Poland - Transportation

In 2002, the operational rail network of Poland was 23,420 km (14,553 mi) in length, of which 11,626 km (7,224 mi) were electrified. In terms of line length the Polish State Railways (PKP) is the third largest railway in Europe. However, equipment and service is far behind EU countries. In 2000 PKP began privatization of passenger, cargo and infrastructure.

There is a dense road and highway network. Improvement and repair have not kept up with the increased usage-an 800% increase in freight and an 1,800% increase in passenger transport between 1950 and 1970, and a 60% increase in freight traffic and a 70% increase in passenger transport during 1971-82. In 2001 out of a total of 381,046 km (236,782 mi) of roadways, 249,966 km (155,329 mi) were paved roads, including 269 km (166 mi) of expressways. In 2000, there were 9,991,260 passenger cars and 1,962,712 commercial vehicles.

As of 2002, Poland had 19 merchant ships, totaling 382,518 GRT. Before World War II, Polish merchant marine operations were mainly with the Western countries, especially the United States, but much of the current traffic is with Asian and African countries. The major ports are Szczecin, Gdynia, Gdánsk, and Swinoujáscie. The ports were badly damaged during World War II but have since been rehabilitated and enlarged. There are 3,812 km (2,369 mi) of navigable rivers and canals; the principal inland waterways are the Oder, with Szczecin near its mouth, the Wista, and the Warta.

In 2001, Poland had 122 airports, 83 with paved runways. Polish Air Transport (Polskie Linie Lotnicze-LOT), organized in 1922 and reorganized after World War II, is a state enterprise, with Warsaw's Okecie International Airport as the center. In 2001, 2,670,300 passengers were carried on scheduled domestic and international airline flights.