The beginning of 2020 was associated with the appearance of the global coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). The spread of the epidemic caused the introduction of an epidemiological emergency in Poland in early March (on March 12). This resulted in reduced public transport, including regional rail transport. In Lower Silesia, this concerned regional and fast connections. The conducted analysis concerns regional connections and is based on exploration of the spatial and the quantitative aspect of these changes. The transport offer before and after the announcing of the epidemic was analysed. The results showed that most of the transport restrictions concerned the peripheries of the voivodeship (local routes). Agglomeration routes were much less affected by the restrictions. On some lines a decrease to less than 5 pairs of connections per day was recorded. Once the restrictions are removed, it may be a challenge to encourage passengers to use railways again. Despite the low number of connections on many routes, rail transport can still be considered as the basis of the transport system. This is due to the lack of an alternative bus service.

Relationships between the activities of bus carriers and rail passenger traffic (and the railway offer) are examined in this article. The study was carried out in peripheral areas located at the Polish and Czech borderlands in Lower Silesia province. High quality rail transport generally increases the demand for transport services. Therefore, the proper development of transport offer plays a key role in the functioning of public transport systems, the backbone of which is rail transport. The study also shows that under conditions of transport market deregulation, bus carriers have developed a competitive network which is not complementary to rail transport. As a consequence, the deregulation of the transport market has increased the risk of transport exclusion.

ABSTRAKT: Dolny Śląsk jest obszarem o bardzo silnie rozwiniętej sieci kolejowej. Jego aktualny układ kształtował się od połowy XIX w. i przechodził przez wiele etapów rozwoju -od początkowego tworzenia głównego szkieletu linii kolejowych aż do dobudowywania połączeń lokalnych. Analiza dotyczy głównie etapu likwidacji linii kolejowych oraz zawieszeń w ruchu osobowym po 1945 r. na terenie województwa dolnośląskiego. Istotnym elementem takiego procesu jest rozkład w przestrzeni (np. tereny peryferyjne, najmniejsze miejscowości). Autorzy dokonali oceny powiązań między likwidacją ruchu osobowego a potencjałem demograficznym miejscowości, które utraciły dostęp do transportu kolejowego. Ponadto w analizie zawarta jest ocena (case study) przebiegu wybranych procesów likwidacji kolejowych tras osobowych oraz weryfikacja planowanych prac odtworzeniowych na sieci kolejowej.SŁOWA KLUCZOWE: transport kolejowy, zamknięcia linii kolejowych, wykluczenie komunikacyjne ABSTRACT: Lower Silesia is characterized by a high density of its railway system. The current layout of it has formed since the mid-nineteenth century, going through a few stages of development until today. First of all, the main skeleton was made, then local connections were successively being added. The present analysis concerns primarily the stage of liquidating railway lines and suspensions in the regional passenger rail transport in Lower Silesia Voivodship. A significant element here is the time characteristic of it, since each stage of suspending the movement reveals spatial differentiation. The authors made an assessment of the links between liquidations of the passenger railway connections and the demographic potential of localities which have lost their access to the railway transport. Also, in their analysis, they included an evaluation of the course of the process of closing selected railway lines (a case study) and verification of the planned works meant to restore the Lower Silesia railway system.

Abstrakt: Factors affecting passenger behaviour can be divided into the internal (relating to transport supply) and the external (which are independent of carriers). The literature emphasises that, as rail transport develops, supply becomes comparable along many routes, leaving external factors to be regarded as increasingly important. In contrast, the authors of this article consider that deregulation and transformation of the rail transport system in Poland have ensured that internal factors continue to exert the primary influence on passenger behaviour in this country. The work detailed in this article has thus sought to demonstrate the impact of transport supply on passenger volume at individual stations in those towns and cities of the region of Lower Silesia that have access to rail passenger transport throughout the year.

Polish-Czech borderland shows similar potential for development of railway transport. Demographic, economic and tourist potentials can cause positive effects for local and regional railways. Significant elements creating international cooperation and flow of habitants are international railway connections, especially local and regional and public transport offer. Important feature is aspiration for high level of utilization border crossings. In paper author raised issues linked with permeability of border and railway service of selected cities in Polish-Czech borderland.