The most important information (click to go)
Since 2019, Wroclaw has asked the Ministry of Infrastructure in dozens of letters to show the railwaymen and our planners how to technically solve the problem of tramway tracks intersecting with railway tracks. It was known that this was technically possible, as such projects have been carried out around the world.
Tram to Jagodno – regulations were lacking
In theory, there were no problems with the construction of the tramway track to Jagodno, but in practice there was a lack of implementing regulations, which tied the designers’ hands. It was not possible to design without regulations specifying what should be introduced in such a design. As of 3rd February 2025, this has changed!
The full name of the regulation we refer to is: Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure of 24 January 2025 on the technical requirements to be met by railway crossings and railway sidings with tram lines and their location (Journal of Laws 3.02.2025, item 138).
After years of waiting, the decree of the Minister of Infrastructure, Dariusz Klimczak, defining the technical requirements for intersections of railway and tramway lines has been published. It clearly defines which requirements must be met by railway lines: the track speed of maximum 120 km/h and not exceeding 80 km/h at the point of intersection, and which solutions must be used depending on the angle of intersection – in the case of Wroclaw, it is between 45 and 90 degrees.
Tram to Jagodno – ‘a historical moment for Wroclaw’
Wroclaw has repeatedly appealed to the central authorities to introduce relevant legislation, but legislative work in the Ministry of Infrastructure significantly accelerated only after the joint visit by Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Wroclaw Mayor Jacek Sutryk to Jagodno and the Prime Minister's unequivocal declaration that he would do his utmost to ensure that the ‘trams go to Jagodno’.
Jacek Sutryk, Mayor of Wroclaw: ‘This is a historical moment for Wroclaw. After years of legal hurdles, we finally have clear guidelines that will let us complete the tender for the design of the tramway line to Jagodno. On behalf of the people of Wroclaw, we would like to thank all those who supported our efforts, and in particular Prime Minister Tusk for understanding the importance of this investment for the people of Wroclaw.’
Tram to Jagodno vs. safety
The new regulations regulate in detail the rules of construction of single-level and multi-level intersections, taking into account both technical and safety aspects. In particular, for single-level intersections where the angle of intersection of the railway and tramway tracks is between 45 and 90 degrees, as is the case with the planned investment at Jagodno, precise guidelines have been defined, among others, for the geometry and technology of track intersection, security systems and requirements for traffic lights and sound signals. Such solutions will ensure maximum safety while maintaining the flow of tram and rail traffic.
Wroclaw has now an open way to starting the bidding process for the tram design. Elżbieta Urbanek from the Department of Infrastructure and Transport assures that the city did not wait for the Ministry's decisions with folded hands. The last two months have been used to prepare agreements with the Lower Silesian Road and Railway Service and the municipality of Siechnice to be able to formally design in the area outside the city limits.
Elżbieta Urbanek, Director of the Department of Infrastructure and Transport: ‘It is worth recalling that the design of the tram is one element of the tender. We should also add the design of the second roadway on Buforowa up to the Iwiny roundabout and the designation of a reserve area for the possible extension of the tramway to Iwiny. It was, therefore, necessary to sign appropriate agreements with partners. Both were signed at the end of January. Due to this agreement and the reserve area, the tramway to Jagodno is a developmental project. With the participation of the municipality of Siechnice, it is possible to extend the track beyond the borders of Wroclaw.’
Now the city is supplementing the tender notice with these agreements and is waiting for bids from designers. Regardless of this, the construction of a dedicated busway to Jagodno is getting closer to completion. Buses will go there from the middle of this year. Tramway tracks will be built on the basis of this bus route. It is designed and built to meet the parameters of a future bus and tram route.
