Transport in Poland
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This article is about transportation in Poland.
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[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.
The only high speed rail line in central-eastern Europe, Centralna Magistrala Kolejowa (CMK) (Central Railway Route, length 221km), 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).
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
- SKM 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
[edit] Municipal transport
[edit] Bus
[edit] Tram
Over 30 cities with tramway systems including Gdańsk, Katowice, Kraków, Łódź, Poznań, Szczecin, Warszawa and Wrocław.
See also: Poznań Fast 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
[edit] Main airports
- Warsaw International Airport, handles 9 million passengers and 48,535 tonnes of cargo per year.
- Kraków International Airport, handles 3,068,199 passengers and 3,255 tonnes of cargo.
- Katowice International Airport, handles 1,5 million passengers and 5,618 tonnes of cargo.
- Gdańsk International Airport, handles 677,946 passengers and 3,433 tonnes of cargo.
- Wrocław International Airport, handles 454,047 passengers and 1,378 tonnes of cargo.
- Poznań International Airport, handles 399,255 passengers and 2,166 tonnes of cargo.
- Szczecin-Goleniów "Solidarność" Airport
- Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport
- Łódź Władysław Reymont Airport
Number of airports in Poland - 123 (1999 est.)
[edit] 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
[edit] 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)
See: LOT Polish Airlines
[edit] Marine
[edit] Waterways
3,812 km navigable rivers and canals (1996)
[edit] Ports and harbors
- Port of Gdańsk
- Port of Gdynia
- Port of Szczecin-Świnoujście
- Port of Ustka
- Port of Kołobrzeg
[edit] Merchant marine
Total: 57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,120,165 GRT/1,799,569 metric tons of deadweight (DWT)
Ships by type: bulk 50, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off 1, short-sea passenger 2 (1999 est.)
[edit] Roads
Total: 423,997 km
- paved: 295,356 km (including 665 km of expressways)
- unpaved: 128,641 km (2003)
Motorways in Poland:
A1 | A2 | A4 | A6 | A8 | A18
[edit] Pipelines
- Crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km;
- Natural gas 13,500 km
(2006 est.)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Rail Map: Poland (PDF) Most minor lines omitted
- Road Map: Poland
