Transport in Poland
Encyclopedia
The transport in Poland
involves air traffic, waterways, and railroads.
As a country located at the 'cross-roads' of Europe
, Poland, with its developed economy
is a nation with a large and increasingly modern network of transport infrastructure.
The Polish highways networks has been viewed in the past as chronically underdeveloped and lacking in basic modern infrastructure. After the fall of communism and after joining the European Union
, this situation rapidly changed for the better and in the next decade Poland plans to have a very modern network of highways. The country's most important waterway is the river Vistula
. The largest seaports are the Port of Szczecin
and Port of Gdańsk
. Air travel is generally used for international travel, with many flights originating at Warsaw Chopin Airport. Railways connect all of Poland's major cities and the state-owned PKP
corporation, through its subsidiaries, runs a great number of domestic and international services of varying speed and comfort. In addition to this most Polish voivodeship
s have their own provincial rail service providers. Many major Polish cities have rapid transit systems (typically tram networks) and public transport
is available in most areas throughout the country.
. As of December 31, 2009, there are 916 kilometre of motorways (autostrady, singular - autostrada); 606 kilometre of expressway
s (drogi ekspresowe, singular - droga ekspresowa), and an extensive network of other roads (of which about 1200 kilometre are dual carriageway
s) connecting all major cities.
In recent years, the network has been improving and government spending on road construction recently saw a huge increase, due to rapid development of the country and the inflow of European Union
funds for infrastructure projects.
Currently, three major motorways (A1, A2
and A4) spanning the entire country are being built. Many sections are under construction (contracts signed, construction in progress) and almost all remaining parts are contracted to be finished by mid-2012 (before Euro 2012). The only exception is the Warsaw–Belarus connection which is scheduled to be built later. By the end of 2012, 8 of the 10 largest Polish cities (Gdańsk
, Poznań
, Wrocław, Łódź, Warsaw
, Kraków
, Katowice
, Szczecin
) will have a motorway connecting them with the motorway network of Europe.
Polish public roads are grouped into categories related to administrative division
. Poland has 383313 kilometre of public roads, of which 122080 kilometre are unpaved (2008):
Polish motorways and expressways are part of national roads network.
Motorways in Poland, 916 kilometre (2009):
A1
| A2
| A4
| A6
| A8
| A18
Expressways in Poland, 628 kilometre (2009):
S1
| S2
| S3
| S5
|
S6
| S7
| S8
| S10
|
S11
| S12
| S14
|
S17
| S19
| S22
|
S51
| S61
| S69
| S74
| S79
| S86
and currently serves as the destination for around 75% of all major international flights into Poland
. With the development, and upcoming privatisation of LOT in 2011, the airport is hoping to see yet more routes opened to destinations around the globe.
In addition to Warsaw Chopin, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Kraków
and Poznań all have major international airports.
In preparation for the Euro 2012 football championships being jointly hosted by Poland and Ukraine
, a number of airports around the country will be renovated and redeveloped. This includes the building of state of the art new terminals with an increased number of jetways and stands at both Copernicus Airport in Wrocław and Lech Wałęsa Airport in Gdańsk.
National airlines:
There are currently 12 passenger airports in operation, and there is also an airport Heringsdorf in German village Garz , 7 kilometers from polish seaside spa Świnoujście.
However, the rapid development (8 % of increase of passengers served at Polish airports in 2008 compared to 2007) of the unsaturated market and the existence of vast areas of land, not covered by airports within 100 kilometers of journey, allow to assume that many new airports could be necessary to properly serve this land pupulated by appox. 38,2- 35,8 million inhabitants. Especially the area of eastern Poland should be better penetrated by airline traffic. There is a network of secondary airports that could be used, but lack of capital and expertise prohibit their utilisation (case of Biała Podlaska Airport
at the Belarussian border).
Main airports:
Following are the largest airports in Poland, with passenger and cargo traffic flow (2009):
Number of airports in Poland - 123
(1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Total: 84 (2005)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Total: 39 (2005)
Heliports: 2 (2005)
Marine transport in Poland has two main sub-groups, riverine and seaborne. On the Baltic Sea
coast, a number of large seaports exist to serve the international freight and passenger trade; these are typically deep water ports and are able to serve very large ships, including the ro-ro ferries of Unity Line
, Polferries
and Stena Line
which operate the Poland
- Scandinavia
passenger lines.
Riverine services operate on almost all major Polish rivers and canals (such as the Danube–Oder and Elbląg canal
s) as well as on domestic coastal routes.
Ships by type:
bulk 50, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off 1, short-sea passenger 2
(1999 est.)
( PKP-Polskie Linie Kolejowe : PKP-Polish Rail Lines), part of state-run PKP
Group. The 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 (though by most definitions, real high speed rail only includes speeds over 200 km/h) in central-eastern Europe is the Centralna Magistrala Kolejowa (CMK), the Central Railway Route. It has a length of 223 km (138.6 mi), and was built in 1971 - 1977; it links Warsaw
with Kraków
and Katowice
. Trains on the CMK achieve speed up to 160 km/h (some sections allow up to 200 km/h, but the rolling stock
has not yet been adapted to handle higher speed). On May 11, 1994, the Italian train Pendolino
broke Polish speed record, going on the CMK at 250 km/h.
Other high speed lines:
Projects
The Warsaw - Gdańsk
- Gdynia
line is being upgraded to allow speed up to 200 km/h, and the Warsaw - Łódź line is being upgraded to allow speed up to 160 km/h (in order to bind together the Warsaw - Łódź agglomeration). There are long term plans to construct a new high speed line (350 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 its different subsidiaries.
railways only, and play no role in the transport market:
Except for Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa, and a few very short stretches near border crossings
, Poland uses the standard gauge
for its railways. Therefore Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa (known by its acronym LHS, English:
Broad gauge steelworks line) in Sławków is the longest broad gauge
railway line
in Poland
. The line runs on a single track for almost 400 kilometre from the Polish-Ukrainian
border, crossing it just east of Hrubieszów
. It is the westernmost broad gauge railway line in Europe that is connected to the broad gauge rail system of the countries of the former Soviet Union
.
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.
Until 1990s
, interurban connections were operated by a single, state-owned company PKS. Since then, it has been broken into a number of independent national and municipal enterprises. In addition, several private operators emerged. There are two classes of service distinguished by vehicle length:
While they often use the same bus stops, they tend to use different stations.
, which are the primary mean of public transport. Currently, there are 14 systems serving over 30 cities including Gdańsk
, Katowice
, Kraków
, Łódź, Poznań
, Szczecin
, Warsaw
and Wrocław, with the total track length varying from 200 kilometre (Silesian Interurbans
) to less than 10 kilometre (Tramways in Grudziądz
). A new network is being constructed in Olsztyn
. See the list: List of town tramway systems in Europe#Poland
Since 1990s
, a number of cities attempts to upgrade certain parts of their networks to the light rail
standard (called szybkie tramwaje, eng. fast trams). The most notable investments are Poznań Fast Tram and Kraków Fast Tram with the underground 1.5 kilometre premetro
section.
(with some lines reaching Sopot
), Lublin
and Tychy
.
line was opened in Warsaw
in 1995. The second line is under construction. There are no official plans to build metro in other cities due to the lack of funds, but there is an ongoing debate whether they should be built.
See: Warsaw Metro
(2006 est.)
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
involves air traffic, waterways, and railroads.
As a country located at the 'cross-roads' of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Poland, with its developed economy
Economy of Poland
The Economy of Poland is a high income economy and is the sixth largest in the EU and one of the fastest growing economies in Europe, with a yearly growth rate of over 3.0% before the late-2000s recession. It is the only member country of the European Union to have avoided a decline in GDP, meaning...
is a nation with a large and increasingly modern network of transport infrastructure.
The Polish highways networks has been viewed in the past as chronically underdeveloped and lacking in basic modern infrastructure. After the fall of communism and after joining the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, this situation rapidly changed for the better and in the next decade Poland plans to have a very modern network of highways. The country's most important waterway is the river Vistula
Vistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
. The largest seaports are the Port of Szczecin
Port of Szczecin
The Port of Szczecin is a Polish seaport and deep water harbour in Szczecin, Poland located at Oder River and the Regalica river in Lower Oder River Valley, off the Szczecin Lagoon...
and Port of Gdańsk
Port of Gdansk
The Port of Gdańsk is a seaport located on the southern coast of Gdańsk Bay in the city of Gdańsk, extending along the Vistula estuary Martwa Wisła , Port Channel and Kashubia Canal. It is one of the largest seaports on the Baltic Sea....
. Air travel is generally used for international travel, with many flights originating at Warsaw Chopin Airport. Railways connect all of Poland's major cities and the state-owned PKP
Polskie Koleje Panstwowe
is the dominant railway operator in Poland.The company was founded when the former state-owned operator was divided into several units based on the requirements laid down by the European Union...
corporation, through its subsidiaries, runs a great number of domestic and international services of varying speed and comfort. In addition to this most Polish voivodeship
Voivodeship
Voivodship is a term denoting the position of, or more commonly the area administered by, a voivod. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Serbia....
s have their own provincial rail service providers. Many major Polish cities have rapid transit systems (typically tram networks) and public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
is available in most areas throughout the country.
Roads
The road infrastructure of Poland needs more development according to the European UnionEuropean Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. As of December 31, 2009, there are 916 kilometre of motorways (autostrady, singular - autostrada); 606 kilometre of expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
s (drogi ekspresowe, singular - droga ekspresowa), and an extensive network of other roads (of which about 1200 kilometre are dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
s) connecting all major cities.
In recent years, the network has been improving and government spending on road construction recently saw a huge increase, due to rapid development of the country and the inflow of European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
funds for infrastructure projects.
Currently, three major motorways (A1, A2
A2 autostrada (Poland)
The autostrada A2 in Poland is a motorway which, when completed, will run from west to east through central Poland, from the Polish-German border in Świecko/Frankfurt , through Poznań, Łódź and Warsaw to the Polish-Belarusian border in Terespol/Brest...
and A4) spanning the entire country are being built. Many sections are under construction (contracts signed, construction in progress) and almost all remaining parts are contracted to be finished by mid-2012 (before Euro 2012). The only exception is the Warsaw–Belarus connection which is scheduled to be built later. By the end of 2012, 8 of the 10 largest Polish cities (Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Wrocław, Łódź, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
, Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
) will have a motorway connecting them with the motorway network of Europe.
Polish public roads are grouped into categories related to administrative division
Administrative divisions of Poland
The administrative division of Poland since 1999 has been based on three levels of subdivision. The territory of Poland is divided into voivodeships ; these are further divided into powiats , and these in turn are divided into gminas . Major cities normally have the status of both gmina and powiat...
. Poland has 383313 kilometre of public roads, of which 122080 kilometre are unpaved (2008):
- National roadsNational roads in PolandNational road in Poland refers to a public trunk road controlled by the Polish central government authority, the General Directorship of National Roads and Motorways...
(Classes A, S, GP and exceptionally G): 18520 kilometre - Voivodeship roadVoivodeship roadA voivodeship road is a category of road in Poland. Voivodeship roads fall one step below national roads in importance. The roads are numbered from 100 to 993...
s (Classes A, S, GP and exceptionally G): 28536 kilometre, 61.4 km (38 mi) unpaved - Powiat roads (Classes G, Z and exceptionally L): 126924 kilometre, 12539 kilometre unpaved
- Gmina roads (Classes L, D and exceptionally Z): 209333 kilometre, 109478 kilometre unpaved
Polish motorways and expressways are part of national roads network.
A1
Autostrada A1 (Poland)
The autostrada A1 in Poland is a planned and under-construction motorway which will run from north to south through central Poland, from Gdańsk on the Baltic Sea through Łódź and the Upper Silesian Industry Area to the Polish-Czech border in Gorzyczki /Věřňovice , where it will connect with the...
| A2
Autostrada A2 (Poland)
The autostrada A2 in Poland is a motorway which, when completed, will run from west to east through central Poland, from the Polish-German border in Świecko/Frankfurt , through Poznań, Łódź and Warsaw to the Polish-Belarusian border in Terespol/Brest...
| A4
Autostrada A4 (Poland)
The autostrada A4 in Poland is a motorway which runs from west to east through southern Poland, from the Polish-German border in Zgorzelec , through Wrocław, Katowice, Kraków, Tarnów, and Rzeszów to the Polish-Ukrainian border at Korczowa. The motorway is a part of the European route E40...
| A6
Autostrada A6 (Poland)
The autostrada A6 in Poland is a short motorway that starts at the Polish/German border at Kołbaskowo/Pomellen , forms a southern bypass of the Szczecin metropolitan area, and terminates to the east of that city where it becomes the S3 express road to Świnoujście...
| A8
Autostrada A8 (Poland)
The A8 motorway or Wrocław Motorway Bypass or Autostrada A8 is a 26.8km motorway bypass of the city of Wrocław, Poland. The motorway includes the 122 m high Rędziński Bridge over the Oder river....
| A18
Autostrada A18 (Poland)
Autostrada A18 is a short planned motorway in southwestern Poland which is to run from the Polish/German border at Olszyna/Forst-Bademeusel and the German Bundesautobahn 15 to the Polish Autostrada A4. The highway is a part of the European route E36 and the Pan-European corridor IIIA from Berlin to...
S1
Expressway S1 (Poland)
Expressway S1 or express road S1 is an expressway under construction in Poland with a planned length of , which is located in the Silesian and Lesser Poland voivodeships. It is connecting A1 motorway with A4 motorway and the border of the Czech Republic in Cieszyn-Boguszowice along with the...
| S2
Expressway S2 (Poland)
Expressway S2 is planned interior bypass expressway in Warsaw and an extension of motorway A2.The road has been planned since the 1970s, initially as part of motorway A2...
| S3
Expressway S3 (Poland)
Expressway S3 or express road S3 is major road in Poland which is planned to run from Świnoujście on the Baltic Sea through Szczecin, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Zielona Góra and Legnica, to the border with the Czech Republic, where it will connect to the D11 motorway...
| S5
Expressway S5 (Poland)
Expressway S5 or express road S5 is major road in Poland which has been planned to run along the route Grudziądz – Bydgoszcz – Poznań – Wrocław...
|
S6
Expressway S6 (Poland)
Expressway S6 or express road S6 is a major road in Poland which has been planned to run from the A6 autostrada at Goleniów in West Pomerania to Gdańsk parallel to the Baltic coast, forming the main connection between Gdańsk and Szczecin.At present, the only significant section of S6 that has been...
| S7
Expressway S7 (Poland)
Expressway S7 or express road S7 is major road in Poland which has been planned to run from Gdańsk on the Baltic coast through Elbląg, Warsaw, Radom, Kielce and Kraków to Rabka near the border with Slovakia. On almost the entire route S7 will be built by upgrading existing National Road 7...
| S8
Expressway S8 (Poland)
Expressway S8 or express road S8 is major road in Poland which, when completed, will run along the route Wrocław – Łódź – Warsaw – Białystok. The whole road is planned to be about long...
| S10
Expressway S10 (Poland)
Expressway S10 or express road S10 is major road in Poland which, when completed, will serve as a direct route between Szczecin and Warsaw. It has been planned to run from the junction with Motorway A6 on the eastern outskirts of Szczecin, through Bydgoszcz and Toruń, to a junction with express...
|
S11
Expressway S11 (Poland)
Expressway S11 or express road S11 is a major road in Poland which has been planned to run from Kołobrzeg on the Baltic coast through Koszalin, Piła and Poznań to Pyrzowice . As of December 2009, of expressway were built...
| S12
Expressway S12 (Poland)
Expressway S12 or express road S12 is a major road in Poland which has been planned to run from Piotrków Trybunalski, through Radom, Lublin and Chełm, to the border crossing with Ukraine at Dorohusk. The completed road should be about long...
| S14
Expressway S14 (Poland)
Expressway S14 or express road S14 is an important road in Poland which, when completed, will serve as the western bypass of Łódź. Construction should begin in 2010 and finish in 2014. The total length is planned to be ....
|
S17
Expressway S17 (Poland)
Expressway S17 or Express Road S17 is an important road in Poland which, when completed, will run from Warsaw, through Lublin, to the border crossing with Ukraine at Hrebenne/Rava-Ruska. As of May 2009, out of planned have been completed. These are three separate sections forming the bypasses...
| S19
Expressway S19 (Poland)
Expressway S19 or express road S19 is a major road in Poland which is planned to run from the border crossing to Belarus in Kuźnica through Białystok, Lublin and Rzeszów, to the border with Slovakia at Barwinek, where it will connect with future R4 expressway .The total planned length is...
| S22
Expressway S22 (Poland)
Expressway S22 or Express Road S22 is a single carriageway express road running from Elbląg to the border with Russia at Grzechotki-Mamonovo , where it connects to a Russian road that continues to Kaliningrad...
|
S51
Expressway S51 (Poland)
Expressway S51 or Express road S51 is a major road in Poland that is going to connect Olsztyn with the express road S7 in Olsztynek. The length will be and is going to lay entirely in the Warmian-Masurian voivodeship...
| S61
Expressway S61 (Poland)
Expressway S61 or express road S61 is major planned road in Poland which is going to run from the Lithuanian A5 at the Polish-Lithuanian border near Budzisko to intersect express road S8 near Ostrów Mazowiecka. The expressway became part of the polish planned expressway network with the approval of...
| S69
Expressway S69 (Poland)
Expressway S69 or Express Road S69 is major road in Poland which, when completed, will run from Bielsko-Biała to the border with Slovakia at Zwardoń/Skalité where it will connect with Slovakian motorway D3...
| S74
Expressway S74 (Poland)
Expressway S74 or express road S74 is major planned road in Poland connecting express road S12 near Sulejów and S19 near Nisko. From Opatów it is going to follow the current national road 74 toward Lipnik and further is going to follow national road 77 toward express road S19 near Nisko.Most of...
| S79
Expressway S79 (Poland)
Expressway S79 - is an Expressway in Warsaw connecting S2 with the Int. Frederic Chopin Airport in Warsaw.With a current length of 0 km the expressway is now all under construction together with a piece of S2. The works started in September 2009 and will be done till 9th April 2012.-External...
| S86
Expressway S86 (Poland)
Expressway S86 - the section of national road 86 joining Katowice and Sosnowiec built in 1978-1986 of length 6.8 km. This road is not a part of express road network plans. Being the main route of traffic between Zagłębie Dąbrowskie and Upper Silesia expressway S86 is a high traffic road, which...
Air Transport
The most important airport in Poland is Warsaw 'Frederic Chopin' International Airport. Warsaw's airport is the main international hub for LOT Polish AirlinesLOT Polish Airlines
Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. , trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the flag carrier of Poland. Based in Warsaw, LOT was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Using a fleet of 55 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to 60 destinations in Europe,...
and currently serves as the destination for around 75% of all major international flights into Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. With the development, and upcoming privatisation of LOT in 2011, the airport is hoping to see yet more routes opened to destinations around the globe.
In addition to Warsaw Chopin, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Kraków
John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice
-Traffic:Figures in MillionsThe busiest international routes are to London and Dublin.-Getting there:In addition to road access by private car or taxi, other options are:-By train:...
and Poznań all have major international airports.
In preparation for the Euro 2012 football championships being jointly hosted by Poland and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, a number of airports around the country will be renovated and redeveloped. This includes the building of state of the art new terminals with an increased number of jetways and stands at both Copernicus Airport in Wrocław and Lech Wałęsa Airport in Gdańsk.
National airlines:
- LOT Polish AirlinesLOT Polish AirlinesPolskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. , trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the flag carrier of Poland. Based in Warsaw, LOT was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Using a fleet of 55 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to 60 destinations in Europe,...
- EuroLOTEurolotEuroLOT is an airline based in Warsaw, Poland. Established as a wholly owned subsidiary of LOT Polish Airlines, its current main shareholder is the State Treasury with 62.1% of shares, while LOT retains 37.9%. It operates for its parent company as a short-haul operator, as well as ad-hoc charter...
(subsidiary) - LOT Charters (subsidiary)
- EuroLOT
- OLT Jetair
Airports
The Polish airline market was until 2004 a classical case of closed market, with bilateral agreements between countries served from the national hub- Warsaw. The regional airports were mostly serving as spokes, and were controlled by PPL, state-owned airport authority. However, in the 90-ties it was decided to deregulate the airport market and abolish the dominant position of state-owned airport manager, PPL. Nearly all local airports, apart from Zielona Góra airport, became separate companies, with local governments involved in their management, what led to the partial decentralisation. Soon after opening of Polish sky for cometition flights “avoiding” the Warsaw hub became more often.There are currently 12 passenger airports in operation, and there is also an airport Heringsdorf in German village Garz , 7 kilometers from polish seaside spa Świnoujście.
However, the rapid development (8 % of increase of passengers served at Polish airports in 2008 compared to 2007) of the unsaturated market and the existence of vast areas of land, not covered by airports within 100 kilometers of journey, allow to assume that many new airports could be necessary to properly serve this land pupulated by appox. 38,2- 35,8 million inhabitants. Especially the area of eastern Poland should be better penetrated by airline traffic. There is a network of secondary airports that could be used, but lack of capital and expertise prohibit their utilisation (case of Biała Podlaska Airport
Biała Podlaska Airport
Biała Podlaska, is a town situated in the north of Lublin voivodship. Tthe airport is located nearby, it is a former military airport, and it is under modernisation to serve as a cargo airpoty, and, in the future, to probably also serve passenger services in this area completely deprived of airports...
at the Belarussian border).
Main airports:
Following are the largest airports in Poland, with passenger and cargo traffic flow (2009):
- Warsaw Frederic Chopin International AirportWarsaw Frederic Chopin AirportWarsaw Chopin Airport is an international airport located in the Włochy district of Warsaw, Poland. Poland's busiest airport, Warsaw Chopin handles just under 50% of the country's air passenger traffic....
, 8,282,035 passengers and 50,143 tonnes of cargo per year. - Kraków Jana Pawła II International AirportJohn Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice-Traffic:Figures in MillionsThe busiest international routes are to London and Dublin.-Getting there:In addition to road access by private car or taxi, other options are:-By train:...
, handles 2,661,294 passengers and 4,175 tonnes of cargo. - Katowice International AirportKatowice International AirportKatowice International Airport is an international airport, located in Pyrzowice, north of center of Katowice, Poland. The airport has third biggest passenger flow in Poland....
, handles 2,301,375 passengers and 7,589 tonnes of cargo. - Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa International Airport, handles 1,890,925 passengers and 4,016 tonnes of cargo.
- Wrocław Mikołaj Kopernik International Airport, handles 1,324,483 passengers and 989 tonnes of cargo.
- Poznań International Airport, handles 1,248,764 passengers and 2,150 tonnes of cargo.
- Rzeszów-Jasionka AirportRzeszów-Jasionka AirportRzeszów-Jasionka Airport is an international airport located in southeastern Poland, in Jasionka, a village from the center of the city of Rzeszów. It is the seventh-busiest airport in Poland, and has seasonal transatlantic connections....
, handles 383,170 passengers and 557 tonnes of cargo - Łódź Władysław Reymont Airport, handles 312,225 passengers 2 tonnes of cargo .
- Szczecin-Goleniów "Solidarność" Airport, handles 276,582 passengers and 873 tonnes of cargo.
- Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski AirportBydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski AirportBydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport is a Polish regional airport in the city of Bydgoszcz, Poland. It lies only from the city center. It is the tenth airport in Poland in terms of passenger traffic. Currently the airport features one passenger terminal and four runways, the main being 08/26...
. handles 264,528 and 520 tonnes of cargo.
Number of airports in Poland - 123
(1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Total: 84 (2005)
- over 3,047 m: 4
- 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29
- 1,524 to 2,437 m: 41
- 914 to 1,523 m: 7
- under 914 m: 3
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Total: 39 (2005)
- 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
- 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
- 914 to 1,523 m: 13
- under 914 m: 21
Heliports: 2 (2005)
Marine
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
coast, a number of large seaports exist to serve the international freight and passenger trade; these are typically deep water ports and are able to serve very large ships, including the ro-ro ferries of Unity Line
Unity Line
Unity Line is a Polish company that operates RoRo and train ferry services between Świnoujście in Poland and the Swedish ports of Ystad and Trelleborg.-Routes:Unity Line operates two routes across the Baltic Sea.*Świnoujście - Ystad...
, Polferries
Polferries
Polferries is the largest Polish ferry operator.The Polish Baltic Shipping Company was established on 31 January 1976 as a state-owned shipping company. Under the operating name Polferries, the company runs ferry routes across the Baltic Sea between Poland and Scandinavia.In 1996 Polferries...
and Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
which operate the Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
- Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
passenger lines.
Riverine services operate on almost all major Polish rivers and canals (such as the Danube–Oder and Elbląg canal
Elblag Canal
Elbląg Canal is a canal in Poland, in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, 80.5 km in length, which runs southward from Lake Drużno , to the river Drwęca and lake Jeziorak. It can accommodate small vessels up to 50 tons displacement...
s) as well as on domestic coastal routes.
Waterways
Poland has 3812 kilometre of navigable rivers and canals (as of 1996).Ports and harbors
- Port of GdańskPort of GdanskThe Port of Gdańsk is a seaport located on the southern coast of Gdańsk Bay in the city of Gdańsk, extending along the Vistula estuary Martwa Wisła , Port Channel and Kashubia Canal. It is one of the largest seaports on the Baltic Sea....
(PolferriesPolferriesPolferries is the largest Polish ferry operator.The Polish Baltic Shipping Company was established on 31 January 1976 as a state-owned shipping company. Under the operating name Polferries, the company runs ferry routes across the Baltic Sea between Poland and Scandinavia.In 1996 Polferries...
: Gdańsk — NynäshamnNynäshamn- References :...
/ YstadYstadYstad is a "locality", or town, and the seat of Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden, with 17,286 inhabitants .Settlement dates back to the 11th century and the town has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre and tourist attraction...
) - Port of GdyniaPort of GdyniaPort of Gdynia – the Polish seaport located on the western coast of Gdańsk Bay Baltic sea in Gdynia. Founded in 1926. In 2008 it was #2 in containers on the Baltic sea.- Trans-shipments :* 1924 - 10,000 tons* 1929 - 2,923,000 tons* 1938 - 8,700,000 tons...
(Stena LineStena LineStena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
: Gdynia — KarlskronaKarlskronaKarlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
/ GothenburgGothenburgGothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
and FinnlinesFinnlinesFinnlines Plc is a Finnish shipping company that operates freight throughout Northern Europe as well as passenger services in the Baltic Sea. In the past, Finnlines has operated ships under the brands Finncarriers, Finnflow Systems, Finnjet Lines, and FG Shipping Oy Ab...
: Gdynia — HelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
/ RostockRostockRostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
) - Port of Szczecin-ŚwinoujściePort of ŚwinoujścieThe Port of Świnoujście is a Polish seaport in Świnoujście, Poland at the Baltic Sea located at the Świna strait, on Wolin and Usedom islands...
(PolferriesPolferriesPolferries is the largest Polish ferry operator.The Polish Baltic Shipping Company was established on 31 January 1976 as a state-owned shipping company. Under the operating name Polferries, the company runs ferry routes across the Baltic Sea between Poland and Scandinavia.In 1996 Polferries...
: Świnoujście — CopenhagenCopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
/ YstadYstadYstad is a "locality", or town, and the seat of Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden, with 17,286 inhabitants .Settlement dates back to the 11th century and the town has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre and tourist attraction...
/ RønneRønneRønne is the largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,904 . Once a municipality in its own right, it is now the administrative centre of the Bornholm municipality....
and Unity LineUnity LineUnity Line is a Polish company that operates RoRo and train ferry services between Świnoujście in Poland and the Swedish ports of Ystad and Trelleborg.-Routes:Unity Line operates two routes across the Baltic Sea.*Świnoujście - Ystad...
: Świnoujście — YstadYstadYstad is a "locality", or town, and the seat of Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden, with 17,286 inhabitants .Settlement dates back to the 11th century and the town has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre and tourist attraction...
/ TrelleborgTrelleborgTrelleborg is a locality and the seat of Trelleborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 25,643 inhabitants in 2005. It is the southernmost town in Sweden.-History:...
) - Port of UstkaUstkaUstka is a town in the Middle Pomerania region of northwestern Poland with 17,100 inhabitants . It is also part of Słupsk County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously in Słupsk Voivodeship .- History :...
- Port of KołobrzegPort of KołobrzegThe Port of Kołobrzeg is a Polish seaport in Kołobrzeg, Poland at the Baltic Sea located at the Parsęta river...
Merchant marine
Total: 57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,120,165 GRT/Ships by type:
bulk 50, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off 1, short-sea passenger 2
(1999 est.)
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 PLKPKP PLK
PKP, Polskie Linie Kolejowe is a company of the PKP Group and is responsible for maintenance of rail tracks, conducting the trains across country, scheduling train timetables and management of railway land....
( PKP-Polskie Linie Kolejowe : PKP-Polish Rail Lines), part of state-run PKP
Polskie Koleje Panstwowe
is the dominant railway operator in Poland.The company was founded when the former state-owned operator was divided into several units based on the requirements laid down by the European Union...
Group. The 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 (though by most definitions, real high speed rail only includes speeds over 200 km/h) in central-eastern Europe is the Centralna Magistrala Kolejowa (CMK), the Central Railway Route. It has a length of 223 km (138.6 mi), and was built in 1971 - 1977; it links Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
with Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
. Trains on the CMK achieve speed up to 160 km/h (some sections allow up to 200 km/h, but the rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
has not yet been adapted to handle higher speed). On May 11, 1994, the Italian train Pendolino
Pendolino
Pendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland...
broke Polish speed record, going on the CMK at 250 km/h.
Other high speed lines:
- Warsaw - KutnoKutnoKutno is a town in central Poland with 48,000 inhabitants and an area of 33,6 km2. Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship , previously in Płock Voivodeship . It is the capital of Kutno County....
- PoznańPoznanPoznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
- (BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
) (160 km/h) - Warsaw - SiedlceSiedlceSiedlce ) is a city in eastern Poland with 77,392 inhabitants . Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously the city was the capital of a separate Siedlce Voivodeship ....
- TerespolTerespolTerespol is a town in eastern Poland on the border with Belarus. It lies on the border river Bug, directly opposite the city of Brest, Belarus...
- (MinskMinsk- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
) (160, 120 km/h) - being upgraded to 160 km/h - Warsaw - Puławy - LublinLublinLublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
(120, 140 km/h) - OpoleOpoleOpole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
- Wrocław (160 km/h) and further upgraded via LegnicaLegnicaLegnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county...
to BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
Projects
The Warsaw - Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
- Gdynia
Gdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
line is being upgraded to allow speed up to 200 km/h, and the Warsaw - Łódź line is being upgraded to allow speed up to 160 km/h (in order to bind together the Warsaw - Łódź agglomeration). There are long term plans to construct a new high speed line (350 km/h) from Warsaw to Poznań and Wrocław with forks in Łódź and Kalisz
Kalisz
Kalisz is a city in central Poland with 106,857 inhabitants , the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, the city forms a conurbation with the nearby towns of Ostrów Wielkopolski and Nowe Skalmierzyce...
.
The PKP Group
PKP Group
PKP Group is a Polish conglomerate founded in 2001 from the former single national rail operator, Polskie Koleje Państwowe. The purpose of this change was to match European Union directives of dividing transport service from rail system management and founding separate companies able to sell their...
is the fourth largest railway throughout Europe. Trains are run by its different subsidiaries.
Passenger transport market
The following companies operate in Poland:- PKP IntercityPKP IntercityPKP Intercity is a company of PKP Group responsible for long-distance passenger transport. It runs about 350 trains daily, connecting mainly large aglomerations and smaller towns, also servicing most of the international trains....
- qualified passengers trains (express, intercity, eurocity, hotel and TLK) - Przewozy Regionalne - regional passengers trains (normal and fast train)
- Koleje MazowieckieKoleje MazowieckieKoleje Mazowieckie is a regional rail operator in the Masovian Voivodeship of Poland.- History :The company was founded in 2004 as a joint venture of the Masovian Voivodeship, with 51% shares, and the, then government-owned, PKP Przewozy Regionalne, with 49% shares, to handle local passenger...
- local trains in MazoviaMazoviaMazovia or Masovia is a geographical, historical and cultural region in east-central Poland. It is also a voivodeship in Poland.Its historic capital is Płock, which was the medieval residence of first Dukes of Masovia... - Tricity SKM - fast urban railway in TricityTricityTricity is an urban area consisting of three Polish cities: Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot. They are situated adjacent to one other, in a row, on the coast of the Gdańsk Bay, Baltic Sea, in Pomerelia , northern Poland...
- Szybka Kolej Miejska (Warsaw)Szybka Kolej Miejska (Warsaw)Szybka Kolej Miejska is a rail operator providing services in the Warsaw metropolitan area using the national rail network while constituting a part of the cities integrated public transport system organized by the Warsaw Transport Authority.- History :...
- suburban railway in WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
agglomeration - Warszawska Kolej DojazdowaWarszawska Kolej DojazdowaWarszawska Kolej Dojazdowa is a suburban light rail line in Poland's capital city of Warsaw. The line, together with its two branches, links Warsaw with the municipalities of Michałowice, Pruszków, Brwinów, Podkowa Leśna, Milanówek and Grodzisk Mazowiecki to the south-west of Warsaw.-History:The...
- suburban railway in Warsaw agglomeration - Arriva RPArriva RPArriva Poland Sp. Zoo, is a Polish private rail carrier providing services in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian, Masovian, Pomeranian and Warmian-Masurian voivodships. The company presently belongs to the Deutsche Bahn Group-History:...
(owned by Deutsche BahnDeutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
) - part of the local train traffic in Kuyavian-Pomeranian VoivodeshipKuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship-Transportation:Transportation infrastructure is of critical importance to the voivodeship's economy. Kuyavia-Pomerania is a major node point in the Polish transportation system. Railway lines from the South and East pass through Bydgoszcz in order to reach the major ports on the Baltic Sea... - Koleje DolnośląskieKoleje DolnośląskieKoleje Dolnośląskie is a regional rail operator in the Lower Silesian Voivodship of Poland.The company was founded in December 2007 and is fully owned by the local government.- Train categories :...
- part of the local train traffic in Lower Silesian VoivodeshipLower Silesian VoivodeshipLower Silesian Voivodeship, or Lower Silesia Province , is one of the 16 voivodeships into which Poland is currently divided. It lies in southwestern Poland...
Narrow gauge railways
Those railways marked (M) are museum or touristHeritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
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
Freight transport market
- PKP CargoPKP CargoPKP Cargo is a company of the PKP Group in Poland responsible for freight transport. It owns 3,549 locomotives and 50,731 freight wagons. It is the largest railway cargo carrier in Poland, and second largest in the European Union...
- PKP LHSPKP LHSPKP LHS is a company of the PKP Group responsible for infrastructure operation and freight transport on the Broad Gauge Metallurgy Line. The line runs for about 400 km from the Polish-Ukrainian border in Izow-Hrubieszów to Sławków Południowy ....
- Metallurgic Broad Gauge Line - PTK Holding SA - The Railway Transportation Holding in ZabrzeZabrzeZabrze is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The west district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union is a metropolis with a population of around 2 million...
- Przedsiębiorstwo Transportu Kolejowego i Gospodarki Kamieniem Rybnik - The Railway Transport and Stone Management Company in RybnikRybnikRybnik is a city in southern Poland, in the Silesian Voivodeship. Rybnik is located close to the border with the Czech Republic and just outside the southern border of the largest urban area in Poland, the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union...
- CTL LogisticsCTL LogisticsCTL Logistics is a Polish rail JSC company operating mainly in freight transport. It consist of several dependent companies responsible for different areas of railway business. It is the biggest private railway company in Poland.-Share in local market:...
- PCC Rail SzczakowaPCC Rail SzczakowaDB Schenker Rail Polska is a Polish rail company operating mainly in freight transport, owned by Deutsche Bahn. Main products transported by this company are coal, gas, oil products and sand....
- Rail Szczakowa website - part of the German concern PCC AG - Kopalnia Piasku Kotlarnia - The Kotlarnia sand mine
- Kopalnia Piasku Kuźnica Warężyńska - The Kuźnica WarężyńskaKuznica WarezynskaKuźnica Warężyńska is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Siewierz, within Będzin County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately south-west of Siewierz, north-east of Będzin, and north-east of the regional capital Katowice.The village has a population of...
sand mine - Orlen KolTransOrlen KolTransOrlen KolTrans is a Polish rail company operating as a part of PKN Orlen. Orlen KolTrans is responsible for transporting PKN Orlen products and delivering crude oil to refineries.- See also :* Transportation in Poland* List of railway companies...
- Lotos KolejLotos KolejLOTOS Kolej is a Polish rail company operating as a part of Grupa LOTOS JSC. Lotos Kolej is responsible for transporting Lotos Group products and delivering petrol for Rafineria Gdańska....
- Nadwiślanski Zakład Transportu Kolejowego- Vistula Rail Transport Company]
Broad gauge railways
Border Crossings
Border Crossings is a live, all-request, music-oriented radio show that is broadcast worldwide by the US government-operated Voice of America. Premiering at 1505 UTC on October 14, 1996 with Judy Massa as host, it is one of VOA's longest-running music programs, surpassed only by Willis Conover's...
, Poland uses the standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
for its railways. Therefore Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa (known by its acronym LHS, English:
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
Broad gauge steelworks line) in Sławków is the longest broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
railway line
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The line runs on a single track for almost 400 kilometre from the Polish-Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
border, crossing it just east of Hrubieszów
Hrubieszów
Hrubieszów is a town in southeastern Poland, with a population of 18,661 . It is the capital of Hrubieszów County. Since 1999 Hrubieszów has been part of Lublin Voivodeship . Earlier, 1975–98, it had been part of Zamość Province...
. It is the westernmost broad gauge railway line in Europe that is connected to the broad gauge rail system of the countries of the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Rail System
Total: 23420 kilometre- standard gauge : 21639 kilometre (11626 kilometre electrified; 8978 kilometre double track)
- broad gauge : 646 km (401.4 mi)
- narrow gauge (various) : 1135 kilometre various gauges including , , , and (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:
- Czech RepublicTransport in the Czech Republic-Railways:The Czech Republic has a total railway length of . The vast majority is standard gauge. Electrified railways generally have voltages of 3 kV DC or 25 kV AC. of track is narrow gauge. The most prominent Czech railway company is the state-owned České dráhy . Prague has an underground...
- GermanyTransport in GermanyAs a densely populated country in a central location in Europe and with a developed economy, Germany has a dense and modern transportation infrastructure....
- SlovakiaTransport in SlovakiaTransport in Slovakia is possible by rail, road, air or rivers. Slovakia is a developed Central European country with a well developed rail network and a somewhat underdeveloped highway system . Main international airport is the M. R. Štefánik Airport in the capital, Bratislava...
- Czech Republic
- Break-of-gaugeBreak-of-gaugeWith railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
- /- LithuaniaTransport in LithuaniaThis article provides an overview of the transport infrastructure of Lithuania. For transport in the Soviet Union, see Transport in the Soviet Union.- Railways :There is a total of 1,998 route km of railways, of which:...
- BelarusTransport in BelarusThis article is about transport in Belarus. For Soviet transportation, see Transport in the Soviet Union.- Railways :Rail transport in Belarus is operated by Belarusskaya Chyhunkatotal:5,512 kmcountry comparison to the world: 32...
- RussiaTransport in RussiaThe transport network of the Russian Federation is one of the world's most extensive. The national web of roads, railways and airways stretches almost from Kaliningrad in the west to the Kamchatka Peninsula in the east, and major cities such as Moscow and Saint Petersburg are served by extensive...
(Kaliningrad OblastKaliningrad OblastKaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...
) - UkraineTransport in UkraineAll transportation in Ukraine except for automobile transportation is regulated by the Ministry of Infrastructure, formerly the united Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The automobile transportation is regulated by the State Automobile Inspection of the Ministry of Interior...
- Lithuania
Municipal transport
Bus
Most Polish towns and cities have well developed municipal bus services. Typically, a city posseses its own local bus company, however, in some cases they have private competitors operating on certain lines upon the agreement with local authorities.Until 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
, interurban connections were operated by a single, state-owned company PKS. Since then, it has been broken into a number of independent national and municipal enterprises. In addition, several private operators emerged. There are two classes of service distinguished by vehicle length:
- autobus — longer vehicles (12.0 m and more),
- bus — shorter vehicles with smaller capacity, very popular on local connections, run by individual persons and smaller companies.
While they often use the same bus stops, they tend to use different stations.
Tram
Bigger cities run dense tram networksTram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
, which are the primary mean of public transport. Currently, there are 14 systems serving over 30 cities including Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
, Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Łódź, Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and Wrocław, with the total track length varying from 200 kilometre (Silesian Interurbans
Silesian Interurbans
Silesian Interurbans - one of the largest tram systems in the world has been in existence since 1894. The system is spread over more than 50 kilometres and covers thirteen towns in the Upper Silesia metropolitan area and their suburbs Silesian Interurbans - one of the largest tram (streetcar)...
) to less than 10 kilometre (Tramways in Grudziądz
Tramways in Grudziądz
Tramways in Grudziądz exist since 1896. Currently they are operated by MZK Grudziądz. There are 2 lines with a total length of 18.6 km. Grudziądz is the smallest city in Poland to have a tram line.-Network:-Cars:...
). A new network is being constructed in Olsztyn
Olsztyn
Olsztyn is a city in northeastern Poland, on the Łyna River. Olsztyn has been the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. It was previously in the Olsztyn Voivodeship...
. See the list: List of town tramway systems in Europe#Poland
Since 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
, a number of cities attempts to upgrade certain parts of their networks to the light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
standard (called szybkie tramwaje, eng. fast trams). The most notable investments are Poznań Fast Tram and Kraków Fast Tram with the underground 1.5 kilometre premetro
Premetro
A premetro is a tramway or light railway which includes segments built to rapid transit standards, usually as part of a process of conversion to a metro railway, mainly by the construction of tunnels in the central city area...
section.
Trolleybus
Trolleybuses can be found in three cities: GdyniaGdynia
Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland and an important seaport of Gdańsk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.Located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania, Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdańsk and suburban communities, which together...
(with some lines reaching Sopot
Sopot
Sopot is a seaside town in Eastern Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000....
), Lublin
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...
and Tychy
Tychy
Tychy is a city in Silesia, Poland, approximately south of Katowice. Situated on the southern edge of the Upper Silesian industrial district, the city borders Katowice to the north, Mikołów to the west, Bieruń to the east and Kobiór to the south...
.
Metro
The first and currently the only metroRapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
line was opened in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
in 1995. The second line is under construction. There are no official plans to build metro in other cities due to the lack of funds, but there is an ongoing debate whether they should be built.
See: Warsaw Metro
Warsaw Metro
The Warsaw Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. It consists of a single north-south line that links central Warsaw with its densely populated northern and southern suburbs. The first section was opened in 1995, then gradually extended until it...
Pipelines
- Crude oil and petroleum products 2280 kilometre
- Natural gas 13500 kilometre
(2006 est.)
External links
- Rail Map: Poland (PDF) Most minor lines omitted
- Road Map: Poland
