Poznański Szybki Tramwaj
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Poznański Szybki Tramwaj (PST, "Pestka") (Poznań Fast Tram) is a 6.1 km-long stretch of grade-separated tram line in Poznań, Poland. The tracks are set in a ditch or on an overpass, are fit with sidings, switches allowing to drive on adjacent tracks, and stops resembling railroad stations, each station outfitted in a different colour. This fast tram line is capable of speeds up to 70 km/h. This unique tram line was created as an alternative to a more expensive subway. The existing stretch, inaugurated in 1997, links the densely populated northern districts of Winogrady and Piątkowo with the city center (downtown). It is served by lines 12, 14, 15 and 16 (except summer), as well as the night line N21.
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[edit] Basic information
- Length: 6.1 km
- Number of stops: 6
- Maximum speed: 70 km/h (40 km/h on switches)
- Capacity: 5000 persons per hour
- Trams run every 2,5 minutes in peak time, otherwise every 5 minutes
[edit] Background
Poznań is a city of 580 000 inhabitants, with about 200 000 more living in the suburbs. Most of the city's office buildings are located in the centre, while most light industry is located uptown or in the suburbs around the city. Hence most trips by public transport are to and from the centre.
[edit] History
Poznań's public transport company started its business activity in 1880, with a few horse-pulled trams. At that time, the town was inhabited by about 70 000 people, and was not growing due to building restrictions imposed by the Prussian military administration.
Soon after the company was established, the construction limitations were lifted, and the town grew very fast to about 200 000 inhabitants in 1920's. By that time there were some early ideas of creating a segregated line that would link the centre with one of the northern district. Neither technology nor the budget allowed for a construction of such a tram line, and metro as in Berlin would have been too ambitious and unnecessary. The rail planning was abandoned.
In 1960's and 1970's, Poland's communist government built communist style blocks of flats in the north and east of the city. Such concentration of flats creates a high population density and thus a high demand for transportation needs. However, these districts were poorly served by public transportation: 7 kilometres took between 30 and 45 minutes by bus. A corridor was left for the construction of a tram line, but the inability of the communist government to manage funds and work efficiently meant that between 1975, when the work commenced, and 1989 only a fraction of the work was done. Originally, the line was meant to be separate from the tram network, with a terminus in the city centre.
After the government (and the political system) changed in 1989, construction restarted. In 1996 the line was finished and connected to the existing tram network.
[edit] Present day
The line officially opened on March 1, 1997. The time taken to get to the centre decreased from about 40 minutes to about 10-15 minutes. This, combined with limited and paid parking space in the centre, contributed to the huge success of the line. In peak hours it was, and often still is, hard to get on the board of the tram. In 1999, another tram line (no. 16) was added, but the capacity of the operation is reaching its limits. With the new line 16, trams run every 2.5 minutes in peak time, and the line has not been fitted with the train protection system, which stops vehicles from entering the same section of the track. For reasons of safety there cannot be any more trams per hour than there are now.
Another issue is the state of the communities which the tram serves. These are mostly blocks-of-flats districts, which are not necessarily inhabited by the most successful members of society, so the tram has suffered from vandalism, and from a lack of security. These problems, however, diminished when surveillance cameras were installed. The tram has had a very positive impact on these communities, making them more attractive for investors, as well as stopping the decrease of population.
Some institutions and companies served by the tram, listed by station: (those marked by a plus (+) have moved after the opening of the line):
- Słowiańska (green) - academic dormitories, Court of Laws (+)
- Al. Solidarności (previously Serbska) (yellow) - 3 supermarkets (+), a large office building (+)
- Lechicka/Poznań Plaza (previously Lechicka) (blue) - supermarket (+) Poznań Plaza shopping mall
- Kurpińskiego (orange) - a bank (+), a small supermarket, a clinic
- Szymanowskiego (red) - a supermarket (+), and a large new development of modern apartment blocks
- Osiedle Jana III Sobieskiego (terminus) - University campus
[edit] Future development
Similar fast tram networks exist in other parts of the world, namely in Vienna, Amsterdam, and Brussels — and several other cities, beginning with Karlsruhe, have used mainline railway tracks to expand their tram networks. However, those cities are much larger and have gone further into the development of trams into metro-style, heavier vehicles. It was therefore important for the Poznań administration to find out on their own how successful the program would be.
As the program has proved successful, another extension has been started in early 2005. This time, it connects the city centre with eastern high-rise districts. It is not truly a fast tram on the same scale, but the success of the first program has prompted the authority to rebuild an existing line into a faster one.
