On June 29, 2016, the President of the Management Board of PKP CARGO, Maciej Libiszewski, and representatives of the Marshal’s Office of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the Wolsztyn County, and the City of Wolsztyn signed an agreement to establish a cultural institution based on the Wolsztyn Roundhouse. Thanks to this, this nearly 110-year-old historic facility will continue to develop its activities and bear witness to the heritage of railways in Poland.
– We care about cultivating the heritage of railway technology and promoting the traditions of Polish rail transport. The establishment of a cultural institution at the Wolsztyn roundhouse is intended to serve this purpose. I am satisfied that our initiative has been successful, as this formula is a good solution from the perspective of PKP CARGO’s interests. It will simultaneously enable the continued operation and development of the roundhouse – says Maciej Libiszewski, President of the Management Board of PKP CARGO.
PKP CARGO took over the Wolsztyn roundhouse in 2003 and has maintained it to this day. The company carries out major and periodic repairs of steam locomotives, has rebuilt historic carriage sets, and has restored a large number of machines, equipment, tools, and other items used on the railway. The activities of the roundhouse after the signing of the agreement to establish the cultural institution will be financed by all its co-founders. The commencement of operations by the cultural institution may mean the resumption of scheduled train services hauled by Wolsztyn steam locomotives, supported by railway tourism on a commercial basis. This is a great opportunity for the development of the historic roundhouse.
As the largest freight railway carrier in Poland, PKP CARGO acts as a patron of railway technical monuments. For years, the company has maintained historic rolling stock in Chabówka (Lesser Poland) and Wolsztyn (Greater Poland). It also promotes railway traditions by organizing railway events – “Steam Locomotive Parades” and “Parowozjady” – which attract tens of thousands of railway enthusiasts from Poland and around the world.