there a CD sleeper train was stabled there during the day. Local trains have a good variety from DMUs to loco hauled and coaching stock. You can walk almost right up to the locos and stock stabled in the sidings. It’s not a huge facility but there’s a decent amount of movements especially in late afternoon.
I’d suggest train out from Gdansk and a few hours in Hel. Maybe rent a bike and explore the peninsula. There’s an old narrow gauge military railway operating certain days too. An interesting ‘museum of communism’ is on the quay side too. The boat back in the evening to Gdańsk with a beer or two on the deck will round off a very enjoyable day. This is in summer though; I’ve not been in winter to Hel.
Incidentally I visited Hel today and happy to share my observations. I drove there which was a bit of a mistake with how bad traffic was - next time I'd be doing the ferry/train combo.
I stopped by the station to see what was going on. Most stock was 2 x Polregio DMUs with an unpowered coach in the middle. First time I've seen a formation like that and it looked a bit odd.
There were a few rakes of the standard PKP loco hauled stock lying round in the lines on approach, as well as a full rake waiting to be hauled to Warsaw powered by a Czech loco I think.
On my drive up, I also caught a rake of double deck coaches which looked very similar to the red double deck rakes used by DB regio being hauled by an older loco.
Definitely quite interesting and worth at least a trip one way! The service to Warsaw didn't look too busy leaving Hel, however others were. Hel itself was a great day out as well - we luckily had great weather so spent a few hours on the beach swimming and sunbathing.
Managed to catch a few photos of that's of interest.
I stopped by the station to see what was going on. Most stock was 2 x Polregio DMUs with an unpowered coach in the middle. First time I've seen a formation like that and it looked a bit odd.
There were a few rakes of the standard PKP loco hauled stock lying round in the lines on approach, as well as a full rake waiting to be hauled to Warsaw powered by a Czech loco I think.
On my drive up, I also caught a rake of double deck coaches which looked very similar to the red double deck rakes used by DB regio being hauled by an older loco.
Definitely quite interesting and worth at least a trip one way! The service to Warsaw didn't look too busy leaving Hel, however others were. Hel itself was a great day out as well - we luckily had great weather so spent a few hours on the beach swimming and sunbathing.
Managed to catch a few photos of that's of interest.
Attachments
Well, I've done my trip to Hel and back, and it was definitely worth it.
Got there directly from Gdansk on an old non air conditioned rake of double decker coaches hauled by a diesel shunter-ish sort of thing. This had come from somewhere beyond Gdansk and it looks as if it comes in in the morning, then does some of the Hel<>Gydnia turns, then goes back to where it came from in the afternoon. The rest of the local trains I saw were a single coach sandwiched between two low floor DMUs, apart from one I saw at the end of the day that was a single unit hauling a coach.
The train before the one I got back was absolutely crammed - people wedged into the doorways. But the one half an hour later was much more civilised - only a few people standing and it really emptied out.
It would have been pleasant enough just riding in the old coach with large opening windows, but being able to look through both ends of the coach and see the sloping front of a DMU was a rather unusual experience.
It was cloudy for much of the day, and not a weekend, but still busy. On the other hand there was some kind of D day celebration going on which might have attracted more people (lots of old WW-2 era vehicles driving up and down with people in uniform or appropriate civilian dress).
From looking at the traffic on the road parallelling the line (the road to Hel) I would have preferred to be on the train. (Well, I would anyway).
Hal was rather crowded but it seemed very much geared up for domestic tourism, unlike Gdansk. Ordering lunch in a cafe was quite entertaining - the waitress was very friendly but just kept talking Polish even though it wasn't getting through.
The rest of the trains in that area were pretty good too - some unmodernised EMUs with big opening windows, and lots of loco hauled Intercity trains which included one formed from an Intercity liveried diesel shunter-like loco hauling just two coaches. (I assumed that when the app showed just two coaches it was malfunctioning, but no).
Getting the ferry back would have made a nice round trip, but the times didn't work out and anyway the trains were too interesting to not want to go back on one.
I'd highly recommend the Gdansk area for both the rail interest and more general tourist sights.
(A trip to Elbląg is well worth it too to take the boat trip down the Elbląg Canal where the boat travels over five funiculars - unlike most boat lifts the boats sit in a cradle rather than a caisson full of water. Interesting trams in Elbląg too)
Got there directly from Gdansk on an old non air conditioned rake of double decker coaches hauled by a diesel shunter-ish sort of thing. This had come from somewhere beyond Gdansk and it looks as if it comes in in the morning, then does some of the Hel<>Gydnia turns, then goes back to where it came from in the afternoon. The rest of the local trains I saw were a single coach sandwiched between two low floor DMUs, apart from one I saw at the end of the day that was a single unit hauling a coach.
The train before the one I got back was absolutely crammed - people wedged into the doorways. But the one half an hour later was much more civilised - only a few people standing and it really emptied out.
It would have been pleasant enough just riding in the old coach with large opening windows, but being able to look through both ends of the coach and see the sloping front of a DMU was a rather unusual experience.
It was cloudy for much of the day, and not a weekend, but still busy. On the other hand there was some kind of D day celebration going on which might have attracted more people (lots of old WW-2 era vehicles driving up and down with people in uniform or appropriate civilian dress).
From looking at the traffic on the road parallelling the line (the road to Hel) I would have preferred to be on the train. (Well, I would anyway).
Hal was rather crowded but it seemed very much geared up for domestic tourism, unlike Gdansk. Ordering lunch in a cafe was quite entertaining - the waitress was very friendly but just kept talking Polish even though it wasn't getting through.
The rest of the trains in that area were pretty good too - some unmodernised EMUs with big opening windows, and lots of loco hauled Intercity trains which included one formed from an Intercity liveried diesel shunter-like loco hauling just two coaches. (I assumed that when the app showed just two coaches it was malfunctioning, but no).
Getting the ferry back would have made a nice round trip, but the times didn't work out and anyway the trains were too interesting to not want to go back on one.
I'd highly recommend the Gdansk area for both the rail interest and more general tourist sights.
(A trip to Elbląg is well worth it too to take the boat trip down the Elbląg Canal where the boat travels over five funiculars - unlike most boat lifts the boats sit in a cradle rather than a caisson full of water. Interesting trams in Elbląg too)
Fairly certain that despite the CD stock (and loco?) it would have just been an internal Polish train. PKP have long hired in stock and locos from CD - particularly for summer traffic.
miklcct
On Moderation
I am on a trip to Hel for 3 days for orienteering races. The first day I used a regional train to go there, and it was a multiple unit with new and old trains coupled together. There is a large bike cabin and bike carriage is chargeable there. It was Friday morning and the train was fully loaded with standees after entering the peninsula.
I booked a hostel at the marina in Gdynia to cater for my travel, but the direct ferry was much more expensive than the circuitous train. I left by ferry and return by ferry for my second day (today). The ferry back to Gdynia on Friday evening didn't have many people but it was crowded today (Saturday) morning. I wonder how overcrowded the train would be at the same time.
I decided to stay longer today as I wanted to have an extra swim after my race, beyond the time of the last ferry back. I had only downloaded the timetable for the regional trains however I made it to the train station just before the intercity sleeper departed, so I got on the sleeper (of course in a 2nd class seat). Unlike the regional trains, all the seats are organised into compartments and the corridor is on one side.
I booked a hostel at the marina in Gdynia to cater for my travel, but the direct ferry was much more expensive than the circuitous train. I left by ferry and return by ferry for my second day (today). The ferry back to Gdynia on Friday evening didn't have many people but it was crowded today (Saturday) morning. I wonder how overcrowded the train would be at the same time.
I decided to stay longer today as I wanted to have an extra swim after my race, beyond the time of the last ferry back. I had only downloaded the timetable for the regional trains however I made it to the train station just before the intercity sleeper departed, so I got on the sleeper (of course in a 2nd class seat). Unlike the regional trains, all the seats are organised into compartments and the corridor is on one side.
There is an overnight Bohumin-Leba/Hel in high season formed of CD compartment stock plus PKP sleeper.
miklcct
On Moderation
Also as the line to Hel is a single line throughout, it's extremely prone to delay accumulation through the day. I'm now on the sleeper which was 4 minutes late on departure from Hel but nearly half an hour late into Gdynia, which the half-hour dwell won't be able to absorb.
I did wonder if the 40 minute dwell I saw on the timings for an IC from Hel was to try to recover from delays at loops. If just going to Gdansk and it was on time it would probably be quicker to change at Gdynia.
I thought I'd read that they swapped between diesel and electric engines at Gdynia which would require a bit of time, but I saw a CD Goggles on a train going through Gdansk (presumably from Hel) so maybe not.
87015
Established Member
Hel trains all (except the through PR to Chojnice) have the loco change at Gdynia. There are two pairs of TLK which start at Gdynia heading south and are diesel, usually one is a goggle and the other a bent SM42/1000
The PR SM42 or SU42 on load five is entertaining unless you are looking to get there in a rush.
The PR SM42 or SU42 on load five is entertaining unless you are looking to get there in a rush.
Ah thanks.
I did end up on a TLK from Gdynia to Gdansk formed from an SU42 hauling two coaches and it was not a formation I was expecting. (The PKP app did show it as only two coaches, but I assumed that for some reason it wasn't showing the full rake). Nice opening windows too.
Indeed. Somehow it seems to be timetabled to take longer between Gdansk and Hel than if you change at Gdynia.
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