Kraków 2020-06-05
Gdańsk Rębiechowo airport.
By train to the Gdańsk-Rębiechowo airport.
The 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century were the period of liquidation of railways in Poland. However, the experiences of other countries have shown that rail is a good means of transport. In 2010, the first plans to rebuild the railway network in the Tri-City area were made. The project was called the Metropolitan Railway. The Ministry of Regional Development entered the investment on the list of projects financed under the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Program. The investment was divided into several stages, as its cost was estimated at PLN 650 million. Half of this amount came from EU (European Union) subsidies, and the rest from the voivodeship authorities, Gdańsk, Gdynia and PKP. The Metropolitan Railway is a big step in the development of the Tri-City agglomeration.
The new line starts at the SKM Gdańsk Zaspa stop. Over the old railway embankment, on which once ran the Gdańsk – Kokoszki line, and reaches the vicinity of the airport terminal. Several stops were built on this section: Gdańsk Strzyża, Gdańsk Niedźwiednik, Gdańsk Brętowo, Gdańsk Jasień, Gdańsk Kiełpienik, Gdańsk Maternia, Gdańsk Airport and Gdańsk Rębiechowo.
The railway line is double-track, non-quantified. There are plans to electrify the line by 2025. Many sections of the track run along the former railway embankment. In the first years of operation, there were problems with landslides from the embankments, after heavy rains. At the airport itself, a decision was made to build a flyover, the total length of which is 900 m.
The Gdańsk Port Lotniczy stop was not called Gdańsk Airport, because such a stop was at the Wrzeszcz Airport. The stop has two platforms, which are connected to Terminal 2 by a built-up, glazed footbridge.
The metropolitan railway line continues. It runs north-west, then splits left and right to the Gdynia-Żukowo railway line (north-south direction). It is exactly the railway line No. 201 Gdynia Port – Nowa Wieś Wielka. The railway line No. 201 is part of the Magistrala Węglowa, one of the main investments in the Second Polish Republic and was a line of national importance. Due to the German attack on Poland, the line lost its importance and was a local line. Currently (2020), the metropolitan line has opened the Tri-City to Kartuzy and Kościerzyna. The railway line facilitates the access of passengers to the airport and Gdańsk. About 46 million euros were spent on the modernization of the Koscierzyna route in the Regional Operational Program, and the modernization was completed in 2015. The journey from Kartuzy to the airport takes 30 minutes.
The metropolitan railway line was officially opened on September 1, 2015. During the day, the railway carries 1000-2000 passengers. The line is operated by SKM and Polregio trains. These are diesel sets, two-, three- or four-car.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman