The Poznań tram system is a tramway operated by (MPK Poznań; Public Transport Company in Poznań Ltd.). It currently has 18 daytime lines, 2 night lines, and 3 tourist lines served by historical vehicles. The tram system consists of about of route, operating on track. With a few exceptions the tramlines operate on double tracks rail.
In local Poznań dialect trams are called bimby (pl.), bimba (sing).
History
Horse trams (1880–1898) The idea of trams in Poznań was brought to fruition by two businessmen from Berlin: Otto Reymer and Otto Masch. After receiving concessions from the town authorities on 30 July 1880 they began running a horse tram in Poznań. On the next day the first regular line transported passengers from the main train station via ul. Św. Marcin/St. Martin Str., ul. Rycerska/Ritter Str. (today ul. Ratajczaka), Pl. Wilhelmowski/Wilhelms Platz (currently Plac Wolności) to Rynek/Ring (currently Stary Rynek ). The route was soon lengthened from Rynek/Ring to ul. Butelska/Büttel Str. (now ul. Woźna), ul. Wielkie Garbary/Grosse Gerber Str. (currently ul. Garbary), Chwaliszewo to Ostrów Tumski. At the same time a branch was built via ul. Wiktorii/Victoria Str. (modern ul. Gwarna and ul. Mielżyńskiego), Plac Królewski/Königs Platz (currently Pl. Cyryla Ratajskiego), ul. Fryderykowska/Friedrich Str. (modern ul. 23 Lutego), Al. Wilhelmowskie/Wilhelms Al. (currently Al. Marcinkowskiego), ul. Seekta/Seekt Str. (modern ul. Solna) and Wolnica, ul. Małe Garbary/Kleine Gerber Str., ul. Szewska, ul. Szeroka/Breite Str. (currently ul. Wielka) to ul. Wielkie Garbary/Grosse Gerber Str. (modern ul. Garbary) where it joined the older route.
Despite the need for modern public transport in the city, after a few weeks the company found itself on the edge of bankruptcy. There were two reasons for this: firstly the branch route had too few passengers, and secondly all the signs in the trams were only in German, leading to a boycott by the Polish majority. The financially troubled company was bought by the Poznań Horse Railway Society (, ), which obtained a concession and monopoly on tram transportation in the city. At that time there were only 20 cars in service.
In September 1880 the Society bought part of the site of the former train station in Jeżyce/Jersitz suburb, where a tram depot was built (currently it is the oldest tram depot still in service in Poland). In 1896 two new routes were built. The first ran from Rynek/Ring (now Stary Rynek), via ul. Wrocławska/Breslauer Str., Pl. Piotra/Peters Platz (now Pl. Wiosny Ludów), ul. Półwiejska to Brama Wildecka/Wilda Thor. The second went from the tram depot on ul. Gajowa, through ul. Zwierzyniecka/Zoologisher Str., ul. Jadwigi/Hedwigs Str. (modern ul. Kraszewskiego) to Rynek Jeżycki/Jersitz Markt, after one year extended via ul. Wielka Berlińska/Grosse Berliner Str. (modern ul. Dąbrowskiego) to the chemical factory on ul. Polna/Feld Str. Both routes were already built to carry heavier electric cars.
Electric trams On 6 March 1898 horse trams were replaced by electric ones. At this time there were three lines: white – like the old horse tram from the train station via Rynek/Ring to Ostrów Tumski red – from Rynek Jeżycki/Jersitz Markt via ul. Jadwigi/Hedwigs Str., ul. Zwierzyniecka/Zoologischer Str., ul. Św. Marcin/St. Martin Str. and along the old horse tram route to Rynek/Ring and Brama Wildecka/Wilda Thor yellow – from the train station like the white line but only as far as the intersection of ul. Szeroka/Breite Str. and ul. Wielkie Garbary/Grosse Gerber Str. In April a fourth line was added: green – from Rynek/Ring via ul. Św. Marcin/St. Martin Str. and the new route on ul. Głogowska/Gloger Str. to Górczyn suburb (today's intersection of ul. Głogowska and ul. Kosynierska). A ticket cost 10 or 20 pfennigs and after 11 pm the price was doubled.
In 1899 a second track was added to the routes on Rynek/Ring and ul. Wielka Berlińska/Grosse Berliner Str. (modern ul. Dąbrowskiego).
Before World War I the tram network was extended to the Municipal Slaughterhouse on ul. Wielkie Garbary/Grosse Gerber Str., to Plac Sapieżyński/Sapeicha Platz (today Plac Wielkopolski), to Brama Dębińska/Eichwald Thor (currently the intersection of ul. Strzelecka and Krakowska), to Śródka, Sołacz and Dębiec (to the Cegielski Factory). New routes were also built in the centre of the city, including overpasses over the railway tracks: Most Teatralny and Most Dworcowy.
Between the wars new routes were built to Golęcin, Dębiec (extension of existing tracks), Dębina (to the public beach on the bank of the Warta), Ogrody, Grunwald and Winiary. In this same period some routes in the narrow streets of the Old Town were closed. A planned route to Główna was cancelled due to the opening in 1930 of a trolleybus line there.
After World War II
During the battle of Poznań in 1945, most of the cars and tracks were destroyed. Tram transportation was partially restored two years after the war, in 1947, though only on the left bank of the Warta. The tracks in the old town were not rebuilt, but a new route was laid via Plac Bernardyński.
The first post-war tram on the right bank appeared in 1952, when the new Marchlewski Bridge was opened (now called Most Królowej Jadwigi).
In the following years new routes connecting different districts and bypassing the centre of city were built: 1955–1957 via ul. Marchlewskiego (now ul. Królowej Jadwigi) 1968–1973 via ul. Przybyszewskiego, ul. Reymonta and ul. Hetmańska 1974–1977 from Plac Wielkopolski via ul. Małe Garbary, ul. Estkowskiego to Rondo Śródka. 1983–1985 from os. Lecha via ul. Jedności Słowiańskiej (today Chartowo and Żegrze) to ul. Hetmańska Also some lines to peripheral districts were built: 1949–1950 to the communal cemetery in Junikowo 1957–1964 via ul. Pułaskiego and ul. Winogrady to ul. Wilczak (a branch to ul. Serbska was added in 1974) 1955 from Rataje to the Stomil Factory in Starołęka, in 1967 extended to 'Poznań Starołęka' train station 1959 to Zawady via Śródka with a branch to os. Warszawskie, extended in 1974 to Miłostowo 1979 to Chartowo and Osiedle Lecha 1980 to Winiary and ul. Piątkowska
A revolution for public transport in Poznań was brought about by the opening in 1997 of the 6.1 km long Poznański Szybki Tramwaj () route, nicknamed "Pestka" by locals. Currently there are several plans for extension of the network, at different stages of preparation. Of great importance for tram transportation in Poznań was the general strategy for city development from 1994. According to this document trams are to serve as the fundamental mode of transport in the city. Since then, during renovations of streets and traffic lights, trams have been given right of way at intersections.
On 14 August 2007 a long new route opened, as the first section of the so-called Ratajski Szybki Tramwaj (). The new route connects Plac Wiosny Ludów via ul. Podgórna, ul. Dowbora Muśnickiego, ul. Mostowa, Most św. Rocha and ul. Kórnicka to ul. Jana Pawła II.
In 2011, MPK decided to sell 40 type 105Na trams due to lack of space in the depots for this type of trams. In addition, 45 Solaris Tramino trams were ordered along with 7 Moderus Beta trams.
On 11 August 2012 the final section of the route to Franowo opened, connecting the area of the former terminus loop at os. Lech with a new loop in Franowo. Part of the route runs through the 800m Franowo tunnel. At Franowo there is also a large, modern depot.
On 1 September 2013 an extension of the PST route was opened which runs parallel to the railway line between Poznan Główny station and Głogowska. This uses space that became available from the former platform 7 at the station.
Rolling stock Image Type Number Builder Built Fleet numbers Description Tatra RT6N1 16 Tatra 1997 399–414 Modernised 2012–2016, trams no. 399 and 400 were purchased and modernised in 2021 Siemens Combino 14 Siemens 2003 501–514 Modernised 2022–2024 Moderus Alfa 105N-HF07 36 Modertrans Poznań 2008–2010 83–337 Trams rebuilt from former Konstal 105Na trams Moderus Beta MF 02 AC 24 Modertrans Poznań 2011–2015Tramino and Moderus Beta trams go into service in Poznan Railway Gazette International 24 May 2011 415–438 Tram #438 was rebuilt after a major accident and repurposed for a training tram In 2025, the modernization of the wagons was begun Solaris Tramino 46 Solaris Bus & Coach 2011–2012 515–559, 560 560 (ex. 451) was the prototype tram and wears a different red and white livery Moderus Beta MF 20 AC 20 Modertrans Poznań 2016–2017 441–460 Moderus Beta MF 22 AC BD 10 Modertrans Poznań 2016–2017 911–920 Moderus Gamma LF02AC 30 Modertrans Poznań 2018–2019 601–630 Trams built from scratch in Modertrans Poznań factory based in Biskupice, Poznań County Moderus Gamma LF 03 AC BD 20 Modertrans Poznań 2019 921–940Moderus Gamma LF 04 AC BD30Modertrans Poznań2025941–970Duewag R1.124Duewag / Siemens1994971-994Purchased from Bonn
Historical vehicles: horse car Herbrand B3/H0 No. 24 built in 1880 (several times rebuilt) BSI motor car No. 15 with Carl Weyer trailer No. 305 (replicas from a remaining chassis and a car body, originally built in 1897) Fuchs KSW No. 158 with Wismar S2D trailer No. 423 (originally built for Szczecin in 1930) Stocznia Północna N No. 178 with Sanok ND trailer No. 436 Konstal N No. 286 with trailer Konstal ND No. 456 (refitted in uni-directional version) Konstal 13N No. 115 (ex Warsaw, to be restored) Konstal 102N No. 1 Konstal 102Na No. 71 Konstal 105N No. 82 + 81 Konstal 105Na No. 260 + 259 + 258 Beijnes 3G No. 610 (ex Amsterdam) Duewag GT8 No. 702 and 707 (ex Düsseldorf) Duewag GT6 No. 2513 (ex Düsseldorf) Duewag GT8 No. 904 (bidirectional type "O", ex Frankfurt) HCP Puma 118N (withdrawn and given back to H. Cegielski – Poznań at the end of 2012, since 2025 at the association KMPS)
Retired cars: HCP 115N (scrapped in August 2011)
Tram lines Poznań has 18 regular lines as well as 3 night lines and 2 tourist line. Most lines run trams every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 20 minutes on weekends.
Daily all day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18Touristweekends 0, 20 Tourist on selected days (announced separately) HNightlydaily201, 202