Transport in Poland

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This article is about transportation in Poland.

[edit] Railways

Poland is served by an extensive network of railways. In most cities the main railway station is located near a city centre and is well connected to the local transportation system. The infrastructure is operated by PKP PLK ( PKP-Polskie Linie Kolejowe : PKP-Polish Rail Lines), part of state-run PKP Group. Rail network is very dense in western and northern Poland, while eastern part of the country is less developed.

The only high speed rail line in central-eastern Europe, Centralna Magistrala Kolejowa (CMK) - Central Railway Route, length 223 km, built in 1971 - 1977), links Warsaw with Kraków and Katowice. Trains on the CMK achieve speed up to 160km/h (some sections allow up to 200km/h, but the rolling stock has not yet been adapted to handle higher speed). On May 11, 1994, the Italian train Pendolino broke Eastern European speed record, going on the CMK at 250 km/h.

Other high speed lines:

Warsaw - Kutno - Poznań - (Berlin) (140, 160 km/h)
Warsaw - Siedlce - Terespol - (Minsk) (160, 120 km/h) - being upgraded to 160km/h
Warsaw - Puławy - Lublin (120, 140 km/h)
Opole - Wrocław (160km/h) and further upgraded via Legnica to Hamburg

The Warsaw - Gdańsk - Gdynia line is being upgraded to allow speed up to 200km/h, and the Warsaw - Łódź line is being upgraded to allow speed up to 160km/h (in order to bind together the Warsaw - Łódź agglomeration). There are long term plans to construct a new high speed line (300 km/h) from Warsaw to Poznań and Wrocław with forks in Łódź and Kalisz.

The PKP Group is the fourth largest railway throughout Europe. Trains are run by:

[edit] Passenger transport market

PKP Intercity - qualified passengers trains (express, intercity, eurocity, hotel and TLK)
PKP Przewozy Regionalne - regional passengers trains (normal and fast train)
Koleje Mazowieckie - local trains in Mazovia
Szybka Kolej Miejska (Tricity) - fast urban railway in Tricity
Szybka Kolej Miejska (Warsaw) - suburban railway in Warsaw agglomeration
Warszawska Kolej Dojazdowa - suburban railway in Warsaw agglomeration
Arriva PCC (joint venture formed by Arriva and PCC Rail) - part of the local train traffic in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship

Narrow gauge railways (those marked (M) are museum or tourist railways only, and play no role in the transport market):

(M) Ełcka Kolej Wąskotorowa - Narrow Gauge railway in Ełk
Gnieźnieńska Kolej Dojazdowa - Narrow Gauge railway in Gniezno
(M) Górnośląskie Koleje Wąskotorowe - Upper Silesian Narrow gauge railway
Gryficka Kolej Dojazdowa - Narrow gauge railway in Gryfice
Kaliska Kolej Dojazdowa - accessible Narrow gauge railway in Kalisz
Krośniewicka Kolej Dojazdowa - accessible Narrow gauge railway in Krośniewice
(M) Nałęczowska Kolej Dojazdowa - accessible Narrow gauge railway in Nałęczów
Przeworska Kolej Dojazdowa - accessible Narrow gauge railway in Przeworsk
(M) Rogowska Kolej Wąskotorowa - Narrow gauge railway in Rogów
(M) Sochaczewska Kolej Muzealna - museum railway in Sochaczew
(M) Starachowicka Kolej Dojazdowa - Narrow gauge railway in Starachowice
Śmigielska Kolej Dojazdowa - Narrow gauge railway in Śmigiel
(M) Średzka Kolej Dojazdowa - Narrow gauge railway in Środa Wlkp.
(M) Świętokrzyska Kolej Dojazdowa - Świętokrzyska Narrow gauge railway
(M) Żnińska Kolej Powiatowa - Żnin district railway
(M) Żuławska Kolej Dojazdowa - Żuławska Suburban Railway

[edit] Freight transport market

PKP Cargo
PKP LHS - Metallurgic Broad Gauge Line
PTK Holding SA - The Railway Transportation Holding in Zabrze
Przedsiębiorstwo Transportu Kolejowego i Gospodarki Kamieniem Rybnik - The Railway Transport and Stone Management Company in Rybnik
CTL Logistics
PCC Rail Szczakowa - Rail Szczakowa website - part of the German concern PCC AG
Kopalnia Piasku Kotlarnia - The Kotlarnia sand mine
Kopalnia Piasku Kuźnica Warężyńska - The Kuźnica Warężyńska sand mine
Orlen KolTrans
Lotos Kolej
Nadwiślanski Zakład Transportu Kolejowego- Vistula Rail Transport Company]

[edit] Rail System

Total: 23,420 km

standard gauge (1.435 m) : 21,639 km (11,626 km electrified; 8,978 km double track)
broad gauge (1.524 m) : 646 km
narrow gauge (various) : 1,135 km various gauges including 1.000 m, 0.785 m, 0.750 m, and 0.600 m (1998)

As of December 2002 narrow gauge railways were no longer owned or operated by PKP. They were transferred to regional authorities or became independent companies.

Rail links with adjacent countries:

Same gauge:
Break-of-gauge - 1435mm/1524mm
- Lithuania
- Belarus
- Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast)
- Ukraine

[edit] Municipal transport

City bus, Solaris.

[edit] Bus

[edit] Tram

Tram

Over 30 cities with tramway systems including Gdańsk, Katowice, Kraków, Łódź, Poznań, Szczecin, Warszawa and Wrocław. See the list: List of town tramway systems in Europe#Poland

ULF tram

[edit] Trolleybus

Trolleybuses are used in three towns: Gdynia (with some lines reaching Sopot), Lublin and Tychy.

[edit] Metro

Warsaw is the only city with a metro system:

See: Warsaw Metro

[edit] Airports

Location of main airports in Poland, with number of passengers served in 2006

Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport

Main article: List of airports in Poland

[edit] Main airports

Warsaw International Airport, handles 9 million passengers and 63,332 tonnes of cargo per year.
Kraków International Airport, handles 3,042,351 passengers and 3,801 tonnes of cargo.
Katowice International Airport, handles 1,980,358 passengers and 7,782 tonnes of cargo.
Gdańsk International Airport, handles 1,708,739 passengers and 4,757 tonnes of cargo.
Wrocław International Airport, handles 1,270,825 passengers and 1,457 tonnes of cargo.
Poznań International Airport, handles 863,018 passengers and 2,453 tonnes of cargo.
Łódź Władysław Reymont Airport, handles 312,365 passengers.
Szczecin-Goleniów "Solidarność" Airport, handles 228,071 passengers and 1,773 tonnes of cargo.
Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport, handles 274,272 passengers and 508 tonnes of cargo
Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport. handles 181,576 and 411 tonnes of cargo.