Poznań Fast Tram
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Sie%C4%87_tramwajowa_w_Poznaniu.svg/200px-Sie%C4%87_tramwajowa_w_Poznaniu.svg.png)
Poznań Fast Tram (
System
- Length: 8.1 km (5.0 mi)
- Number of stops: 9
- Maximum speed: 70 km/h (43 mph)
- Capacity: 5000 persons per hour
- Trams run every 2.5 minutes during the rush hours, otherwise every 5 minutes
Background
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Estakada_ponad_Bogdank%C4%85_Pozna%C5%84.jpg/200px-Estakada_ponad_Bogdank%C4%85_Pozna%C5%84.jpg)
Poznań is a city with about half a million inhabitants, with slightly over a million in the entire metropolitan area. Most of the city's office buildings are located in the center, while most light industry is located uptown or in the suburbs around the city. Hence most trips by public transport are to and from the center.
History
The first Poznań public transport company started its business activity in 1880, with a few horse-pulled trams. At that time, the town had about 70,000 inhabitants, and was not growing due to building restrictions imposed by the Prussian military administration creating
Soon after the company was established, the construction limitations were lifted, and the town grew very fast to about 200,000 inhabitants in 1920s. By that time there were some early ideas of creating a segregated line that would link the center with one of the northern districts. Neither technology nor the budget allowed for a construction of such a tram line, and metro, would have been too ambitious and unnecessary, so the plans were shelved.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Poland's communist government built
Original plans envisioned a 27 kilometer line completely separate from the existing tram network, conceptually similar to the
The construction work commenced in 1975, progressed very slowly, finally stalling at 60%[1] in 1990, after the fall of communism. Construction resumed in 1993, and the entire project was ready by the end of 1996.
The line opened on February 1, 1997. Travel times between the northern districts and the center decreased from about 40 minutes to some 10–15 minutes. This, combined with limited and paid parking space in the center, contributed to the huge success of the line, with overcrowding at peak times.
The tracks originally served three routes, in 1999, a fourth one was added, reaching the limits of the lines capacity with trams run every 2.5 minutes at peak times. As the line has not been fitted with a train protection system, smaller intervals are not allowed for safety reasons.
The trams suffered from vandalism and from a lack of security. These problems, however, diminished when surveillance cameras were installed. The project has had a very positive impact on the communities it serves, making them more attractive for investors, and stopping depopulation.
Some institutions and companies served by the tram, listed by station, include: (those marked by a plus (+) have moved in the general area after the opening of the line):
- Słowiańska (green) — student dormitories, Courts of Law (+)
- Al. Solidarności (previously Serbska; yellow) — 3 supermarkets (+), a large office building (+)
- Lechicka/Poznań Plaza (previously Lechicka; blue) — a supermarket (+), Poznań Plaza shopping mall (+)
- Kurpińskiego (orange) — a bank (+), a small supermarket, a clinic
- Szymanowskiego (red) — a supermarket (+), and a large development of modern apartment blocks
- Osiedle Jana III Sobieskiego (terminus) — Adam Mickiewicz Universitycampus
In 2011 work began on a previously cut 2 kilometer long extension of the line to the
Current lines
# | Stops |
---|---|
Regular line | |
12 | OS. JANA III SOBIESKIEGO – PST – Dworzec Zachodni – Głogowska – Most Dworcowy – Matyi – Królowej Jadwigi – Krzywoustego – rondo Rataje – Ludwika Zamenhofa – rondo Starołęka – Starołęcka – STAROŁĘKA |
14 | OS. JANA III SOBIESKIEGO – PST – Dworzec Zachodni – Głogowska – GÓRCZYN |
15 | OS. JANA III SOBIESKIEGO – PST – Słowiańska – Roosevelta – Grunwaldzka – rondo Nowaka-Jeziorańskiego – Grunwaldzka – BUDZISZYŃSKA |
16 | OS. JANA III SOBIESKIEGO – PST – Słowiańska – Roosevelta – Most Teatralny – Fredry – Gwarna – Św. Marcin – Al. Marcinkowskiego – Podgórna – Dowbora-Muśnickiego – Mostowa – Kórnicka – Trasa Kórnicka – Piaśnicka – FRANOWO |
19 | OS. JANA III SOBIESKIEGO – PST – Dworzec Zachodni |
20 | OS. JANA III SOBIESKIEGO - PST – Słowiańska – - Most Teatralny - Fredry - Gwarna - Św. Marcin - Al. Marcinkowskiego - Podgórna - Pl. Wiosny Ludów - Strzelecka - Królowej Jadwigi - Bolesława Krzywoustego - Rondo Rataje - Jana Pawła II - Kórnicka - Most św. Rocha - Mostowa - Dowbora-Muśnickiego - plac Bernardyński - Podgórna - Al. Marcinkowskiego - Pl. Wolności - 27 Grudnia - Fredry - Most Teatralny – Słowiańska – PST - OS. JANA III SOBIESKIEGO |
Night line | |
201 | OS. JANA III SOBIESKIEGO – PST – Most Teatralny – Roosevelta – Fredry – Gwarna – Św. Marcin – Al. Marcinkowskiego – Podgórna – Dowbora-Muśnickiego – Mostowa – Most Św. Rocha – Kórnicka – Trasa Kórnicka – OS. LECHA – Górny Taras Rataj – Hetmańska – rondo Starołęka – Zamenhofa – rondo Rataje – Jana Pawła II – Kórnicka – Most św. Rocha – Mostowa – Dowbora-Muśnickiego – Podgórna – Al. Marcinkowskiego – 27 Grudnia – Fredry – Roosevelta – PST – OS. JANA III SOBIESKIEGO |
Future development
Similar fast tram networks exist in other parts of the world — namely in Vienna, Amsterdam, and Brussels — while several other cities, beginning with Karlsruhe, have used mainline railway tracks to expand their tram networks. However, those cities are much larger and have gone further towards the development of trams into metro-style, heavier vehicles. It was therefore important for the Poznań administration to find out on their own how successful the program would be.
As the program had proved successful, another new tram line started in early 2005, connecting the city center with eastern district of Rataje. It is not truly a fast tram, but the success of the first program has prompted the authority to convert an existing line into a faster one.
See also
References
- ^ Andrzej KRYCH SZYBKI I SZYBSZY TRAMWAJ - EWALUACJA IDEI I APLIKACJI NA PRZYKLADZIE POZNANIA