Lotnisko Chopina Tunnel
| Lotnisko Chopina Tunnel | |
|---|---|
Approach to the underground station at Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina | |
| Overview | |
| Other name | Warsaw Chopin Airport tunnel |
| Line | Railway line no. 440 |
| Location | Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland |
| Status | Active[1] |
| Start | Warszawa Służewiec |
| End | Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1 June 2012[2] |
| Owner | PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe |
| Operator | PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe |
| Traffic | Railway |
| Character | Double-track railway tunnel |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1,160 m (3,810 ft)[1] |
The Lotnisko Chopina Tunnel is a railway tunnel in Warsaw, Poland, forming the underground terminal section of railway line no. 440 between Warszawa Służewiec and Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina. It was built to provide a direct rail connection between central Warsaw and Warsaw Chopin Airport.[3][4]
The tunnel runs on the airport branch from line 8 and leads to the underground station serving the airport terminal. PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe lists the tunnel section on line 440 between km 0.460 and km 1.620, corresponding to a length of about 1.16 km (0.72 mi).[1]
Description
The tunnel forms the principal underground section of the rail link to Warsaw Chopin Airport. It is part of railway line no. 440, whose total route length is 1.99 km (1.24 mi) between Warszawa Służewiec and Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina.[5]
The underground station at Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina is located in close proximity to the airport terminal, with a dedicated connector between the station and the terminal building.[6][7] A later accessibility study by the Centre for EU Transport Projects described the pedestrian tunnel linking the station and terminal as approximately 60 m (200 ft) long and free of architectural barriers.[8]
Because it is an enclosed passenger tunnel, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe applies operating restrictions there, including restrictions on dangerous goods traffic and on the regular use of diesel traction.[1]
History
Plans for a rail connection to Warsaw's airport were included in PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe investment programmes in the 2000s. In its 2008 annual report, the company described the project as the construction of a tunnel linking railway line no. 8 with the airport station near Terminal 2, as part of the wider modernisation of the Warsaw West–Warsaw Okęcie corridor and the airport branch from Warszawa Służewiec.[3]
The airport link was developed in connection with transport improvements in Warsaw before UEFA Euro 2012.[3][4] Passenger services to Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina began on 1 June 2012.[2] In the same year, Koleje Mazowieckie included the new airport station in its network and tariff offers, while Warsaw's municipal transport authority promoted the new rail connection as a fast link from the airport to the city centre and the National Stadium area.[9]
The line and tunnel have since become part of Warsaw's airport rail system, used by suburban and regional passenger trains serving the airport station.[6]
Operation
The tunnel is used exclusively for passenger rail traffic to and from Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina station. PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe classifies line 440 among railway lines on which passenger operators must use rolling stock equipped with closed-circuit toilets or no toilets at all.[1]
Rail traffic through the tunnel is limited to electric passenger operation under the technical and fire-safety restrictions set out in PLK network statements.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Network statement 2023/2024" (PDF). PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Odprawa podróżnych w pociągach uruchamianych na odcinku Warszawa Wschodnia – Warszawa Lotnisko Chopina" (in Polish). Koleje Mazowieckie. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ a b c "Annual report 2008" (PDF). PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. 31 March 2008. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Badanie ex-post wsparcia sektora transportu w PO IiŚ 2007–2013. Synteza badania" (PDF) (in Polish). Centrum Unijnych Projektów Transportowych. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ "Appendix 2.15: Przynależność linii kolejowych do obszarów konstrukcyjnych" (PDF) (in Polish). PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Public transport". Warsaw Chopin Airport. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ "PRM assistance". Warsaw Chopin Airport. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ "Wpływ projektów transportowych zrealizowanych z PO IiŚ 2007–2013 na mobilność osób z niepełnosprawnościami oraz osób z ograniczoną możliwością poruszania się" (PDF) (in Polish). Centrum Unijnych Projektów Transportowych. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
- ^ "Raport roczny 2012" (PDF) (in Polish). Koleje Mazowieckie. 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2026.