Transport - Poland's development

Flying back from Rysiek's wedding, Adam observed that for most of the time he's been living in Poland, the country has been one great work-in-progress. Finally, he says, it's starting to come right, with the balance of the work now having been completed and only the minority of work still ongoing. An insight worthy of sharing.

The stark deadline for the completion of major infrastructure projects - the first match of the Euro 2012 football championships this coming Friday - has spurred Poland to unprecedented deeds when it comes to infrastructure provision. To my amazement, the A2 motorway has connected Poznań and Łódź to Warsaw. Okęcie airport finally gets a rail link. I've heard this - but don't believe it having been there just a few weeks ago - that Wrocław's main station is reopened, it's remont complete. As is W-wa Wschodnia. And W-wa Zachodnia, my tip for the worst railway station in Poland - now has new electronic signage, shelters and other cosmetic improvements that have dramatically improved user-friendliness.

Below: the new terminal at Gdańsk airport. Google Earth currently has imagery of the terminal from April last year - a muddy building site.

My first flight with OLT Express. I'm impressed. For 149.50 złotys, I'm in Warsaw in 40 minutes (another 40 minutes for check-in, plus 25 minutes bus from town, and 25 mins from Okęcie to Warsaw city centre). This compares to PKP InterCity fares - 122.50 złotys second class, or 160.50 złotys first class, for a journey of five and half hours. You get to chose your seat (not the elbow-bruising rush for best seats on other low-costs) and (!) you get a sandwich and drink on board - for free! Plus - the plane took off and landed on time. How long this will last, I can't say. But my first impressions of OLT Express were extremely favourable.

Below: flying out of Gdańsk; the ribbon in the foreground is the S6 expressway that forms the backbone of the Tri-City and now connects it with the A1 motorway, and down to Toruń, eventually through Łódź and on to Silesia and the Czech Republic. Eventually.

Yes, while much has been achieved, there's still much to be done. The S2 Warsaw Southern Bypass, visible on final approach to Warsaw Okęcie airport. Look at it! How puny, how thin - a mere two lanes! What were the planners thinking? Warsaw's a city the size of Birmingham (UK) - the M6 motorway that runs through it is one solid traffic jam for much of the working day and that carries three lanes in each direction and has a by-pass. The S2 is the main road linking Berlin and Moscow! And going through Warsaw, the largest city in 900km - just two lanes...

Below: another success - re-opened last week, Warsaw's Wschodnia (Eastern) station. The contrast between the old one - full of beggars and reeking of kebab, stale sweat, urine and cheap disinfectant - is just staggering. Suddenly, this part of Warsaw becomes modern and civilised, travel becomes more comfortable.

Below: finally, a shot from Warsaw Central station (looking up at Platform Two from the underground passage linking it to W-wa Śródmieście station). Behold; and worship at The Electrick Tabernackle of Modernitee. Time to stop and contemplate Time itself.