The Warsaw Metro (Metro Warszawskie) is one of Europe's youngest metro systems. Not surprisingly it consists of only one line, which is still under construction. Plans to build an underground in the Polish capital date back to 1925 when the first plans of such a system were drawn up. The works started in 1938, but the World War II, brought an end to the ambitious undertaking. The short trace tunnels made in 1938 serve as a wine cellar today.
In the 1950s, as the cold war raged on, soviet strategic plans that a secure bridge over the river Vistula be built. One of the ways to achieve this was creation of metro in Warsaw, which would be interlinked with rail network and could serve as a bridge for troops. Plans assumed that the first line lead along North-South axis with a part of a second line crossing the Vistula river in the city centre, being a high-priority part. However, in 1956 the detente brought an end to the plans and all works were halted under the pretext of technical difficulties.
Finally, in 1984 the program was given a green light by the Communist government and the first tunnels were built. Lack of funds, poor planning, and tedious bureaucracy meant that the works went on very slowly. The Metro was launched in 1995 with a total of 11 stations. Since then, however, the project has speeded up substantially; the line now has 14 stations along a distance of approximately 15 kilometres, and is to be completed with a total of 19 stations by 2005. A second line, crossing the city from East to West is to be completed by 2010.
The stations of the first line are (South to North):
- Kabaty train yard (closed to public)
- Kabaty
- Natolin
- Imielin
- Stokłosy
- Ursynów
- Służew
- Wilanowska
- Wierzbno
- Racławicka
- Pole Mokotowskie
- Politechnika
- Centrum
- Swiętokrzyska
- Ratusz
- Dworzec Gdański (to be opened December 25)
- Plac Wilsona
- Marymont
- Park Kaskada
- Bielany
- Wawrzyszew
- Młociny
