| Warsaw - Transport |
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Public transport - Warsaw
Public transport in Warsaw includes, buses, streetcars, metro and regional rail The first three are operated by the ZTM (Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego, the Warsaw Transport Authority). There are also some suburban bus lines run by private operators.
There are three tourist routes: "T", a vintage tram running in July and August, bus "100" which runs on weekends and is operated by the only double-decker bus owned by the city, and a "180" bus which follows the Royal Route from the War Cemetery in the North to Wilanów Castle. BusesBus service covers the entire city, with approx. 170 routes totalling about 2,603 kilometers (1,617 mi) in length, and with some 1,600 vehicles. Between midnight and 5 am the city and suburbs are served by night lines.TramsThe first tram (streetcar) line in Warsaw was opened on 11 December 1866. The last horse-drawn tram run on 26 March 1908. In the period between the world wars, the tram network was nationalized and extended significantly. After the Defence War of 1939 the service was halted for approximately three months due to war losses. However, by 1940 the trams were back on track. In 1941 the present colours of the cars were introduced (yellow and red, in the Flag of Warsaw colours. Up to this point, the trams were painted either white and red, or entirely red).
During the Warsaw Uprising the tram system was destroyed. However, the first tram line was opened again on 20 June 1945. Following the Second World War the tram network in Warsaw underwent fast development. The tracks reached all the principal parts of the city. However, in the sixties the official policy of both Polish and Soviet authorities promoted the use of Soviet oil. The tram network was shortened, while more buses were bought. Currently the Tramwaje Warszawskie company runs 863 cars on almost 470 kilometers (292 mi) of track. Twenty-odd lines run across the city with additional lines opened on special occasions (such as All-Saints Day). MetroThe Warsaw Metro (Polish: Metro Warszawskie) is one of Europe's newest metro systems and Poland's first (and the only one so far). It was opened in 1995 and consists of a single north-south line, still partly under construction that links central Warsaw with its densely populated southern suburbs. Plans exist for further lines once the first is complete.
RailwayThe first railway opened in Warsaw in 1845 (the Warsaw-Vienna Railway). Nowadays Warsaw is one of the main railway hubs in Poland.The main railway station is Warszawa Centralna serving both domestic traffic to almost every major city in Poland, and international connections mainly to Germany, Czech Republic and former Soviet Union countries. There are also 5 other major railway stations and a number of smaller suburban stations. The main railway line crosses the city in a tunnel (tunel średnicowy) approximately 2.2 kilometers (1.4 mi) long and running directly under the city centre. It is part of an east-west line connecting the Warszawa Zachodnia, Warszawa Centralna and Warszawa Wschodnia stations through the tunnel and a railway bridge over the Vistula River. The principal railway stations are: |