The Colorful Trams of Krakow

Newer, low-emission transit vehicles helped the city get rid of its smoggy reputation

If you asked my son why he wanted to visit Krakow, Poland, during his school’s winter break, he wouldn’t have said it was for the beautiful architecture, the great food, or its long history.

He would have said - wait for it - the trams.

Since we moved to Germany, he’s become something of a streetcar connoisseur. He knows the routes of all of Berlin’s tram lines, those of the other cities in Brandenburg, which other cities in Europe use trams, and how old their fleets are.

And he wanted to see the ones in Krakow.

A city of more than 800,000 residents on the Vistula River in southern Poland, Krakow has an extensive tram network for a city its size, with 22 regular tram lines, two express lines, and three night tram lines.

In the 1990s, faced with increasing transit demand but with limited funds, city leaders abandoned plans to develop an underground metro in favor of expanding its existing tram and bus systems. And, surveys by transportation planners have found that more than 75 percent of the city residents rely on the tram network as their main source of transportation.

But when you travel around the city, it’s clear that many of the trams began service elsewhere. They are different colors and different designs. And, I noticed on one, that the button to open one of the doors featured the German word ‘Aussteigen’ for ‘to get off.’ That is because there are trams running the routes that originally served Dusseldorf, and some that were from Vienna.

These trams are complemented by new, modern blue streetcars, also featuring the city’s iconic Lajkonik mascot in a cut-out graphic logo.

It turns out that both the new, blue streetcars and the secondhand trams were part of a modernization program begun by the city in 2017.

For years, Krakow had a reputation for having some of the worst air quality in Europe. And, while the problem was largely attributed to the buring of of coal and wood in home heating systems, its older trams and buses were also a factor.

“Krakow had a big problem … every headline was about the levels of smog in the city and how hard it was to breathe in winter,” notes Emily Bulak, who writes the online guide Emily’s Guide to Krakow. “There were red-alert days when the elderly and small children were told to stay inside because the air pollution levels were to high.  For whatever reason, the city finally realized it was time to do something about it.”

By the mid 2000s, the average age of their individual tram units was 33 years. They were inefficient, produced significant carbon emissions, and with higher floor heights and steep stairs, harder for older and disabled passengers to use.

In 2017, the city began gradually replacing its older stock with secondhand electric trams purchased from cities in Austria and Germany. And in 2018, with financial help from the European Union, the Krakow transit association (MPK) was able to purchase a fleet of 35 new electric trams from Stadler.

In 2022, Krakow also implemented a low-emission zone (LEZ) around its city center, placing restrictions on what types of motor vehicles would be allowed to operate inside it.

Together with the ongoing efforts to help residents and property owners transition away from using older coal heating systems - it was the first city in Poland to ban burning of coal and wood - these infrastructure changes have significantly improved Krakow’s air quality and its reputation.

Krakow was designated an EU Green Capital finalist for 2023 and is an applicant for 2024. And is becoming a model for cities across Europe to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, city leaders say.

Since 2018, the city has partnered with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology - as part of its Deep Demonstration of Healthy Clean Cities project- to develop a blueprint for cities across Europe to work toward achieving carbon neutrality.

Its work with EIT - Climate KIC helped the city because it allowed them to assemble a diverse group of city stakeholders, link all of the different ongoing climate initiatives together, and fill in strategic gaps to build a “portfolio” of different experiments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Andrzej Łazęcki, Deputy Director of Municipal Services Department, told the institute in 2021.1

A key focus has been encouraging the residents to prioritize public transport, cycling and walking as their primary modes of transit because this is something that will help the climate and improve residents’ quality of life at the same time.

“Action is needed to strengthen the local community” Łazęcki said. “Talking about a global problem is not very convincing, it is crucial to bring the problem down to the local level, to issues that residents can engage with.”

So, if you visit Krakow, pay attention to the colorful old trams, notice the Planty green belt encircling the Old Town - it’s a park that traces the path of the old city walls. Enjoy the pedestrian-friendly Climate Quarter.

Know these elements didn’t just happen. They are part of a committed years-long effort to develop a sustainable, healthy city for all residents.

Read More

Myth: Trams have more greenhouse emissions than cars. Public Transport Association, Victoria, Australia. Accessed: 12.02.2024.

Why a tram system can significantly improve urban air quality. Air Quality News.com, Cheschire, UK. Accessed 12.02.2024.

European Green Capital Award Good Practices: Krakow. European Commission - Energy, Climate Change, Environment. Accessed 12.02.2024.

That’s it for Monday

On Friday, I’ll be back to posting about Berlin.

Have a good week!

-Cathi