The recent purchase of new tram equipment – made possible thanks to the EU’s Cohesion Fund – will bring long-term benefits to citizens and commuters living and working in the western Polish city of Poznań. The project has sought to strengthen transport links within the city, mostly notably between the stadium, the city centre, the railway station and the airport, and encourage citizens to make the most of sustainable urban modes of transport.
- 26 September 2016
Efficient public transport
This EU-funded project to modernise tram infrastructure in Poznań involved the purchase of new equipment and the refurbishment of ancillary infrastructure along the important Grunwaldzka street thoroughfare. Transport axes linking the stadium to the city centre, to the railway station and to the airport have also been renovated.
A more efficient and punctual service has helped to encourage more people to use the city’s tram network, thus contributing to reducing car traffic density in the city and cutting pollution.
Benefits for citizens
The project, which now fully operational, was implemented in connection with the UEFA EURO 2012 football championship. This tournament was played at eight venues including Poznań, and extensive improvements were made to key infrastructure such as railways and road networks. The project was part of this overall ambitious work plan, and contributed to a smooth and successful tournament with sustainable benefits expected long into the future.
The key beneficiaries of this project will be Poznań’s citizens and people living in the Wielkopolskie region. Poznań is one of the biggest cities in Poland with a population of around 550 000, while the larger Poznań Metropolitan Area (PMA) is home to some 1.3 to 1.4 million people, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Poland.
The sustainable benefits that this project has brought will be felt long into the future. The work has led to an increase in the frequency and speed of tram journeys along with increased punctuality across Poznań's public transport system. In total, some 5.31 km of tram and trolleybus network was remodelled along strategic stretches of the city’s network.
This enabled more people to use the system than ever before. In 2014 some 183 716 667 journeys were undertaken on the city’s public transport, with an additional 150 000 commuting journeys made possible thanks to the upgrade.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Regeneration of the public transport infrastructure, connected to the organisation of EURO 2012 in Poznań – Phase I and Phase II” is EUR 52 342 937, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 33 264 261 through the “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Environment-friendly Transport”.