Redical rail plan for Wrocław

Wrocław City Hall is working on an integrated public transport system for the city and the urban area ranging from 30km to even 50km from the city center. The system will include trams, buses and suburban trains and will be fully integrated with the existing tariff systems. The project involves constructing new fast tram connections with tunnels between four distant parts of the city.

Wrocław's local authorities are aware of the growing problem of traffic jams in the town. "The only chance is to develop a good public-transport system. Good means independent of traffic jams. Independent means a rail-transport system and this is trains, regular trams and fast trams," says Zbigniew Komar, the Mayor's proxy responsible for the implementation and development of the rail transport system at Wrocław's City Hall.

Within the next couple of years City Hall wants to construct fast tram connections from the four Wrocław districts of Nowy Dwór, Gaj, Psie Pole and Kozanów, and the city center. According to Komar, it should take no longer than 20 minutes to get to the city center. To shorten the journey City Hall plans several tunnels, for example one near the main railway station and another near the old Świebodzki railway station. To ease traffic jams in the center, the authorities want to get rid of buses in the center and run them in the suburbs.

Asked about the cost of the whole public transport integration program, Komar says zł.1.5 billion would solve all problems. City Hall has estimated the cost of particular projects and has applied to the EU for funds.