Construction site, or rather Warszawa Zachodnia train station. Passengers complain about the difficulties associated with the reconstruction

During the reconstruction of the station, the road to the platform resembles an obstacle course. “I’ve helped people who were completely lost before,” says one passenger. When asked if the elderly have a big problem, he replies: – Yes, because the stairs are especially hard. If someone has suitcases, it is a hindrance – he notes. The challenge is to reach platform nine. It is a way first down, then up, through a tunnel, a footbridge, then a long descent to get out of the station onto the street and look for the platform again. – I am surprised. I hope there are still train tracks there, because I don’t know if I’ll find anything there, one of the passengers wonders.

Since mid-March as many as four times at the Warsaw Railway Junction there have been mistakes related to directing the train to the wrong track. And they always generated difficulties, delays and safety concerns. – Passengers were safe at every moment of this journey, a mislaid train. It was simply a human error, which unfortunately happened in a series – judges Andrzej Bittel, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure.

– All responsibility is shifted to the basic employees, i.e. traffic dispatchers and train drivers, and this cannot be the case, because someone is responsible for the preparation of security systems – comments the words of Deputy Minister Leszek Miętek from the Trade Union of Railway Engineers in Poland.

Train drivers have been complaining about chaos on the tracks for a long time. In a letter to the Ministry of Infrastructure, they write that their requests are treated as wishful thinking. They add that there has been no catastrophe, but it seems to be a matter of time. The prime minister’s office is already looking into the case. – We say a bit perversely that it is best for the infrastructure manager if the trains do not run at all, they unnecessarily spin between their legs and these trains are not needed for anything. If running trains in Polskie Linie Kolejowe is a by-product, and they are accounted primarily for investments, then unfortunately it provokes this type of shortcuts, Miętek continued. PKP PLK is supervised by the Ministry of Infrastructure, which is now reassuring.

– We are renovating the bathroom in our own house, there are moments when you can’t use it, or it’s much more difficult to use it, right? It’s kind of a natural process. When we replace the cabinets in the kitchen, we cannot always put the dishes there either – said the Minister of Infrastructure Andrzej Bittel.

– I understand that EU budgets are coming to an end this year and the financing needs to be accounted for, but we are implementing these investments so that trains can be ridden in a sensible way and we cannot lead to something that will turn the railway into a huge construction site, and we will ask for this measure transportation of all passengers. However, this situation at the West Railway Station and probably in many other cities in Poland is starting to resemble something like this – assesses Jakub Majewski, an expert from the ProKolej Foundation. The main thing is that there is no accident. Just like a decade ago near Szczekociny. Two trains are on one track. 16 people died in the head-on collision. Therefore, PKP PLK takes the matter seriously and implements safety circles. We lower emotions. We are introducing actions that will support traffic dispatchers in the implementation of their tasks – announces Minister Bittel. The number of inspections at stations and the supervision of superiors or instructors is to increase. Trade unions aren’t sure if that’s enough.