FPLO 587 Treblinka II Transport, Camp, and Site Analysis
Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2026 2:28 am
FPLO 587 Treblinka II Transport, Camp, and Site Analysis

The transport schedule identified as FPLO 587 indicates that trains travelling to Treblinka II did not operate as direct, uninterrupted movements. Instead, they made a series of scheduled stops at specific locations, many of which coincided with Jewish labour sites or major rail hubs, often for extended durations, including Kielce, Skarżysko-Kamienna, Radom, Dęblin Gbf, Łuków, and Siedlce. These planned stoppages suggest structured logistical choices rather than continuous transit.
The route terminated at Treblinka, which sat at the end of a controlled rail loop, approached via junctions such as Małkinia and Siedlce, making it a terminal destination rather than a through-station. The final stop at Treblinka was notably long, consistent with terminus-level engagement.
At the destination, Treblinka comprised multiple installations, including the alleged extermination centre commonly referred to as Treblinka II, and a separate labour camp, Treblinka I. The camp complex was not geographically isolated, and surrounding terrain was visible from nearby civilian areas.
This proximity is illustrated by the testimony of Marian Olszuk, a local farmer from Wólka Okrąglik, who lived and worked in the immediate vicinity during 1942–1943. Olszuk reported passing near the Treblinka camp area daily while working at the sand and gravel quarry supplying Warsaw, and tending his family land located approximately 300 meters from the eastern perimeter of Treblinka II. He described groups of civilians regularly gathering outside the front gate, engaging in barter with guards and prisoners, and stated that the existence of both Treblinka I and II was common local knowledge.
Non-invasive forensic investigation of the site, principally using ground-penetrating radar and related survey techniques led by Caroline Sturdy Colls, identified subsurface anomalies interpreted as graves or structural features. The terrain’s post-war history complicates interpretation. Reports from the Central Jewish Historical Commission in Poland indicate that Treblinka II was heavily disturbed after liberation, including by Red Army engineering activity, bomb craters, and unexploded ordnance, which damaged physical traces and human remains. Some of the anomalies detected may reflect post-1945 terrain modification rather than wartime features, introducing uncertainty into non-invasive survey results.
Taken together, the transport timetable data, historical camp configuration, witness accounts of civilian proximity, and non-invasive forensic survey demonstrate that the physical terrain at Treblinka II has been subject to multiple layers of disturbance and transformation. These factors introduce sufficient uncertainty to warrant further investigation using careful, ethically appropriate methods to develop a more detailed and precise understanding of the site’s physical history.
Conflicting historical sources—including maps by Wiernick, professional survey records with differing orientations, and Home Army planning by Grot-Rowecki—demonstrate that the precise location and layout of Treblinka II remains inconsistent across sources. This further supports the need for methodical investigation at the highest level to reconcile these discrepancies with the physical and archival evidence.
References

The transport schedule identified as FPLO 587 indicates that trains travelling to Treblinka II did not operate as direct, uninterrupted movements. Instead, they made a series of scheduled stops at specific locations, many of which coincided with Jewish labour sites or major rail hubs, often for extended durations, including Kielce, Skarżysko-Kamienna, Radom, Dęblin Gbf, Łuków, and Siedlce. These planned stoppages suggest structured logistical choices rather than continuous transit.
The route terminated at Treblinka, which sat at the end of a controlled rail loop, approached via junctions such as Małkinia and Siedlce, making it a terminal destination rather than a through-station. The final stop at Treblinka was notably long, consistent with terminus-level engagement.
At the destination, Treblinka comprised multiple installations, including the alleged extermination centre commonly referred to as Treblinka II, and a separate labour camp, Treblinka I. The camp complex was not geographically isolated, and surrounding terrain was visible from nearby civilian areas.
This proximity is illustrated by the testimony of Marian Olszuk, a local farmer from Wólka Okrąglik, who lived and worked in the immediate vicinity during 1942–1943. Olszuk reported passing near the Treblinka camp area daily while working at the sand and gravel quarry supplying Warsaw, and tending his family land located approximately 300 meters from the eastern perimeter of Treblinka II. He described groups of civilians regularly gathering outside the front gate, engaging in barter with guards and prisoners, and stated that the existence of both Treblinka I and II was common local knowledge.
Non-invasive forensic investigation of the site, principally using ground-penetrating radar and related survey techniques led by Caroline Sturdy Colls, identified subsurface anomalies interpreted as graves or structural features. The terrain’s post-war history complicates interpretation. Reports from the Central Jewish Historical Commission in Poland indicate that Treblinka II was heavily disturbed after liberation, including by Red Army engineering activity, bomb craters, and unexploded ordnance, which damaged physical traces and human remains. Some of the anomalies detected may reflect post-1945 terrain modification rather than wartime features, introducing uncertainty into non-invasive survey results.
Taken together, the transport timetable data, historical camp configuration, witness accounts of civilian proximity, and non-invasive forensic survey demonstrate that the physical terrain at Treblinka II has been subject to multiple layers of disturbance and transformation. These factors introduce sufficient uncertainty to warrant further investigation using careful, ethically appropriate methods to develop a more detailed and precise understanding of the site’s physical history.
Conflicting historical sources—including maps by Wiernick, professional survey records with differing orientations, and Home Army planning by Grot-Rowecki—demonstrate that the precise location and layout of Treblinka II remains inconsistent across sources. This further supports the need for methodical investigation at the highest level to reconcile these discrepancies with the physical and archival evidence.
References
- Sturdy Colls, Caroline. Holocaust Archaeology: Archaeological Approaches to Landscapes of Nazi Genocide. Routledge, 2015.
- Central Jewish Historical Commission in Poland, 1945 report on Treblinka II. Archival source, Warsaw.
- Olszuk, Marian. Personal testimony on Treblinka II, Wólka Okrąglik, 1942–1943. Archival copy, accessed February 2026.
- Treblinka Memorial. Wikipedia contributors. Treblinka Memorial. Wikimedia Foundation, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treblinka_memorial
- Treblinka Labour Camp. Wikipedia contributors. Treblinka labour camp. Wikimedia Foundation, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treblinka_labor_camp
- Jewish Post. “New Technology Points to Missing Holocaust-Era Mass Graves at Treblinka.” AZ Jewish Post, 2012. https://azjewishpost.com/2012/new-techn ... treblinka/
