In my project I would like to introduce all types of trains and railways that we may occur in Gdansk.
As you may now or might now, until the end of the 2nd world war, most of Gdansk’s inhabitants were Germans, therefore until today we still may see( basically everywhere in the city) influences of high developed and marvellous German civilisation. One of those German left overs is very efficient and smart-designed railway system. Even at the moment, one of the fastest(and the cheapest) ways of city’s transportation is so-called “SKM” train. “SKM” simply means just “Fast City Train”. The best advantage of taking it is naturally the fact that it allows us to omit traffic jam on the main roads. “SKM” is usually in blue-yellow colours which probably symbolises magnificent weaves of the Baltic Sea and the Sunshine. The biggest disadvantage of “SKM”s is that they are often crowded(especially in the morning and late afternoon). What is more, some people may not the Soviet design from the 1970s of most of them.
If we want to head from one bigger station to another, we may consider taking another type of trains.
One of them is marked by the capital “R” which means “regional”. Regional trains run across the Pomeranian voivodeship – our beloved part of Poland to spend summer vacations in. “R”s are naturally a bit faster than “SKM”, however they also may be sometimes crowded. Within recent years more and more new models of “R”s were put into use. Their colours are not standardized, but usually they are dark red-grey or orange.
Faster and more comfortable than regional trains are Intercity ones – IC. Many of those machines still remember times of the comrade Gierek(one of the polish first secretaries who ruled in the 1970s), however, most of them were modernised inside. ICs run through the whole country.
For those of you, who value comfort and speed above all there is also the last type of passenger train – Express Intercity Premium – EIP! By crowds called “Pendolino”. This marvellous, silver-blue shining masterpiece of the machine looks rather like a spacecraft which is speeding among the stars. Travelling in it is like floating. Also, modern interior design and always smiled crew will give you unforgettable memories!
Of course, freight trains(usually fulfilled with coal to electricity plants) are passing through Gdansk as well, but most people do not pay attention to them.