We wrote about the plans to renovate it back in July 2023, and now the railwaymen have given more details. A contract has been signed with a contractor who will make the historic signal box in Bytom renovated and become a showpiece for the entire railway station. PLN 1.1 million has been set aside for this purpose.
The renovation of the building will be carried out by the PORR S.A. company. The plan is that the entire structure of the signal box will be cleaned and painted, the façade and roof will be renovated, the building will also get new windows and doors. The interior of the building will also be renovated.
The “Bt” signal box was designed and built in 1935, when Bytom was part of the Third Reich. The building was designed in the characteristic modernist streamline style, which was extremely popular at the time. The entire building consists of a lower single-storey section (containing workshop and technical rooms) and a higher, overhanging section above the tracks, which is supported by a steel pillar. It is here that the rail traffic control equipment is located.
The two parts of the building are connected by a four-storey staircase with a double flight of stairs, located in the brick block. The lower part and the staircase were built using traditional technology, with solid brick walls, ceilings and staircases probably made of reinforced concrete.
The switchyard is listed in the Provincial Register of Historic Monuments. It is currently no longer used as a technical station. The railwaymen have published visualisations showing the bright body of the building with renovated details. The renovation project has been prepared in cooperation with the conservationist. Importantly, renovation work is expected to start soon and be completed by 2024.
visualisations: PKP PLK
photo: Arkadiusz Janocha, archives of Bytom City Hall
source: UM Bytom, PKP PLK
Read also: Railway | Railway station | Monument | Curiosities | whiteMAD on Instagram
