The architecture of Galician railway stations (as illustrated by selected branch railway lines)

Abstract

The article discusses the transformations in the architecture of branch railway lines in the territory of the contemporary Podkarpacie, including Rozwadów, Tarnobrzeg, Mielec, Zbydniów, Nadbrzezie, Nisko, Strzyżów, Czudec and Boguchwała. The research covers the stations in the following lines: Dębica – Nadbrzezie with the branch to Rozwadów, but also Jasło – Rzeszów. On the basis of the analysis of plans, the present study characterises e.g. the spatial structure of waiting rooms, bars and restaurants for the travellers, ticket offices, employees’ accommodation. The author attempts to outline the transformation of the interiors of railway stations from the perspective of their utilitarian role. As illustrated by the station in Rozwadów, the article presents e.g. plans of the creation of shower baths for the retreating soldiers from the front in 1916. The text also attempts to show the economic significance of the so-called economic lines, for the development of the contemporary Podkarpacie and to present the conditions of travelling by rail in branch lines.