More praise of Warsaw's trams

The move to the new office on Al. Szucha, just off Pl. Unii Lubelskiej means I have to use trams on a daily basis - it's a longish walk from Metro Politechnika to the office (two stops). This evening, I took an alternative route - tram from Pl. Unii Lubelskiej all the way to Wilanowska, which took 13 minutes, as opposed to tram to the Metro (3 minutes), then Metro to Wilanowska (8 minutes). One little thing could make the trams go faster - transponders to allow them to turn traffic lights to green as they approach. As things are, trams seem to spend more time at red lights than they do at tram stops.

Below: a 1980s style105N tram heading northbound on ul. Marszałkowska as it crosses Al. Armii Ludowej.

Left: tram-driver training - I'm surprised to see an old-style tram used for training purposes; though the peak of the evening rush-hour has passed, it's still busy on the rails. The Type 'N' tram dates back to 1949, and was the first post-war tram of Polish construction. It is seen here on ul. Puławska about to cross Al. Lotników, heading towards the tram-shed on ul. Woronicza. 

Below: a 105N tram passes the site of the old SuperSam - Warsaw's first supermarket - now just a memory. In its place, a 22-story skyscraper is appearing, atop five stories of shopping mall. The building is just across Pl. Unii Lubelskiej from my new office; I shall be reporting on progress here.

This time two years ago:
Setting sun in the mountains

This time three years ago:
That learning moment