Warsaw Metro - 25 years, 23 stations and 12 miles
Saturday 25th October finally saw the official opening of Warsaw’s first metro line. Although the line has been progressively snaking its way under the streets of Warsaw since 1983, with the first section opening in 1995, it is only now that the line has finally connected Kabaty in the South and Mlociny in the North of the city. The project endured the collapse of communism, a lack of equipment and a lack of funds but in true Polish fighting spirit they got there in the end.
Although work in earnest began in 1983, the history of the Warsaw metro goes back much further to 1925 when the city authorities approved the go ahead for plans to be drafted. By 1927 the first plans were ready and initial geological tests were undertaken. In truth Warsaw was in no way capable of funding such a huge project and financing was agreed with banks and financial consortiums from the West. The great depression and ensuing financial collapse of the 1930’s soon put a stop to any dreams of Warsaw having a Metro system as the previously promised financing disappeared.
For a brief period in 1938 the President of Warsaw, Stefan Starzynski attempted to breathe new life into the project but this was also laid to rest with the outbreak of World War II. All plans and projects connected to the building of the Metro system were lost or destroyed by the end of the war.
New plans were already being worked on in 1945 and the project was yet again given the thumbs up by the Communist government in 1950. The new plans included some complex new additions, such as running the line under the Vistula River in order to connect the system with Praga and Targowek in the east of the city and also making the tunnels wide enough and high enough to allow the movement of standard rail wagons if need be. The military and geopolitical benefits of such a system meant it was given priority as a project. Unfortunately the extremely complicated engineering and the astronomical costs for a country still reeling from the effects of the war meant the idea was finally put to sleep in 1953.
Plans for the system were briefly resurrected in the ‘boom’ years of the 70’s but it was decided that the priority now lay with the construction of an improved road network and once again plans for the problem ridden Metro were shelved.
In January 1982 General Jaruzelski announced that work on the line would commence the following year and on the 15th April 1983 the first steel pile was driven into the ground, this day is now accepted as the official starting date for the construction of the first Warsaw Metro Line
The metro line now offers a clean, modern and efficient way of getting around the city. Earlier this year the new station at Wilson Square (Plac Wilsona) was awarded the international ‘Best New Station’ award at the Metro Rail Conference in Copenhagen.
In celebration the good people of Warsaw were allowed to travel on the metro for free on Saturday 1st November without risking the usual 150 zloty fine for travelling without a valid ticket. On this day close on 17,000 people passed through the new Mlociny station.
A second line connecting the East and West of the city is already being planned. Roll on 2035