The historic train station in Oleśnica looks like new

The renovation of the Oleśnica railway station, which dates back to 1868, has been completed. The historic building, now modern thanks to the investment, has been opened to passengers, featuring a comfortable passenger service area and space for residents' activities.

The Oleśnica railway station was built during the period of intensive development of private railways in the 1860s. It was erected from red, unplastered brick in the industrial railway style typical of that period, with elements of the arcade style. The structure has been rebuilt many times throughout its history, with subsequent changes leaving artifacts characteristic of their era. Some were only revealed during the ongoing construction work and have undergone renovation after consultations with the Provincial Conservator of Historic Monuments.

The interior of the first station features the arcades of the original main entrance in the premises that now houses a bakery. From the time of the first expansion, the cast-iron columns in the waiting room and the bowling alley premises remain, along with the ceiling brackets in the ticket hall, the staircases, and the wooden, decorative beamed and coffered ceiling in the former passage, all now displayed in a new location. From the first-class waiting room from the late 19th century, a fragment of a polychrome ceiling remains, displayed on the wall near the entrance to the bakery and bowling alley. The interwar modernization is represented by reconstructed ceramic wall cladding and some of the flooring, while from the communist era, there is the metalwork of the doors to the waiting room, the glass block walls, and the neon signs for ticket offices and baggage. All of this has been integrated into the contemporary interior design.

Thanks to the renovation, the building now boasts a modern and comfortable space for traveler services. It includes a waiting room with a designated hall area, public restrooms, a mother and child room, and a ticket office. Four neon signs decorate the traveler space. Three of them, in the form of inscriptions: "kasy biletowe" (ticket offices), "bagaż" (luggage), and "usługi" (services), have been restored. A new neon sign has also been added: "kręgielnia" (bowling alley).

Interestingly, a beautiful, historic staircase has been preserved in the northern part of the building. The stairs are made on a steel structure, with decorative steps. They have been preserved in their original form almost their entire height and are a valuable example of a historical detail combining once modern technology with a refined decorative form.

The station has been fully adapted for people with disabilities by eliminating architectural barriers and introducing a range of improvements. In areas related to passenger service, tactile paving has been installed for visually impaired and blind individuals, tactile station maps, contrasting waiting room equipment, and Braille signage. The facility has also been equipped with modern security systems and intelligent building management systems.

An important aspect of the investment was the agreement signed between PKP S.A. and the Oleśnica Commune, under which the city committed to renting space at the station. This allowed for the combination of passenger service functions with attractive services for residents within the building. As a result, there is a bowling alley on the ground floor, and municipal rooms for residents with a total area of almost 800 sq m on the first floor.

However, the changes inside the station are not all. The immediate surroundings of the building have also been revitalized. New pavement has been laid around the station. Elements of small architecture (benches, bins, lighting) have also appeared. One of the interesting features is the restoration of the inner courtyard, which once served as a garden waiting area. This was possible thanks to the demolition of extensions built in the second half of the 20th century. A bin shelter and parking spaces for cars, as well as bicycle racks, have also been created at the station.