Roman Podoski’s contributions to the electrification of the Polish railways in the reborn Poland

Roman Podoski (1873-1954) is often referred to as the pioneer of the electrifi cation of the Polish railroads. He was one of the best-known experts on national railroads in Poland in the Interwar Period. He spent much of his adult life working at the Warsaw Polytechnic, where he educated the first cadre of Polish scientists and technicians in the field of electric railway tractions. Podoski understood the importance of electrification of railroads in the development of a modern and well-managed state like no one else. The first step towards the reconstruction of Polish railroads after 1918 was the reconstruction and modernization of the Warsaw railroad junction. It became one of the biggest undertakings of the Polish Railway Authority during the Second Republic. Podoski knew well that the electrifi ed railroad junction in Warsaw was to be the first step in the nationwide project of electrifi cation of the whole railroad system. In all of his activities, he stressed the benefi ts resulting from the electrifi cation of the Polish railways. The detailed plan prepared by Podoski remained the basic document in the process of electrifi cation of Polish railroads for many years. Unfortunately, the Great Depression hindered investments in this fi eld. It was only in 1933 that this project was speeded up with the signing of contracts with two English companies: The English Electric Company Ltd and Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company Ltd., which specialized in delivering equipment working on stable electric current. As a result, the electrifi cation project was greatly intensified.