POLAND | Railways

[asahi]

Originally Posted by rakcancer

Not sure if you can buy tickets in Poland from the machine for long distance trips. At least I haven't seen them at Warszawa Centralna station. Are they in use? Anybody knows?

There are. Both in the main hall, as well as near the escalators to the platforms.

[Sunfuns]

Originally Posted by rakcancer

Not sure if you can buy tickets in Poland from the machine for long distance trips. At least I haven't seen them at Warszawa Centralna station. Are they in use? Anybody knows?

Probably not and it's like that in most other large countries as well (in smaller ones like Switzerland everything is considered local). Really long trips or the ones with HSR I normally buy in advance on internet.

[asahi]

You CAN buy tickets for long-haul trains operated by PKP Intercity in their ticket machines at major stations, incl. Warsaw Central Station. Other company - PR, also offers such possibility.
The only condition is that it must be a single journey, no transfers. But it works for longest Polish routes, e.g. Przemyśl - Szczecin.

[Sky Harbor]

Originally Posted by asahi

You CAN buy tickets for long-haul trains operated by PKP Intercity in their ticket machines at major stations, incl. Warsaw Central Station. Other company - PR, also offers such possibility.
The only condition is that it must be a single journey, no transfers. But it works for longest Polish routes, e.g. Przemyśl - Szczecin.

Some Przewozy Regionalne tickets are purchasable using those PKP machines, but not all, if my memory serves me correctly.

Also, I believe tickets involving transfers are purchasable using those machines as well. I remember wanting to see how much it would cost to go to Częstochowa from Warszawa Centralna, and it gave me an itinerary which involved a transfer at Łódź Kaliska.

[asahi]

Everytime I'm at Warsaw or Poznań stations only direct trains are available. Unless something has changed recently (in the past 3-4 months), you cannot buy tickets that require transfers.
Or maybe we're talking about different machines? I know an external company took over some (all?) of the machines that were previously operated by PKP itself.

[rakcancer]

OK, now I see. There is no system of selling tickets from machines working on every major station just some options at some stations... Lots of confusion for travelers from outside of Poland so "Horrible Lady" from ticket window is a must

[asahi]

No, on major stations it works pretty much the same, at least from my experience and until recently I used to travel a lot around the country. I also don't consider it very confusing, even for foreigners, as long as they bother to learn that there is more than one company operating trains.
Also, at all major stations where foreigners usually go (e.g. Warsaw, Wrocław, Poznań, Cracow, etc.) there are Intercity travel centers where the staff speaks English (and sometimes German or French).
And the menu of ticket machines I mentioned can be switched to English and other languages. They used to be operated by PR, now I see some other company took over and I think it's for the better.

Travelling in Poland can be a hassle sometimes, I know. But it's the same in other countries and I don't think a foreigner will be more lost in Poland than he or she would be in most other European countries. And I'm saying it from my own travelling experience.

[michael_siberia]

First scheduled trains will go 200 km/h in one year

Google-translated

Traffic control system tests were successful. The first trains will be able to go the Central railway line at a speed of 200 km / h. for the year, the timetable 2013/2014. The revolution in Polish railways slowly coming, part of the line is technically designed to ensure that trains can reach their target at 200 km / h
- The first scheduled trains will be able to go through it at a speed of 200 km / h. for the year, the timetable 2013/2014 - said a spokesman for the Centre for Investment in Implementation of PKP PLK Maciej Dutkiewicz.

In this optimistic forecast was completed tests allow traffic control system that will allow trains to reach the Central Trunk Line speed of 200 km / h. Managing PKP PLK lanes estimates that came out successful.

The direct trains an eye on drivers

As a result, the Central Trunk Line, the route connecting Warszawa with Zawiercie (the northern reaches in the vicinity of Warsaw, in the south - Katowice - eds.), will be the first line in Poland, equipped with the European Train Control System (European Train Control System - ETCS).

This system allows you to automate the running of trains and thus increase traffic safety. It allows, for example, readings from the traffic light or information on a given stretch of existing speed limits are displayed on the desktop in the driver's cab. The system also allows you to supervise the work of the driver - for example, if the notice is not signaling "stop", the system itself can stop the train.

End of test. Time for certificates and certificate from the authorities ...

Tests of the system on the section between CMK and Olszamowicami Grodzisk Mazowiecki took place in early November 2012, and in October of last year, led by a train owned by PKP Intercity locomotive Hussar exceed speed of 200 km / h. the section CMK Psary-Zawiercie.

As the Advocate, that's the end of the test. Now IM - that PKP PLK - ask the Railway Transport Office to issue the relevant certificates and certificates necessary to ensure that the system be able to use scheduled trains.

Locomotives are, the possibilities are, and the next is 160 km / h ....

For now, the maximum speed of the Polish railways is 160 km / h. The train will be able to drive at a speed of 200 km / h., Where the railway line will be suitable for this purpose, will have a traffic management system installed, and the fleet will be properly equipped.

Polish part of the line is technically designed to ensure that trains can reach them speed higher than 160 km / h., Traffic management systems are to be successfully installed on them, and PKP Intercity to invest in appropriate equipment of his fleet.

Currently, the Polish tracks run two Hussars - a locomotive carrier - equipped with ETCS. A few months ago, PKP Intercity has announced a tender for the supply and commissioning of the other on-board equipment to Husarzach interlocking. PKP Intercity has ten hussars. The carrier paid for not more than 40 million. However, as long as the maximum speed of the Polish tracks is 160 km / h., The potential of modern locomotives built by Siemens is not fully exploited.

[mappero]

This also apply for Polish railways and I think it's pretty interesting:
BD-schenker-rail-to-expand-london-wroclaw-freight

[DocentX]

Katowice Train Station and shopping center - partly opened



















Poznan train station and shopping center -partly opened







Łódź - new train station under constr

Originally Posted by mc20

26xi

[rakcancer]

Nice update. Thxs.

[MajKeR_]

New railway timetable began today in Poland. In Silesian Voivodeship (województwo śląskie - my homeland ) it brought some extra change - former regional operator, Przewozy Regionalne ("Regional Transportation" - ex-PKP company, nowadays maintained by regional marshals, with huge debt and shitty trains), ended its job here to be replaced by our regional company - Koleje Śląskie ("Silesian Railways").

Decision about that change was irrevocably undertook in June by marshal of Silesian Voivodeship. To be honest, it had political sense - Przewozy Regionalne, with, don't forget, their shitty EN57 trains, needed more and more money per year, when their standard was constantly poor. They probably mantained by our money connections in voivodeships, where they should have won tenders to make a job, and to win them they offered really low rates. But leave politics; it was really hard to complete amount of trains adequate to handle all connections in Silesian Voivodeship in 5 months, but... success! Koleje Śląskie began today at every connection.

That's what we may get, if we take Koleje Śląskie:

9x Pesa Elf (EN76/22WE),

4x Stadler Flirt (EN75),

1x Newag Impuls (35WE),

8x EN57AKŚ (old trains with 3 units, built from 1960s to 1980s, after huge modernization - with new interiors, engines, starters etc.)

2x EN71AKŚ (the same as EN57AKŚ, but with 4 units)

2x 14WE (technically the same as EN57 without any modernization, but with new body and interior - they are rented from SKM Warszawa and probably will be bought next year with another 6)

2x Kolzam 212M (SA109)

5x old Dutch DH2 series and 3x DH1 series (Polish designation - SN83 and SN82),

8x old German VT614 series (not available yet - company which had to bring them from Germany - Sigma Tabor, the same that delivered all DH1/DH2 units, couldn't do it for today and temporarily rented 10 EN57 units from Przewozy Regionalne),

15x Bombardier Traxx locos from Railpool company (some of them were used by LOTOS Kolej - Polish private freight operator from Gdańsk),

50x 2nd class cars from Ceske Drahy,

17x 2nd class cars from Heros Rail Rent - German company (not available yet - Polish railway transport office - Urząd Transportu Kolejowego - banned them because of problems with designations - I don't know anything more),

Temporarily (for just a few weeks): 50x 2nd class cars from PKP Intercity and a few ET22 locos from PKP Cargo.

[mappero]

The new timetable for railways was introduced Europe wide today. As always and approved by UIC

[phantom23]

Originally Posted by MajKeR_

But leave politics; it was really hard to complete amount of trains adequate to handle all connections in Silesian Voivodeship in 5 months, but... success! Koleje Śląskie began today at every connection.
(...)
Temporarily (for just a few weeks): 15x 2nd class cars from PKP Intercity and a few ET22 locos from PKP Cargo.

There's no success, 30 out of 200 trains have been cancelled because there's no available rolling stock, even more trains are delayed (20-60 mins late).

They have 50 PKP Intercity cars and all of them are in use - all of Heros Rail and some CD cars can't operate because of formal issues. 5 Traxx locomotives were also stopped by UTK.

That's how it works, 200 passengers and one 2nd class car (with heavy freight locomotive):

[MajKeR_]

I may say that I'm ' victim ' of those cancellations - today about 8:30 AM I was forced to take a bus because of communique at railway station that my train is cancelled. But in the afternoon there were no problems and even train was much better than formerly - it was EN57AKŚ.

I see that mess, it shouldn't be like that - when delays are acceptable, cancellations shouldn't exist anymore. But let we take a few days to normalize, it MUST be better, at least because of bigger amount of trains (when railway transport office will stop banning Traxxs and cars) and some practical knowledge of new employees (they often may be newbies at that craft). Today's problems don't mean that it won't be better.

Sorry about my mistakes - at list of trains and previous message. I was sick yesterday and thinking wasn't my best ability. I added to the list 8 EN57AKŚ, 2 EN71AKŚ, 2 14WE and 2 Kolzam 212M (SA109) which I forgot.

Some photos of Koleje Śląskie's trains, all from rail.phototrans.eu:

Pesa Elf:



Stadler Flirt (they are bought by Silesian marshal in 2008, when nobody thought about making Koleje Śląskie company, so they have another painting with colors of Silesian Voivodeship):



Newag Impuls:



EN57AKŚ:



EN71AKŚ:



Kolzam 212M:



DH1:



DH2:

[Woonsocket54]

congrats to lovely Lublin for the opening of the railroad to the new airport

the schedule:



http://www.rynek-kolejowy.pl/37996/L...a_lotnisko.htm

[phantom23]

Newag 31WE for Koleje Dolnośląskie (regional operator in Lower Silesian Voivodeship):






http://www.rynek-kolejowy.pl/38203/N...wie_gotowy.htm

[masages21]

Could give us more details? It's only in Polish

[kebe]

Originally Posted by masages21

Could give us more details? It's only in Polish

It is a new 31WE EMU for Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It's the shorter (4 unit) version of Newag's 35 WE (6 unit).

[phantom23]

A little bit more technical:
- Bo'2'2'2'Bo
- 2000kW
- Vmax 160km/h
- acceleration 1,0 m/s^2
- weight up to 135t
- capacity: 202 seats, 458 total

Total cost is 99 999 000 zl (almost 100 million) for 5 units.