Stage 4A of the EU-funded Gdańsk Urban Transport Project is scheduled for completion in October 2020. The project is a long-term plan aimed at improving the quality and performance of the public transport system in Gdańsk, capital and largest city of the Pomorskie region in northern Poland.
Improvements to public transport in Gdańsk continue
- 01 June 2018
Two double-track tram lines – a 2.7 km line along Nowa Bulońska Północna and a 1.5 km line on Nowa Warszawska – are under construction, along with related infrastructure including a bus-tram interchange node and parking for 167 vehicles and bicycles as part of a park and ride service.
A 3.5 km double-track tram line to the Stogi district is being rebuilt and includes two loop stations for trams and buses at Pasanil and Plaża Stogi, together with adjacent road infrastructure 2.5 km in length, 1.2 km of cycle paths, 1.9 km of footpaths and park and ride facilities for five cars and 20 bikes.
Other elements of the project entail the purchase of 15 new bidirectional multi-car low-floor trams, and construction of 64 shelters for passengers and installation of 84 passenger information panels at public transport stops. A total of in excess of EUR 124 million is being spent on stage 4A, of which almost EUR 66 million is supplied through the EU’s Cohesion Fund.
A long-running initiative
With a population of 460 000, Gdańsk is the sixth-largest city in Poland and is served by an extensive public transport system comprising a dense tram and bus network. The Gdańsk Urban Transport Project began in 2003, with an assessment of the city’s public transport and reconstruction of five sections of tram line carried out in the first stage. This was followed by stage 2, which was implemented between 2004 and 2008, and covered construction of a tram line to the Chełm district, various line upgrades and the purchase of new trams and buses.
Completed in 2012, stage 3 saw the construction of a tram line linking Chełm with the Nowa Łódzka transport hub, with six stops along the route featuring shelters with passenger information panels and barriers to control pedestrian flow and provide protection from traffic. An existing 12 km stretch of tramway was converted to double track and the Wrzeszcz tram depot was refurbished. The project also delivered 35 new trams and park and ride and park and bike facilities.
Development of low-carbon transport
Stage 4A will provide further support for the development of low-carbon public transport in Gdańsk and, by improving levels of safety, quality, attractiveness and comfort, it will also increase its use. This will contribute to reducing congestion on the roads and making traffic flow more smoothly, thereby mitigating the negative impacts of transport on the environment, particularly noise and air pollution. In addition, with elements such as the low-floor trams, the project facilitates the adaptation of the municipal transport system to the needs of people with reduced mobility.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Gdansk Urban Transport Project - Stage IV A” is EUR 124 138 944, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 65 733 560 through the “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.