Fast Urban Railway (Warsaw)

The earliest attempts to implement an electrified suburban rail system in Warsaw were made in 1936–37, when the Warsaw Railway Junction and surrounding railway lines were electrified to the national standard of 3 kV DC and high platform electric multiple units were introduced (which later came to be designated PKP class EW51).

After World War II, newer EW53, EW54 and EW55 high-platform EMUs were introduced. In 1963, Warszawa Śródmieście railway station was rebuilt into its current form as an underground city station in the city center and in 1967 the Warsaw Cross-City Line was doubled to four tracks to enable separation of suburban and long-distance trains in preparation for the opening of Warszawa Centralna railway station in 1975. The system went into steep decline from the late-1970s due to the country's serious economic problems and the martial law period. These problems persisted well into the 1990s and 2000s as the fall of communism and the country's transition to a market economy made owning private cars more affordable to the general population and as a side effect of decentralization local authorities preferred to invest in infrastructure used directly by their constituencies.

The Warsaw SKM in its current form was proposed in late-2002, stipulating to use the existing infrastructure of the Warsaw Railway Junction, especially the cross city line with its over 2 km long tunnel running under the city center and conveniently located underground station, as a cheap substitute for a badly needed second metro line whose construction did not start until 2010.

Newag 14WE EMUs in the original blue and orange livery and present-day yellow and red of Warsaw public transit

One of the stations - Warszawa Stadion

Train on S9 line

In order to implement this the then-Mayor of Warsaw Lech Kaczyński established in 2004 the municipally-owned company Szybka Kolej Miejska Sp. z o.o. The company was originally incorporated as a joint venture between the City of Warsaw with 50% shares and the companies Metro Warszawskie Sp. z o.o. with 49% shares and Tramwaje Warszawskie Sp. z. o.o. with 1% shares, both owned entirely by the city and responsible respectively for the Metro and Tram system. As such the company is notably completely independent from the national rail operator PKP Group, unlike Koleje Mazowieckie established by the Masovian Voivodeship at around the same time.

The newly formed company was equipped with six Newag 14WE EMUs which were an extensive modernization of the PKP class EN57 EMUs commonly used on regional routes at the time, with a modern looking body but retaining their original underframes.

A year and a half after being established the SKM initiated its operation with its first trains, opening a single line from Warszawa Zachodnia along the cross city line to Warszawa Wschodnia and along the Vistula river to Warszawa Falenica. The new service failed to deliver on its promise to serve as a viable replacement due to the poor state of the rail infrastructure. Passengers within the city center preferred the more accessible trams system and few people wanted to use the trains in the southeastern districts of the city. Additionally, while the integrated fare system of the Warsaw Transit Authority offered a large convenience the modern look and relative cleanness of the rolling stock sharply contrasted with the standard found in the Polish railroad; during rush hours most of the slots on the tracks were taken up by regional traffic and the new EMUs suffered from the same technical problems as the ones they were based on.

Due to the initial low popularity of the line the original concept was somewhat altered in 2006 with the line extended outside the administrative borders of the city through the Ursus district into the town of Pruszków to the west and diverted to the district of the Wesoła and the town of Sulejówek to the east, turning the service into a suburban commuter network which allowed people in the metropolitan area to quickly reach the city center and conveniently transfer within the city's public transit system. The revised formula proved to be very successful leading the city to take the purchase of all the shares of the company and purchase two more Newag 14WE EMUs. The popularity of trains run the SKM was also instrumental in the city negotiating a deal with the Masovian Voivodeship to have Koleje Mazowieckie honor long term tickets of the Warsaw Transit Authority, first along the route of the SKM and eventually within the entire area served by the city's public transit system.

In 2010 the company purchased four brand new Newag 19WE EMUs and opened a new line to the town of Otwock. Additionally, the Warsaw Transit Authority signed a contract with the Koleje Mazowieckie to operate a line between Warszawa Gdańska station on the Warsaw Circumferential Line and the town of Legionowo under the branding of the SKM, and since 2012 taken over by the company.

In 2011 13 new Pesa Elf 27WE EMUs (2011–2012) were purchased. In 2012 a new airport rail link was created running through the Służewiec office district and a newly opened 1.5 km rail tunnel to Warsaw Chopin Airport.

In 2012 the company purchased 9 six car Newag Impuls 35WE units.[2]

In 2020 SKM has awarded Newag a contract to supply an additional 21 Impuls 2 EMUs, 6 four car versions and 15 with five cars each. The trains feature air-conditioning, a passenger information system, ticket vending machines and validators, Wi-Fi, USB sockets and an AED defibrillator.[3]

In January 2022 Newag has delivered the first two Impuls 2 EMUs [4]

In June 2023, the S4 line was extended to Zegrze Południowe, with two new stations: Wieliszew Centrum and Zegrze Południowe. (note: the Wieliszew Centrum station was not yet completed as of the extension's opening, but was completed later on)

As of September 2023 SKM operates 5 regular and 2 temporary lines:[10]

S1 line

Pruszków – Otwock

The line was established in October 2005, running from Warszawa Falenica to Warszawa Zachodnia and suspended indefinitely in July 2006 with all of the rolling stock directed to the newly created line S2. In September 2010 the line was re-established and extended towards the town of Otwock, south east of Warsaw, but only reaching Warszawa Wschodnia, which required most of the potential passengers to transfer there to trains running on the line S2 or regional trains operated by Koleje Mazowieckie to reach the city. The line was extended through Warszawa Śródmieście and Warszawa Zachodnia to Pruszków in December 2010.

S1
Fare zone Pruszków Piastów Zone 2 Zone 1 Warszawa Ursus-Niedźwiadek Warszawa Ursus Warszawa Włochy S2 S3 to Warsaw Chopin Airport, S4 to Piaseczno Warszawa Zachodnia S2 S3 S4 S3 to Radzymin, S4 to Zegrze Południowe Warszawa Główna (B terminus) Warszawa Centralna Vistula River Warszawa Wschodnia S10 S2 S20 Warszawa Olszynka Grochowska Warszawa Gocławek Warszawa Wawer Warszawa Anin Warszawa Międzylesie Warszawa Radość Warszawa Miedzeszyn Zone 1 Zone 2 Warszawa Falenica Michalin Józefów Otwock Świder Otwock S10 (A terminus)
Actual as of: 2023-09-29

S2 line

Warsaw Chopin Airport – Sulejówek Miłosna

The line was established in July 2006 running from Pruszków through Warszawa Śródmieście to Sulejówek Miłosna. In December 2010 the line was shortened to Warszawa Zachodnia in the West, with the line S1 taking over the route from Pruszków to Warszawa Zachodnia and further to Warszawa Śródmieście. In June 2012 the line was extended from Warszawa Zachodnia through the Służewiec office district and a newly opened rail tunnel to an underground station at the Warsaw Chopin Airport. The route assumed its current form on 12 March 2023 due to modernization works at Warszawa Zachodnia station and the Warsaw Cross-City Line.

S2
Fare zone Warsaw Chopin Airport S3 S4 S40 to Piaseczno Warszawa Służewiec Warszawa Żwirki i Wigury Warszawa Rakowiec S40 Warszawa Aleje Jerozolimskie Warszawa Zachodnia S1 S3 to Radzymin, S4 to Zegrze Południowe Warszawa Ochota Warszawa Śródmieście Warszawa Powiśle Vistula River Warszawa Stadion Warszawa Wschodnia S1 S10 S20 Warszawa Rembertów Warszawa Wesoła Zone 1 Zone 2 Warszawa Wola Grzybowska Sulejówek Sulejówek Miłosna S20
Actual as of:2023-09-29

S3 line

Warsaw Chopin Airport – Legionowo Piaski / Radzymin

The line was established in June 2012 connecting the Warsaw Frédéric Chopin Airport through the city center with the town of Legionowo north east of Warsaw. S3 line terminates at Radzymin when operating as a full-length A service or earlier at Legionowo Piaski station if operates a B variant route.[11]

S3
Fare zone Warsaw Chopin Airport S2 S4 S40 to Piaseczno Warszawa Służewiec Warszawa Żwirki i Wigury Warszawa Rakowiec S40 Warszawa Aleje Jerozolimskie Warszawa Zachodnia (Platform 9) S1 S2 to Sulejówek Miłosna Warszawa Wola Warszawa Młynów Warszawa Koło Warszawa Powązki Warszawa Gdańska Vistula River Warszawa Zoo Warszawa Praga Warszawa Toruńska Warszawa Żerań Warszawa Płudy Zone 1 Zone 2 Warszawa Choszczówka Legionowo Legionowo Piaski (B terminus) Michałów Reginów Wieliszew S4 to Zegrze Południowe Nieporęt Dąbkowizna Radzymin (A terminus)
Acurate as of 2023-09-29

S4 line

Piaseczno – Wieliszew

Line started running on 12 March 2023. It connects city of Piaseczno in south-west with Wieliszew in north-east, running through Warsaw and crossing the Vistula by northern railway bridge. Large stations it stops at are Warszawa Zachodnia (stops at the Platform 9) and Warszawa Gdańska.[12]

S4
Fare zone Piaseczno S40 Nowa Iwiczna ■ Zone 2 Zone 1 Warszawa Jeziorki ■ Warszawa Dawidy ■ Warszawa Okęcie ■ Warszawa Służewiec S3 ■ Warszawa Żwirki i Wigury ■ ■ Warszawa Rakowiec ■ ■ Warszawa Aleje Jerozolimskie S2 ■ ■ Warszawa Zachodnia (Platform 9) S1 S2 S40 ■ Warszawa Wola ■ Warszawa Młynów M2 ■ Warszawa Koło ■ Warszawa Powązki ■ Warszawa Gdańska M1 ■ Vistula River Warszawa ZOO ■ Warszawa Praga ■ Warszawa Toruńska ■ Warszawa Żerań ■ Warszawa Płudy ■ Zone 1 Zone 2 Warszawa Choszczówka ■ Legionowo ■ Legionowo Piaski ■ Michałów-Reginów ■ Wieliszew S3
Interchange
long distance rail Warsaw Metro

S40 line

Piaseczno – Warszawa Główna

Line started running on 13 March 2023. One train per hour on working days connects the city of Piaseczno with central Warsaw. Trains departure by turns with S4 line.[12]

S40
Fare zone Piaseczno S4 Nowa Iwiczna ■ Zone 2 Zone 1 Warszawa Jeziorki ■ Warszawa Dawidy ■ Warszawa Okęcie ■ Warszawa Służewiec S3 ■ Warszawa Żwirki i Wigury ■ ■ Warszawa Rakowiec ■ ■ Warszawa Aleje Jerozolimskie S2 ■ ■ Warszawa Zachodnia S1 S2 S3 S4 Warszawa Główna
Interchange
long distance rail

• Warszawska Kolej Dojazdowa (WKD) - Light rail commuter line in Poland's capital city of Warsaw.
• Koleje Mazowieckie (KM) - Regional rail operator in the Masovian Voivodeship of Poland.
• Polskie Koleje Państwowe S.A. - Dominant railway operator in Poland.
• Polregio - Polish railway operator; formerly Przewozy Regionalne.

• (in Polish) Official site

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Warszawska Szybka Kolej Miejska.

• Official website