Finding Kilometre Zero

All the main railway lines that radiate out of Warsaw count back the kilometres from the capital. I live on the Warsaw-Radom line, my nearest station, W-wa Jeziorki station is on Kilometre 18, while Chynów station, the nearest to my działka in Jakubowizna, is on Kilometre 42. Heading east out of Warsaw, the border with Belarus, beyond Terespol, stands on Kilometre 211, while going the other way, the border with Germany can be found on Kilometre 478. Add those last two, and you can see that 688km of rails span Poland from east to west.

But where is Kilometre Zero? Kilometre Zero in Madrid, for example, is on Puerta del Sol. Ancient Rome had its Milliarium Aureum. Many cities have kilometre zeros for roads; I'm more interested in rail. So where in Warsaw is the kilometre zero for Polish rail? I puzzled over this online, unable to find a definitive answer, but in the end it turned out to be obvious.

It is, of course, at Warsaw Moniuszko Station. What! You've never heard of Warsaw Moniuszko Station? I must say, neither have I until today. I've been there hundreds of times, but I've not heard of it. It's better known as Warszawa Centralna/Dworzec Centralny, but then Warsaw Okęcie Airport was also renamed for a composer, albeit some while back. The new name 'Moniuszko' was bestowed upon Dworzec Centralny in January this year -  an occasion that somehow bypassed me. Call me 'uncultured' if you will, but I can't hum a single bar written by Moniuszko. He did write Straszny Dwór (which Google Translate renders as 'scary mansion'), that I do know.

Here we are then, at Warsaw Central (W-wa Centralna) station, or if you prefer, Dworzec Centralny imienia Stanisława Moniuszki. Some 50m to the east of the middle of the platforms, close to the foot of the main escalators that lead down from the central passage spanning the eight tracks. On a white rectangle, clearly marked in black, is 0.0 (below)

The four platforms, each serving two tracks, are 400m long; walk out towards the western end of the platforms you will find Kilometre 0.2 (below). And if you look closely from your train, you will see 0.3 inside the tunnel just after entering it.

Logically, equidistant from Km 0.2 and Km 0,0 there is a Km 0.1 marker (below); they are 100m apart.

And going the other way, eastwards beyond Km 0.0, not quite at the end of the platforms, is another Km 0.1 (below) - but this time measured eastwards. Note that like at Km 0.2 not a soul here.

So now we know where Km 0.0 is, we can look for kilometre markers along the main lines (lesser lines will count up from wherever they start). Below: Km 12.7, south of W-wa Okęcie station.

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Bristol fashioned [my first exploration of this wonderful British city]

This time two years:
The imminent closure of Marks & Spencer in Warsaw

This time six years ago:
Along mirror'd canyons

This time eight years ago:
Mad about Marmite 

This time nine years ago:
Komorowski wins second round of Presidential elections?

This time ten years ago:
A beautiful summer dusk in Jeziorki

This time 11 years ago:
Classic cars, London and Warsaw