A great return of trams to Dąbrowa Górnicza

A comprehensive reconstruction of the transport system in Dąbrowa Górnicza comprised the section from Kasprzaka street to the city boundary between Dąbrowa Górnicza and Będzin, along Al. Piłsudskiego, Królowej Jadwigi and Sobieskiego streets. The modernised section of a two-track tramway line is approx. 4,600 metres long and including the terminus the reconstruction covered approx. 10,000 metres of a single track. The investment project is a common task of the company Tramwaje Śląskie S.A. and the City of Dąbrowa Górnicza, which is the investor for the road part. The works started in mid-November 2021, and the ZUE S.A. company from Krakow is the general contractor. The tram task is an element of the ‘Integrated Project of Tram Infrastructure Modernisation and Development in the Upper Silesian – Zagłębie Conurbation, Including Procurement of Tram Vehicles’ co-financed by the European Union.

– Albeit we planned that the investment project would be completed slightly earlier, but, already at the stage of implementation, significant changes occurred in the urban scope of the project, which finally will have a very positive impact on the flow and safety of the traffic in the city, so it was worth to add some time to obtain an excellent road and track system. We are satisfied that, despite various difficulties and challenges, the general contractor made the grade and carried out the works at a good pace – noticed Mr Bolesław Knapik, the President of the Management Board of Tramwaje Śląskie S.A.

The tram traffic, awaited by the Dąbrowa residents, will be restored from Monday, the 19th of February. Starting from that date, the following organisation of the tram traffic will be introduced:

• trams of line 21 will be running between Sosnowiec Milowice Pętla and Dąbrowa Górnicza Tworzeń Huta Katowice;
• trams of line 22 will be running on the route from Czeladź Dworzec to Dąbrowa Górnicza Tworzeń Huta Katowice;
• trams of line 28 will be running between Będzin Osiedle Zamkowe Pętla and Dąbrowa Górnicza Tworzeń Huta Katowice;
• the substitute bus line T-21 will be cancelled.

What is important, low-floor cars will appear on all three lines, which will substantially improve the comfort of travelling by the tram transport.

The track was made in a classic design on pre-tensioned concrete sleepers, and precast track slabs were placed at the roads crossings and on the tram stops. In both cases modern methods of flexible assembling of rails were applied, which reduce the emission of noise and vibrations. 16 stop platforms were reconstructed (including 4 platforms at integrated tram and bus stops Gołonóg Manhattan and Dąbrowa Górnicza Aleja Róż), 3 new stop platforms were built, track lubricators were installed, the draining systems as well as the contact lines with the power supply system were reconstructed. The terminus with the holding track at the Labour Office were reconstructed.

The urban scope of the task included the reconstruction of the road system, together with the liquidation of traffic lights, and the reconstruction of intersections into roundabouts, and the construction and reconstruction of pavements, of mixed use paths, of bicycle tracks and green squares, the reconstruction of the pedestrian tunnel in Manhattan, the liquidation of architectural barriers in the form of two footbridges and four pedestrian tunnels, and also the construction of raised pedestrian crossings and of a modern system of street lighting.

– Our goal was to calm the traffic on the main transport axis of the city, to create the pedestrian- and cyclists-friendly infrastructure, to integrate the bus and tram transport, and to raise the tram transport to a higher level due to modern tracks and comfortable low-floor trams, which will be running now in our city – emphasises Mr Marcin Bazylak, the Mayor of Dąbrowa Górnicza.

It is worth noting that the project, which comes to an end, is also linked with other city investment projects, like the construction of transfer centres at the stations and the reconstruction of the road system, as well as with tram investments, such as the reconstruction of the track along Kasprzaka street and the repair of a fragment of the track towards Huta Katowice.