POLAND: Local passenger services around Katowice and Gliwice are to be stepped up from 2022 under plans announced by the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolia authority, which has set out a four-stage expansion strategy to develop the region’s rail network as a backbone for sustainable transport.
GZM was formed in 2018 to bring together 41 cities and communes around Katowice, Gliwice, Bytom, Sosnowiec and Tychy.
As a first step in its transport strategy, it has been supporting local rail services in conjunction with Śląskie voivodship, providing 9·2m złoty in 2021 to co-finance 48 trains per day on the Gliwice – Katowice – Dąbrowa Górnicza and Tychy – Katowice – Dąbrowa Górnicza routes.
Following several months of negotiations with Koleje Śląskie and Polregio, it announced in mid-May that it would finance an additional five trains each way per day on the Katowice – Sławków route during 2022, while ensuring that the hub stations at Sosnowiec and Dąbrowa Górnicza have at last an hourly service on weekdays.
GZM has been pushing for the restoration of passenger services on the Gliwice – Bytom route, which were withdrawn in 2013. These will resume in 2022, with 15 trains each way per day. There will be an hourly service during peak times and every 2 h off peak, with the trains timed to enable Gliwice residents to travel to and from work in the Katowice Special Economic Zone. Journey time will be around 20 min, thanks to an upgrading of the line by infrastructure manager PKP PLK.
‘You could say that this is a breakthrough moment’, said GZM board member Grzegorz Kwiatek. ‘The establishment of the Metropolis made it possible to create a platform of understanding between all entities that have an impact on the shape of rail transport in the region.
‘So far, we have co-financed connections that were specified by the Marshal’s office as organiser of passenger rail transport. Now we have also proposed a list of new connections that we are ready to finance in full, as well as preparing the draft timetable. It has been fully our initiative from the very beginning.’
The agency has set minimum quality standards for the rolling stock on the services it is supporting, requiring air-conditioning, controlled emission toilets and a passenger information system.
GZM has been working with Katowice transport authority ZTM to synchronize train and bus timetables as far as possible, especially on the Gliwice – Bytom route. ‘We are convinced that a good timetable, joint ticketing between rail and road, and good quality vehicles will encourage passengers to use metropolitan rail’, explained Deputy Director of Communication & Transport Wojciech Dinges. ‘In addition, we intend to extend the Metroticket offer to include Polregio, so that the transport offer for Zagłębie is consistent.’
