Poland launched its first high-speed train service Sunday, with a tilting train built by France's Alstom knocking half an hour off the travel time between Krakow and Warsaw. The Intercity Premium train, built at Savigliano, Italy, pulled into Warsaw station two hours and 32 minutes after leaving Krakow.
It was to continue on later to Baltic Sea port of Gdynia.
Polish railway operator PKP Intercity rail service ordered 20 of Alstom's Pendolino tilting trains in 2011 as part of a 665-million-euro ($828 million) contract that also includes the construction of a repair workshop in Warsaw.
Each of the silver blue trains, which are built in Italy and can run at up to 250km on both high-speed and conventional lines, can carry up to 402 passengers.
A Pendolino train broke the Polish rail speed record in 2013, hitting 293 km/hr. But on most parts of the Polish network it will be travelling at a more sedate pace, as only a few sections of the tracks lend themselves to its top speed.
Not everyone in Poland has welcomed the new, premium-priced service. Some passengers said they preferred the older, slower trains on which they could travel for a third of the cost.
PKP has responded with a special 12-euro Pendolino fare between Krakow and Warsaw.
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