Pomeranian_Metropolitan_Railway
The Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway (Polish: Pomorska Kolej Metropolitalna, PKM), is a railway in the Tricity area connecting Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport with Wrzeszcz. The line was officially opened by the Prime minister of Poland Ewa Kopacz on 30 August 2015[1] and regular train services started on 1 September 2015. The line is owned by the Pomeranian Voivodeship and managed by the Pomorska Kolej Metropolitalna, a company wholly owned by the voivodeship. Services on the line are provided by Szybka Kolej Miejska (SKM) and Polregio.
The PLM runs on two lines officially designated by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe as PKP rail lines 248 and 253. PKP rail line 248 was constructed on the right-of-way of a pre-war line from Stara Piła to Wrzeszcz, which was blown up by the retreating Germans near the end of World War II. At its northern end, the line connects with the existing, non-electrified line 253 to Gdynia, via Gdańsk Osowa and Wielki Kack. An advantage of re-opening this connection is that no buildings have had to be torn down, as the right-of-way of the old line is undisturbed and has not been encroached on anywhere.[2]
The PKM line is 19.5 km long and connects at both ends with the SKM line which is the principal transportation corridor in the Gdańsk-Sopot-Gdynia Tricity area. Whereas the SKM line runs close to the shore of the Baltic Sea, the PKM lies further inland.[3]
The Pomeranian Voivodeship describes the PKM as 'the greatest project (epokowa inwestycja) in the 12-year history of the Pomeranian Voivodeship,'[4] pointing out that never before in its history has the Pomeranian government undertaken a project costing over 700 million zł (over $200 million).
The PKM has 11 stations and stops along the route, the twelfth is being built and due to open in 2023.[5] The company also owns and operates further two stops, Gdynia Karwiny and Gdynia Stadion, located on the section of line 201 connecting Gdańsk Osowa and Gdynia Główna.[6] The line has only been recently electrified at the national standard of 3 kV DC, though regular service is still provided by ten DMUs that were ordered from Pesa SA of Bydgoszcz costing 114 million zł ($34 million).[7][8]
The PKM uses the European Train Control System Level 2 signalling system.