The length of the railways in Poland is 26644 km. The vast majority of railway gauges is 1435 mm, and less than 1 / 20 of the railways has electrification. The most important railway junctions in Poland are Warsaw, Olsztyn, Katowice, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Krakow and Lublin.
A ticket for the train in Poland will cost you less than in Western Europe and the service will remain at the same level, and perhaps higher. The fastest ways pass through major cities of Poland. Express routes Krakow - Warsaw, Poznan - Warsaw and Wroclaw - Poznan will allow you to quickly get from one part of the country to another.
The railways belong to the Polish government, which is represented by the stock company Polish State Railways. In 2001, after the privatization of the company Polish State Railways the Ministry of Infrastructure became its only shareholder.
Warsaw is the largest railway hub in Poland. There are situated major railway stations: Western Warsaw, Central Warsaw and East Warsaw. If you are in Warsaw for the first time, then the best option for you to arrive to the Central Station, which is located in the heart of the city.
But if you're already familiar with the city or know exactly where you need to get, you can choose where to go by yourself. To get to the east of Warsaw it is more convenient to go to the East Railway Station. For those who need to make a change for the bus must exit at the West Railway Station.
In Warsaw there are also other stations: Sredmeste Warsaw, Warsaw Vilenska and Warsaw Gdanska. They deal only with suburban traffic.
From Warsaw it is very convenient to get to Krakow by the train. Every hour in the afternoon from Warsaw departures comfortable expresses. Having paid 20 euros in 3 hours you will arrive to the cultural capital of Poland, Krakow.
Central railway station of Krakow is conveniently located on the outskirts of the Old City, where you can immediately begin a tour of the ancient Polish capital. The station is linked with several European cities: Berlin, Bucharest, Budapest, Sofia, Hamburg, Kiev, Odessa, Prague, Vienna, Varna and Zhilina, and it also deal with the domestic traffic. All this makes it very convenient to travel within Poland and ease the arrival of foreign tourists from many European countries.
Currently, the whole network of railways in Poland is being extensively upgraded and are being built new branch lines in connection with the plan and due to the European Football Championship in 2012. After all, the more convenient way is, the greater amount of foreign tourists will be.
