Transport in Poland

This article is about transportation in Poland.

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:

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 VoivodeshipNarrow 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

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]

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:
** Czech Republic
** Germany
** Slovakia
* Break-of-gauge - 1435mm/1524mm
** Lithuania
** Belarus
** Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast)
** Ukraine

Municipal transport

Bus

Tram

Over 30 cities with tramway systems including Gdańsk, Katowice, Kraków, Łódź, Poznań, Szczecin, Warszawa and Wrocław. See the list: List of town tramway systems in Europe#Poland

See also: Poznań Fast Tram

Trolleybus

Trolleybuses are used in three towns: Gdynia (with some lines reaching Sopot), Lublin and Tychy.

Metro

Warsaw is the only city with a metro system:

See: Warsaw Metro

Airports

Main airports

*Warsaw International Airport, handles 9 million passengers and 63,332 tonnes of cargo per year.
*Kraków International Airport, handles 3,042,351 passengers and 3,801 tonnes of cargo.
*Katowice International Airport, handles 1,980,358 passengers and 7,782 tonnes of cargo.
*Gdańsk International Airport, handles 1,708,739 passengers and 4,757 tonnes of cargo.
*Wrocław International Airport, handles 1,270,825 passengers and 1,457 tonnes of cargo.
*Poznań International Airport, handles 863,018 passengers and 2,453 tonnes of cargo.
*Łódź Władysław Reymont Airport, handles 312,365 passengers.
*Szczecin-Goleniów "Solidarność" Airport, handles 228,071 passengers and 1,773 tonnes of cargo.
*Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport, handles 274,272 passengers and 508 tonnes of cargo
*Bydgoszcz Ignacy Jan Paderewski Airport. handles 181,576 and 411 tonnes of cargo.

Number of airports in Poland - 123 (1999 est.)

Source (2007) http://www.ulc.gov.pl/_download/regulacja_rynku/statystyki/liczba_obsl_pasazerow_przesylek_20042007_150208.pdf

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)

See: LOT Polish Airlines

Marine

Waterways

3,812 km navigable rivers and canals (1996)

Ports and harbors

* Port of Gdańsk
* Port of Gdynia
* Port of Szczecin-Świnoujście
* Port of Ustka
* Port of Kołobrzeg

Merchant marine

Total: 57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,120,165 GRT/DWT|1,799,569|metric|first=yes

Ships by type:bulk 50, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off 1, short-sea passenger 2 (1999 est.)

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

Pipelines

* Crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km;
* Natural gas 13,500 km (2006 est.)

See also

* Bridges of Poland
* Ports of the Baltic Sea

External links

* [http://www.plk-sa.pl/fileadmin/pdf/infrastruktura/5000-35_strona_Agc_agtc.pdf Rail
] (PDF) Most minor lines omitted
* [http://www.poland.gov.pl/gallery/serwis/polska_drogowa_d_879.jpgRoad
]