Warsaw Trolleybuses

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

During World War II most of the mass transit infrastructure in Warsaw was destroyed. The city was in need of a cheap and efficient transport network. In 1946 several dozens of trolleybuses were imported from the Soviet Union and the first two lines soon opened. They operated from Plac Unii Lubelskiej to Warszawa Gdańska train station, and from the Łazienkowska depot to the city centre (ulica Piękna). In March 1946 another line was opened (Plac Saski–Bonifraterska), but was closed and replaced by streetcars in December. Until 1955 five new trolleybus lines were opened and existing ones extended, covering mainly the city centre.

See: trolleybus network map (1946-1973)

1967 started a period of fast decline in both the number of trolleybuses and the trolleybus lines in Warsaw. The national government policy at the time was that as much Polish coal as possible be exported while the oil be imported at very low prices from the USSR. It was decided that electricity production should be decreased in order to save coal for export and by 7 July 1973 all trolleybus lines in Warsaw were closed.

The last period of the Warsaw trolleybus history started in 1977, when it was decided that the existing cars should be used on a new line between Warsaw and the southern suburb of Piaseczno. An additional longer route to Piaseczno was planned through Wilanów, Powsin and Konstancin-Jeziorna. However, economic conditions made construction of the latter line impossible, and only the former, on the direct route between Warsaw and Piaseczno, was opened on 1 July 1983.

After 1989 it became apparent that the trolleybuses were in dire need of replacement (those in operation were built in early 1950s), and that the cost of running a single line was very high. On 1 September 1995 the Warsaw City Council decided to discontinue the service. In July 2000 the trolleybus depot in Piaseczno was closed and the remaining cars sold to Minsk and Lublin, and to various museums.

See: information about the Warsaw-Piaseczno line (in Polish)