Trams in Warsaw

The Warsaw tram network is a tram system serving a third of Warsaw, Poland, and serving half the city's population. It operates 726 cars, and is the second-largest system in the country. There are about 25 regular lines, 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.

History

Horse tram

The history of tram transport in Warsaw dates back to 1866 when a 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 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 and 757 tram cars in 1939. In 1927, a privately owned light rail line called EKD 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 long segment finished in September 2021 after multiple delays. More new lines are being planned: one with of new tracks to Gocław, and another to the eastern parts of the Białołęka district. The construction of a new tram route to Wilanów was launched in August 2022 and was completed in October 2024. It is unclear when work will start on the line to Gocław.

Rolling stock

Tram depots

Historic fleet

Sources:

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		1940	403-1
	K		1940	445
	K	?	1940	446
	N	Konstal	1949	607
	N	Konstal	1951	734
	ND	Sanocka Fabryka Wagonów	1951	1620
	4N	Konstal	1961	873
	4ND	Konstal	1960	1811
	4Nj	Konstal	1957	838
	13N	Konstal	1959	503
	13N	Konstal	1967	407
	13N	Konstal	1968	462
	13N	Konstal	1969	795
	13N	Konstal	1969	821+818
	102N	Konstal	1969	5
	102Na	Konstal	1971	42
	105N	Konstal	1975	1000, 1001
	105Na	Konstal	1988	1252+1251

Tickets

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.

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 26 October 2024 and the routes they operate on as of the same date.

Daily	1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 33
Weekdays	25, 31
Tourist	36, T

Route number	Description	Map
	Annopol ↔ P+R Aleja Krakowska 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 – - Aleja Krakowska
	Winnica ↔ Metro Młociny Światowida – Kuklińskiego – most Skłodowskiej-Curie – Zgrupowania AK „Kampinos”
	Annopol ↔ Gocławek Annopol – Rembielińska – Matki Teresy z Kalkuty – Odrowąża – rondo Żaba – 11 listopada – Targowa – plac Wileński – Targowa – Zamoyskiego – Grochowska
	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
	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”
	Kawęczyńska-Bazylika ↔ Banacha Kawęczyńska – Kijowska – Targowa – aleja Zieleniecka – aleja Poniatowskiego – most Poniatowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – rondo Dmowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – plac Zawiszy – Grójecka – plac Narutowicza - Grójecka - Stefana Banacha
	Gocławek ↔ 'P+R Aleja Krakowska Grochowska – aleja Waszyngtona – aleja Poniatowskiego – most Poniatowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – rondo Dmowskiego – Aleje Jerozolimskie – plac Zawiszy – Grójecka – plac Narutowicza – Grójecka – aleja Krakowska
	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
	Sielce ↔ Cmentarz Wolski Gagarina – Spacerowa – Goworka – Puławska – Marszałkowska – Nowowiejska – aleja Niepodległości – Chałubińskiego – aleja Jana Pawła II – Prosta – Kasprzaka – Wolska -
	Kawęczyńska-Bazylika ↔ Cmentarz Wolski Kawęczyńska – Kijowska – Targowa – plac Wileński – aleja Solidarności – most Śląsko-Dąbrowski – aleja Solidarności – Wolska
	Banacha ↔ Miasteczko Wilanów Stefana Banacha - Grójecka - plac Narutowicza – Filtrowa – Krzywickiego – Nowowiejska – plac Politechniki – Nowowiejska – plac Zbawiciela – Marszałkowska – plac Unii Lubelskiej – Puławska - Goworka - Spacerowa - Belwederska - Sobieskiego - aleja Rzeczypospolitej
	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
	Piaski ↔ Miasteczko Wilanów Broniewskiego - aleja Jana Pawła II - Stawki - Andersa - Pl.Bankowy - Marszałkowska - plac Zbawiciela - plac Unii Lubelskiej = Puławska - Goworka - Spacerowa - Belwederska - Sobieskiego - aleja Rzeczypospolitej
	Winnica ↔ 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
	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
	Nowe Bemowo ↔ Stegny Powstańców Śląskich - Broniewskiego - aleja Jana Pawła II – rondo Zgrupowania AK „Radosław” – aleja Jana Pawła II – rondo ONZ – aleja Jana Pawła II – Chałubińskiego – aleja Niepodległości – Rakowiecka - Puławska - Goworka - Spacerowa - Belwederska - Sobieskiego - Świętego Bonifacego
	Boernerowo ↔ Żerań FSO Kaliskiego – Dywizjonu 303 – Obozowa – Młynarska – aleja Solidarności – most Śląsko-Dąbrowski – aleja Solidarności – plac Wileński – Targowa – Ratuszowa – Jagiellońska
	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
	Czynszowa ↔ Nowe Bemowo Czynszowa – Stalowa – 11 Listopada – Targowa – Ratuszowa – Jagiellońska – aleja Solidarności – most Śląsko-Dąbrowski – aleja Solidarności – Młynarska – Obozowa – Dywizjonu 303 – Radiowa – Powstańców Śląskich
	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
	Annopol ↔ Plac Narutowicza 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
	Metro Młociny ↔ Wiatraczna Młociny – Powstańców Śląskich – Połczyńska – Wolska – aleja Solidarności – most Śląsko-Dąbrowski – aleja Solidarności – plac Wileński – Targowa – Zamoyskiego – Grochowska
	Cmentarz Wolski ↔ Metro Marymont Wolska – aleja Solidarności – Okopowa – rondo Zgrupowania AK „Radosław” – aleja Jana Pawła II – Popiełuszki
	Dw. Wschodni ↔ 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
	Metro Wierzbno ↔ PKP Służewiec Puławska – Woronicza – Wołoska – Marynarska
	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
	Metro Marymont ↔ Pl.Narutowicza Filtrowa - Nowowiejska - Pl.Konstytucji - Marszałkowska - Pl.Bankowy - Andersa - Mickiewicza - Słowackiego
	Pl.Narutowicza ↔ Pl.Narutowicza' Grójecka - plac Zawiszy - Aleje Jerozolimskie - Most Poniatowskiego - Aleje Jerozolimskie - Aleja Zieleniecka - Targowa - Aleja Solidarności - Most Śląsko-Dąbrowski - Aleja Solidarności - Pl.Bankowy - Marszałkowska - 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.