Trains and other things: Warszawa to Berlin

Today I'm leaving Poland, and heading west to Berlin

Former central station in Warsaw was called Dworzec Wiedeński (Vienna Station), opened already in 1845 and built for Vienna-Warsaw railway. At that time Warsaw was part of Russian Empire, so the railway was operated together by Austrian and Russian Empires. Another major stations in Warsaw is Warszawa Wileńska (Vilnius Station) which was originally named St. Petersburg staton, founded in 1863 as the leading station start of the Warsaw-Petersburg railway. Warszawa Gdańska was opened in 1880 and connected northern parts of Poland with Warsaw.

The current station from 1975 was once considered to be "the most modern train station in Europe". Today it is however, it looks a bit inconvenient, even though it has its charm.

Nearby shopping, entertainment and office complex Złote Tarasy (Golden Terraces).

Bilboards promoting PKP Intercity

Today I'm taking Eurocity service Berlin-Warszawa-Express operated jointly by Deutsche Bahn (DB Fernverkehr) and Polish State Railways (PKP Intercity).

The train is operated with Polish Taurus locomotive and mixed DB and PKP coaches.

The travel time is 5h20m and the first train entered the service in 1993.

There is a mandatory seat reservation for Interrail pass travellers.

Shortly after departure from central station, there is a stop at the western station.

"Berlin-Warszawa-Express" is travelling on entire railway line 3 from Warsaw West to the border with Germany. The line is 475km long until the border and it is one of the longest railway lines in Poland, and a fragment of an international railway line E 20 (Berlin-Kunowice-Poznan-Kutno-Warsaw-Terespol-Moscow).

St. Lawrence Church in Kutno

Church of St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr

Kutno

Konin

EN57AKW (to the left) and Pesa Elf (to the right) trains operated by Koleje Wielkopolskie at the railway yard outside Konin.

The 1st class coach is of type A9mnouz manufactured in 1991 by Waggonbau Bautzen (numbered 91 Z2A). The coach of this type were modernised by Tabor Szynowy Opole in 2007.

Maximum speed allowed for this coach is 160km/h, which is also the maximum speed for railway line 3.

Passing over line 281 nearby Września

Approaching Poznan, which is the fifth largest city in Poland.

Poznań Wschód (East) station

Poznań Główny

Double deck Bmnopux coach manufactured by Waggonbau Görlitz in GDR

Pesa Link (SA139) DMU operated on line Poznań Główny - Gołańcz. The train type is now operated in Germany and Czech Republic, and might be used in Sweden from December 2016 (rented from DB).

Zbąszynek

Świebodzin

Time to visit the dining coach

During lunch time it was difficult to find a seat, but some became available later.

First some tasty cucumber soup

Then dumplings

Last stop in Poland is Rzepin

Bombardier TRAXX F140 MS from Railpool GmbH (hired to Lotos Kolej Sp. z o.o., Gdańsk) and ŁTZ M62 from Rail Polska

Lotos Kolej is a Polish rail company and it is transporting petrol for Rafineria Gdańska.

The border between Poland and Germany is at the middle of river Oder. The change in power systems between Polish 3kV DC and German 15kV AC is made on the Oderbrücke bridge. The bridge was rebuilt in 2008.

Luckily there is no need to change the locomotive here, since Taurus is supporting both Polish and German systems.

Frankfurt (Oder) is the first stop in Germany.

Taurus locomotive supporting several countries system

Bombardier TRAXX F140 AC2

Siemens ES 64 U2 from DB Regio AG used for line RE1 Franfurt (Oder)-Berlin-Magdeburg.

The railway between Berlin and Frankfurt (Oder) is just 80km long, so the suburbs of Berlin is starting to be viewed very soon. Here is the end station for Berlin S-Bahn - Erkner.

Berlin-Friedrichshagen

Berlin-Rummelsburg Betriebsbahnhof

"Victoriahaus"

Approaching Ostbahnhof station

For nostalgic tourists there is a possibility to go back in time by staying in DDR Hostel.

For really nostalgic ones there is a possibility to rent an old Trabant car at Trabi Safari.

"Bitte nicht einsteigen" is the message at East station in Berlin. The train arrived more than 10min earlier than scheduled, and due to "no entrance" sign could continue to main station without waiting.

The train continues from Ostbahnhof on the 12km long elevated Berlin Stadtbahn through the city from east to west.

Berlin Stadtbahn was built 1880, and it is today used by S-Bahn (two dedicated tracks), and RB, RE, IC, EC, and ICE trains on the other two tracks.

Berlin S-Bahn is electrified with third rail.

Grunerstraße

Berlin Alexanderplatz

8km of the Stadtbahn line is situated on 731 masonry viaduct arches and a further 2 km on 64 bridges.

Spree river and Nikolaikirche

The train is slowly crossing the bridge to Museum Island

Bode Museum, originally called the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum after Emperor Frederick III

During the cold war the station Friedrichstraße was the terminal point of the separated West and East.

Arte Luise Kunsthotel

Is that Merkel?

"Berlin-Warszawa-Express" has finally reached Berlin Hauptbahnhof (upper)

Berlin Hauptbahnhof opened in 2006. Historically there were many terminus railway stations in Berlin: Stettiner Bahnhof (Nordbahnhof), Schlesischer Bahnhof (Ostbahnhof), Görlitzer Bahnhof, Anhalter Bahnhof, Potsdamer Bahnhof, Lehrter Bahnhof, Hamburger Bahnhof. Today the new station is covering all lines with 8 tracks for underground floor and 6 tracks for upper floor

ODEG (Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn GmbH) is a Regional Express operator. Here is line RE2 Cottbus-Wismar and a Stadler KISS double deck EMU.

The main station hall is spanned by a similarly curved glass roof

Berlin S-Bahn train DBAG Class 481 manufactured in 1996 by AEG/Adtranz/Bombardier

I am making a detour to East Berlin.

Metro line U5 was built in 1930 with end station Alexanderplatz. From 2019 the line will be extended westward to Hauptbahnhof.

With U5 I have now arrived to Lichtenberg, which is a combined U and S-Bahn station. In the 80's it was the main railway station in East Berlin. At this station it is possible to view DR-Baureihe VT 18.16