Environmental research

A hundred years ago a narrow-gauge railway with a steam locomotive was a main transportation mean between Pisaeczno, Grojec, Gora Kalwaria , Konstancin , Warsaw suburb towns, and Warsaw, capital city. The Grojec Narrow Gauge Railway Society from Piaseczno now works to restore the historical railway, with financial support from SGP/GEF. The railway leads through the forests of Chojnowski landscape Park and serves so far as an eco-tourist attraction, with average of 8 rides per month. It is rented by companies, foreign embassies, also rides for individuals for single tickets. The Society organizes theme rides (first day of Spring, ride with dogs, ride with bicycles, for mushrooms) and classes for school kids in the forest. The preservation and development of the railway mean also development of agrotourism in the area and support to local business. The eco-tourist rides from the city to the forest by other mean than a car are one of the main objectives of the project. But of even more importance is promoting and using the train as an alternative mean of transportation between fast growing sub-urban towns of warsaw aglomeration. It is the only project in the range of 50 km from the borders of Warsaw that could combine tourist activities with a transportation system. Roads between these towns are more and more crowded with cars and with growing enormous GHG emissions. The train could be a solution to this polluted congestion. It is a long-term objective of Society to renovate this railway to the state of possible at least 2 rides per day for local transportation (to schools, shops). The Society cooperates with a British New Europe Railway Heritage Trust; the both sides share experiences of promoting the historical narrow-gauge trains in different countries, mostly for development of local tourism.British partners are very much interested in Piaseczno project so in 2004 Spring 30 members of this Heritage Trust came to Poland on voluntary basis to help in restoration of the railway.

Poland