The railway station in Bialystok was built in 1862, when the Warsaw-Petersburgline was opened. At the end of the 19th century it was rebuilt due to the increasing number of passengers. It was considered one of the more elegant stations on the route. During both world wars it fell victim to destruction. Today it has regained its former splendor.
The destroyed station was rebuilt, but as a result of successive works to adapt it to the growing needs of passengers, the building began to lose its original architectural intent. Now modernization work is nearing completion, which has restored it to its pre-war splendor.
Modernization of the historic railway station in Bialystok, combined with development of the station area, is about 85 percent advanced. All the most important work has already been completed. The finishing work remains to be done, among other things. As the modernized train station has a high historical value, the entire project for its reconstruction had to be agreed with a conservator of historical monuments.
Modernization works are now coming to an end, restoring the building to its pre-war splendor
© courtesy of PKP S.A.
The reconstruction of the railroad station in Białystok, which is nearing completion, is part of the nationwide Railway Station Investment Program 2016-2023, as part of which a total of nearly 200 railroad stations across the country will be modernized and built from scratch. It is worth noting that more than half of them are historic buildings, which, thanks to PKP S.A.'s investments, regain their former splendor and become landmarks of the localities where they are located ," says Małgorzata Zielińska, member of the board of directors of the Polish State Railways.
As part of the investment, the original interior design has been restored, taking into account such elements as decorated walls and ceilings, cast-iron pillars and decorative floors. Thus, the interior of the building is reminiscent of that from around 1910. The mezzanine made in the building during its previous renovation and the annex from the 1980s were also demolished. The restoration of the building's historic appearance, by exposing its architectural and historic qualities, has been reconciled with the full adaptation of the building to the needs of people with limited mobility, including travelers with disabilities. The immediate surroundings of the station are also included in the investment. The space around it has been made more aesthetically pleasing, including the planting of decorative trees and shrubs and the construction of new parking lots and parking spaces.
On the basis of more than a dozen conservation commissions to determine the next stages of the work, numerous substantive consultations in the office and the facility, which we held during the reconstruction of the emerging concept of the railway station in Bialystok, referring in its entirety, as well as in detail to the object from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, I can say that it will be a very representative monument, one of the historic pearls of our region and country. I am convinced that this kind of conservation creation, determined to a large extent, among other things. based on iconographic sources, will not only be a testimony of a bygone era, but also proof that the railroad station can both serve passengers and be a stop on the trail of the most beautiful monuments in Poland from the partition period, being an important part of it ," says Prof. Malgorzata Dajnowicz, Podlaskie Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments.
The concept of the railway station in Bialystok, referring in its entirety, as well as in detail, to the building from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
© courtesy of PKP S.A.
The entire investment is scheduled for completion in October, but if the work proceeds smoothly, the first passengers will be able to use the station later in the holiday months. The value of the reconstruction of the Bialystok station is more than PLN 36 million, and the investment is co-financed by the EU under the Eastern Poland Operational Program. The general contractor for the work is Budimex.
