Trams in Warsaw

The Warsaw tram network is a 125.3-kilometer (77.9 mi)^{[1][note 1]} tram system serving a third of Warsaw, Poland, and serving half the city's population.^[3] It operates 726 cars,^[4] and is the second-largest system in the country (after the Silesian system).^[5] There are about 25 regular lines,^[6] forming a part of the city's integrated public transport system organized by the Warsaw Transport Authority. Since 1994 the system is operated by the municipally-owned company Tramwaje Warszawskie sp. z.o.o.

Trams in Warsaw
Tramwaje Warszawskie sp. z o.o. logo
Pesa Swing tram on Poniatowski Bridge
Overview
Native name	Tramwaje Warszawskie
Locale	Warsaw, Poland
Transit type	tram
Number of lines	25
Website	Official website Warsaw Public Transport
Operation
Began operation	11 December 1866
Operator(s)	Tramwaje Warszawskie
Technical
System length	125.3 km (77.9 mi)[1][note 1]
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
System map A map of the Warsaw tram system

Map of Warsaw tramway network before 1945

Horse tram on Marszałkowska Street, 1867

Electric tramway construction, Warsaw, Marszałkowska Street and Jerusalem Avenue intersection, 1907^[2]

Electric trams on Marszałkowska Street, 1914

Restored type A, K and N trams running during a Night of Museums in 2021

Restored Konstal N tram car from the 1950s running on a special tourist line

Konstal 13N tram cars from the 1960s, retired in 2012

History

Horse tram

The history of tram transport in Warsaw dates back to 1866 when a 6-kilometre (3.7 mi) long horse tram line was built to transport goods and passengers between the Vienna Railway Station and the Petersburg and Terespol railway stations across the Vistula River. This was in order to circumvent limitations imposed by Russian authorities, which prevented the construction of a railway bridge for strategic reasons. In 1880, a second line was constructed with the help of Belgian capital, this time intended as public transit within the city. The Belgian company quickly expanded its own lines, and in 1882 took over the line between the railway stations, which had lost most of its original purpose after a railway bridge was finally built in 1875. In 1899 the entire tram system, by then 30 kilometres (19 mi) of tracks with 234 tram cars and 654 horses operating 17 lines, was purchased by the city. By 1903, plans were drafted to convert the system to electric trams, which was done by 1908.

Interbellum

The development mostly stagnated for the next 10 years with only a few short stretches built. After World War I, the network developed rapidly handling increased traffic and extending to the outskirts of the city with the network reaching the length of 60 kilometres (37 mi) and 757 tram cars in 1939. In 1927, a privately owned light rail line called EKD (today Warszawska Kolej Dojazdowa) was built, connecting several neighboring towns with the center of Warsaw using electric motor coaches similar to trams, only faster, larger and more massive, with frequent stops and tracks running along the streets in city; however the system was incompatible with the Warsaw trams as it used standard gauge tracks while the city network still used Russian gauge left from Russian times. In 1925, the company operating the Warsaw trams decided to construct an underground system. Preliminary boring started, but the work was suspended because of the Great Depression; the idea resurfaced in 1938, but was again buried with the outbreak of World War II.

Second half of the 20th century

The tram system remained operational, although gradually deteriorating, during most of the Nazi occupation until the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, after which all the infrastructure was systematically destroyed. After the war it was rebuilt relatively fast. As the system was practically built from scratch the occasion was used to convert it to standard gauge. During the 1950s and 1960s, the network was extended to newly built districts of soviet style panel houses and industrial plants and newer trams based on the design of Presidents' Conference Committee were introduced. Due to the city's lack of a metro system and restriction on car ownership, the tram system remained the backbone of Warsaw's transport system. In the 1960s, however, a political decision was made to increase the dependency on oil imported from Russia, while Polish coal was to be exported to Western Europe in exchange for hard currency; as a result, newly developed districts were connected with the city center by buses rather than trams, and some of the existing tracks were closed.

Present situation

After 1989, the tram system in Warsaw initially received little investment with a large part of the city's budget spent on the construction of the first Warsaw Metro line. However, since 2005, the situation has been changing with the purchase of new rolling stock, modernization of key tram lines, and deployment of a passenger information system. Plans also include extension of the network and an "intelligent" traffic management system which is to prioritize trams at traffic lights. In August 2008, a tender for delivery of 186 low-floor, air-conditioned trams was launched, allowing for a dramatic overhaul of the look of the tramway system.

In 2014 a first entirely new line since a quarter century was opened, connecting Tarchomin, a quickly growing remote residential district on the north-eastern outskirts of the city, with the existing tram network and the M1 metro line. The route underwent further expansion with the latest 1 km (0.6 mi) long segment finished in September 2021 after multiple delays.^[7] More new lines are being planned: one with 4 km (2.5 mi) of new tracks to Gocław, and another to the eastern parts of the Białołęka district.^[8] The construction of a new tram route to Wilanów was launched in August 2022^[9] and was completed in October 2024.^[10] It is unclear when work will start on the line to Gocław.^[11]

Rolling stock

Image	Tram car type	Low-floor	Number of cars	Description
	Konstal 105Na (1252+1251)	No	2 cars (1 two- car set)	Produced in 1988 and refurbished in 2020. The renovation carried out to restore the composition of elements characteristic of this particular one, e.g. Black lighting fixtures, painting with characteristic city crests on the sides or the typeface of rolling stock numbers used by Konstal. The wagon also has full glazing of the door. The car set is/was used on lines 15, 35, 36 and 78
	Konstal 105Na	No	275 cars (132 two-car sets + 10 single cars + 1 retired car)	The most commonly used model in Warsaw. Produced from 1973 to 2001. An evolution of the earlier Konstal 13N, the city's first modern tram, a copy of the PCC streetcar derived Czechoslovak Tatra T1 widely used throughout the Soviet Bloc. First cars were based on the electrical systems from the 13N placed in a lighter body, later ones had them replaced with more efficient ones. Most commonly used in sets of two, however, single units also appear. Sets of three had been used in the past, but they were replaced by new low-floor trams.
	Konstal 105N2k/2000	No	62 cars (31 two-car sets)	105Na with a new front. Produced from 2000 to 2001. Only used in sets of two.
	HCP 123N	No	30 cars (14 two-car sets + 2 single cars)	Based on 105Na. Produced in 2007.
	Konstal 112N	partly	1	A single prototype Konstal 112N, partially low-floor, two-section articulated tram based on 105Na, built in 1995.
	Konstal 116N/116Na	partly	29	Vehicles feature three sections and a larger percentage of low-floor area (approx. 60%), designated 116N/116Na, produced between 1998 and 2000.
	Pesa 120N	Yes	15	Pesa 120N was the first tram in Warsaw with 100% of low floor. It was bought in 2007 to operate a modernized route in the city center.
	Pesa Swing(120Na)	Yes	180	In 2009 186 vehicles (120Na) were purchased to operate a planned new line and to replace some of the oldest trams.
	Pesa Swing (120NaDuo)	Yes	6	At the request of the city, the last 6 units were manufactured as bi-directional, designated 120NaDuo, to allow using them on a partially-built line with no balloon loop.
	Pesa Jazz Duo (128N)	Yes	50	In 2013 50 bi-directional trams of a new design were purchased from PESA to be delivered in 2014, planned to allow operating on possible new lines during their construction and sections of existing tracks during maintenance works that made balloon loop inaccessible.
	PESA 134N	Yes	30	Ordered in January 2014 from PESA in Bydgoszcz[12] They are used on less loaded lines. They were bought to replace old single cars from Konstal.
	Hyundai Rotem 140N	Yes	85	Bi-directional, articulated, five-section vehicles, ordered in June 2019, to be delivered by April 2023.
	Hyundai Rotem 141N	Yes	18	Unidirectional version of 140N, ordered in June 2019, to be delivered by April 2023.
	Hyundai Rotem 142N	Yes	20	Short (three-section) version of 141N, ordered in June 2019, to be delivered by April 2023.
Total number of sets:			615
Percentage of low-floor sets:			63%

Konstal 105N2k/2000

Tram depots

Depot	Address	Photo	Year est.	Lines
ZET R-1 Wola	Młynarska 2		1903	9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 20, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28
ZET R-2 Praga	Kawęczyńska 16		1925	3, 6, 7, 9, 13, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28
ZET R-3 Mokotów	Woronicza 27		1955	1, 4, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 18, 25, 31, 33, 35
ZET R-4 Żoliborz	Zgrupowania Kampinos 10		1963	1, 2, 4, 6, 11, 15, 17, 18, 22, 24, 26, 28, 33, 35
ZET R-5 Annopol	Inowłodzka		2024	1, 3, 4, 25

Historic fleet

Sources:^[13][14]

Image	Model	Tram car type	Year of manufacture	Fleet number
	A	Falkenried/MAN	1907	43
	Lw	Linke-Hoffman Werke	1925	541
	C	Lilpop, Rau i Loewenstein	1925	257
	K	Gdańska Fabryka Wagonów [pl]	1940	403-1
		Wspólnota Interesów w Katowicach [pl]	1940	445
		?	1940	446
	N	Konstal	1949	607
			1951	734
	ND	Sanocka Fabryka Wagonów	1951	1620
	4N	Konstal	1961	873
	4ND		1960	1811
	4Nj		1957	838
	13N		1959	503
			1967	407
			1968	462
			1969	795
			1969	821+818
	102N		1969	5
	102Na		1971	42
	105N		1975	1000, 1001
	105Na		1988	1252+1251

Tickets

Warszawska Karta Miejska, city travel card

There is a single fare system for every mode of transportation. Tickets can be purchased at ticket machines and newsagents all over the city, as well as using a mobile app.^[15]

Warsaw tram line 22 in 1940

Route list

This is a list of Warsaw Tramway lines. As of 2015, there were several track closures all over the tramway system, due to the construction of the second metro line. This list shows tram lines operating as of 30 October 2023 and the routes they operate on as of the same date.^[6]

Route number	Description	Map
1	(Żerań Wschodni) Annopol ↔ (Pl. Narutowicza) Banacha Annopol – Rembielińska – Matki Teresy z Kalkuty – Odrowąża – rondo Żaba – Starzyńskiego – most Gdański – Słomińskiego – rondo Zgrupowania AK „Radosław” – Okopowa – Towarowa – rondo Daszyńskiego – Towarowa – plac Zawiszy – Grójecka – plac Narutowicza – Grójecka – Banacha
2	Winnica ↔ Metro Młociny Światowida – Kuklińskiego – most Skłodowskiej-Curie – Zgrupowania AK „Kampinos”
3	Annopol ↔ Gocławek Annopol – Rembielińska – Matki Teresy z Kalkuty – Odrowąża – rondo Żaba – 11 listopada – Targowa – plac Wileński – Targowa – Zamoyskiego – Grochowska
4	Wyścigi ↔ Żerań Wschodni Puławska – plac Unii Lubelskiej – Marszałkowska – plac Zbawiciela – Marszałkowska – rondo Dmowskiego – Marszałkowska – plac Bankowy – aleja Solidarności – most Śląsko-Dąbrowski – aleja Solidarności – Jagiellońska – Ratuszowa – Targowa – 11 Listopada – rondo Żaba – Odrowąża – Matki Teresy z Kalkuty – Rembielińska – Annopol
6	Gocławek ↔ Metro Młociny Grochowska – Zamoyskiego – Targowa – plac Wileński – Targowa – Ratuszowa – Jagiellońska – Starzyńskiego – most Gdański – Słomińskiego – Międzyparkowa – Andersa – Mickiewicza – plac Inwalidów – Mickiewicza – plac Wilsona – Słowackiego – Marymoncka – Zgrupowania AK „Kampinos”
7	Kawęczyńska-Bazylika ↔ P+R Aleja Krakowska Kawęczyńska – Kijowska – Targowa – aleja Zieleniecka – aleja Poniatowskiego – most Poniatowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – rondo Dmowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – plac Zawiszy – Grójecka – plac Narutowicza – Grójecka – aleja Krakowska
9	Gocławek (Wiatraczna) ↔ P+R Aleja Krakowska (Pl. Narutowicza) Grochowska – aleja Waszyngtona – aleja Poniatowskiego – most Poniatowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – rondo Dmowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – plac Zawiszy – Grójecka – plac Narutowicza – Grójecka – aleja Krakowska
10	Osiedle Górczewska ↔ Wyścigi Górczewska - Powstańców Śląskich – Połczyńska – Wolska – Kasprzaka – Prosta – aleja Jana Pawła II – Chałubińskiego – aleja Niepodległości – Nowowiejska – plac Politechniki – Nowowiejska – plac Zbawiciela – Marszałkowska – plac Unii Lubelskiej – Puławska
11	Sielce ↔ Cmentarz Wolski (Nowe Bemowo) Gagarina – Spacerowa – Goworka – Puławska – Marszałkowska – Nowowiejska – aleja Niepodległości – Chałubińskiego – aleja Jana Pawła II – Prosta – Kasprzaka – Wolska
13	Kawęczyńska-Bazylika ↔ Cmentarz Wolski Kawęczyńska – Kijowska – Targowa – plac Wileński – aleja Solidarności – most Śląsko-Dąbrowski – aleja Solidarności – Wolska
14	Banacha ↔ Miasteczko Wilanów Banacha – Grójecka – plac Narutowicza – Filtrowa – Krzywickiego – Nowowiejska – plac Politechniki – Nowowiejska – plac Zbawiciela – Marszałkowska – plac Unii Lubelskiej – Puławska - Goworka - Spacerowa - Belwederska - Sobieskiego - aleja Rzeczypospolitej
15	Marymont-Potok ↔ P+R Aleja Krakowska Mickiewicza – plac Wilsona – Mickiewicza – plac Inwalidów – Mickiewicza – Andersa – Pl.Bankowy – Marszałkowska – rondo Dmowskiego – Marszałkowska – plac Konstytucji – Marszałkowska – plac Zbawiciela – Nowowiejska – plac Politechniki – Nowowiejska – Krzywickiego – Filtrowa – plac Narutowicza – Grójecka – aleja Krakowska
16	Piaski (Muranowska) ↔ Miasteczko Wilanów Broniewskiego - aleja Jana Pawła II - Stawki - Andersa - Pl.Bankowy - Marszałkowska - plac Zbawiciela - plac Unii Lubelskiej = Puławska - Goworka - Spacerowa - Belwederska - Sobieskiego - aleja Rzeczypospolitej
17	Winnica (Metro Marymont)(Tarchomin) ↔ PKP Służewiec Nowodwory - Światowida – Kuklińskiego – Most Skłodowskiej-Curie – Marymoncka – Słowackiego – Popiełuszki – aleja Jana Pawła II – rondo Zgrupowania AK „Radosław” – aleja Jana Pawła II – rondo ONZ – aleja Jana Pawła II – Chałubińskiego – aleja Niepodległości – Rakowiecka – Boboli – Wołoska – Marynarska
18	Żerań FSO ↔ PKP Służewiec Jagiellońska – Starzyńskiego – most Gdański – Słomińskiego – Międzyparkowa – Andersa – Pl.Bankowy – Marszałkowska – rondo Dmowskiego – Marszałkowska – plac Konstytucji – Marszałkowska – plac Zbawiciela – Marszałkowska – plac Unii Lubelskiej – Puławska – Woronicza – Wołoska – Marynarska
20	Boernerowo ↔ Żerań FSO Kaliskiego – Dywizjonu 303 – Obozowa – Młynarska – aleja Solidarności – most Śląsko-Dąbrowski – aleja Solidarności – plac Wileński – Targowa – Ratuszowa – Jagiellońska
22	Wiatraczna ↔ Piaski Grochowska – Zamoyskiego – aleja Zieleniecka – aleja Poniatowskiego – most Poniatowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – rondo Dmowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – plac Zawiszy – Towarowa – rondo Daszyńskiego – Towarowa – Okopowa – rondo Zgrupowania AK „Radosław” – aleja Jana Pawła II – Broniewskiego
23	Czynszowa ↔ Nowe Bemowo Czynszowa – Stalowa (Stalowa – Środkowa – plac Wileński – Czynszowa) – 11 Listopada – Targowa – Ratuszowa – Jagiellońska – aleja Solidarności – most Śląsko-Dąbrowski – aleja Solidarności – Młynarska – Obozowa – Dywizjonu 303 – Radiowa – Powstańców Śląskich
24	Gocławek ↔ Nowe Bemowo Grochowska – aleja Waszyngtona – aleja Poniatowskiego – most Poniatowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – rondo Dmowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – plac Zawiszy – Towarowa – rondo Daszyńskiego – Towarowa – Okopowa – aleja Solidarności – Młynarska – Obozowa – Dywizjonu 303 – Radiowa – Powstańców Śląskich
25	Annopol ↔ Banacha Annopol – Rembielińska – Matki Teresy z Kalkuty – Odrowąża – rondo Żaba – 11 Listopada – Targowa – plac Wileński – Targowa – aleja Zieleniecka – aleja Poniatowskiego – most Poniatowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – rondo Dmowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – plac Zawiszy – Grójecka – plac Narutowicza – Grójecka – Banacha  RIDE ONLY ON WORKDAYS
26	Metro Młociny ↔ Wiatraczna Młociny – Powstańców Śląskich – Połczyńska – Wolska – aleja Solidarności – most Śląsko-Dąbrowski – aleja Solidarności – plac Wileński – Targowa – Zamoyskiego – Grochowska
27	Cmentarz Wolski ↔ Metro Marymont Wolska – aleja Solidarności – Okopowa – rondo Zgrupowania AK „Radosław” – aleja Jana Pawła II – Popiełuszki
28	Dw. Wschodni (Kijowska) ↔ Osiedle Górczewska Kijowska – Targowa – plac Wileński – Targowa – Ratuszowa – Jagiellońska – Starzyńskiego – most Gdański – Słomińskiego – rondo Zgrupowania AK „Radosław” – aleja Jana Pawła II – Broniewskiego – Powstańców Śląskich – Radiowa – Dywizjonu 303
31	Metro Wierzbno ↔ PKP Służewiec Puławska – Woronicza – Wołoska – Marynarska
33	Kielecka ↔ Metro Młociny Rakowiecka – aleja Niepodległości – Chałubińskiego – aleja Jana Pawła II – rondo ONZ – aleja Jana Pawła II – rondo Zgrupowania AK „Radosław” – aleja Jana Pawła II – Broniewskiego – Wólczyńska – Nocznickiego
36	Metro Marymont ↔ Pl.Narutowicza Filtrowa - Nowowiejska - Pl.Konstytucji - Marszałkowska - Pl.Bankowy - Andersa - Mickiewicza - Słowackiego

The standard headway is every 8 minutes during peak hours and every 12 minutes off-peak, but the trams on lines 1, 9, 17, 31, and 33 run every 4–6 minutes. Line 2 has the most frequent service with trams running every 2 minutes during peak hours.

Tram loops

Name	Image	date of opening	Lines
Annopol		1971	1   3   25
Banacha		1959	1   14   25
Boernerowo		1933	20
Cmentarz Wolski		1924	11   13   27
Czynszowa		1958	23
Dworzec Wschodni (Kijowska) Warszawa Wschodnia railway station		1866	28
Gocławek		1925	3   6   9   24
Kawęczyńska Bazylika		1925	7   13
Kielecka		1927	33
Marymont-Potok		1961	15
Metro Marymont Marymont metro station		1935	17   27   36
Metro Młociny Młociny metro station		1957	2   6   33   26
Metro Wierzbno Wierzbno metro station		2006	31
Miasteczko Wilanów		2024	14   16
Muranowska		2024	16
Nowe Bemowo		1997	11   23   24
Osiedle Górczewska		1992	10   28
P+R Aleja Krakowska		1971	7   9   15
Piaski		1968	16   22
PKP Służewiec Warszawa Służewiec railway station		1961	17   18   31
Plac Narutowicza		1921	1   9   36
Sielce		2024	11
Stegny		planned 2025
Tarchomin Kościelny		2014	17
Wiatraczna		1949	9   22   26
Winnica		2021	2   17
Wyścigi		1938	4   10
Żerań FSO		1953	18   20
Żerań Wschodni		1952	1   4

See also

• Transport portal
• Poland portal
• European Union portal

• List of town tramway systems in Poland
• Warsaw Metro
• Zarząd Transportu Miejskiego w Warszawie

Notes

1. The figure given in the source is 303 km (188 mi) of single track, it is assumed that the length of all routes (nearly all of them being double track) is about half that figure.

References

1. "Infrastruktura torowa". Tramwaje Warszawskie. September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
2. "Warszawa w negliżu" (PDF). Świat. Vol. 2, no. 29. Warsaw: Tow. Akc. S. Orgelbranda Synów. 20 July 1907. p. 17 – via Mazovian Digital Library.
3. "Ultimate Warsaw Guide". Poland Travel Planner. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
4. "Stan inwentarzowy taboru - Tramwaje Warszawskie" [Rolling stock - Tramwaje Warszawskie]. Tramwaje Warszawskie. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
5. "Tramwaje Warszawskie Sp. z o. o. — O nas: Tabor tramwajowy". Tramwaje Warszawskie. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
6. "Timetables". Warsaw Public Transport. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
7. "Trasa do Winnicy gotowa". Warszawski Transport Publiczny.
8. "Warszawa: Niebawem przetarg na tramwaj do Wilanowa. Będzie fazowanie". transport-publiczny.pl.
9. "Przygotowania do budowy tramwaju do Wilanowa" [Preparations for building a tram to Wilanów]. transport-publiczny.pl (in Polish). 11 August 2022.
10. "Ruszył tramwaj do Wilanowa – zmiany w komunikacji" (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-11-01.
11. "Warszawa rezygnuje z dofinansowania dla tramwaju na Gocław. Powstanie później?". transport-publiczny.pl.
12. Barrow, Keith (2014-01-21). "Warsaw Tramways orders Pesa Jazz LRVs". International Railway Journal. International Railway Journal. Retrieved 2014-01-22. WARSAW Tramways signed a Zlotys 167.9m ($US 54.8m) contract with Pesa, Poland on January 15 for 30 type 134N Jazz low-floor LRVs, which will be used on lower-density routes in the city.
13. "Tramwaje". Klub Miłośników Komunikacji Miejskiej w Warszawie (in Polish). 31 December 1999. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
14. "Tram hire pricelist" (PDF). Tramwaje Warszawskie (in Polish).
15. "Ticket by mobile". Retrieved 2022-02-02.

External links

• Media related to Trams in Warsaw at Wikimedia Commons
• Warsaw Transport Authority – network maps
• Tramwar – a private website about trams in Warsaw (in Polish)