Berlin-Warszawa-Express

Berlin-Warszawa-Express

Overview
Service type	EuroCity (EC)
Status	Active
Locale	Germany Poland
First service	29 September 2002
Current operator(s)	DB, PKP
Route
Termini	Berlin Warszawa Wschodnia
Average journey time	5hr 24min
Service frequency	5x daily
Train number(s)	40–47
On-board services
Class(es)	First and second class
Catering facilities	Restaurant
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Timetable number(s)	EC95 (Germany)
Route map 0 Berlin Hauptbahnhof 5 Berlin Ostbahnhof 85 Frankfurt (Oder) Germany / Poland border 108 Rzepin 161 Świebodzin 183 Zbąszynek 264 Poznań Główny 364 Konin 443 Kutno 566 Warszawa Zachodnia 570 Warszawa Centralna 575 Warszawa Wschodnia

The Berlin-Warszawa-Express (BWE) is a cross-border train service that connects Berlin and Warsaw via Frankfurt (Oder), operated jointly by Deutsche Bahn (DB Fernverkehr) and Polish State Railways (PKP Intercity). The service, classed as EuroCity, runs four times per day in each direction, with the services given the numbers 40–47. Total journey time is 5 hours, 24 minutes.

History

The Berlin-Warszawa-Express brand began in 2002, replacing the names of individual services which had been added to the EuroCity network over the previous decade. There were four pairs of services (EC 40–47) linking Berlin Zoologischer Garten and Warsaw Wschodnia, plus a fifth (48/49), which only ran from Berlin to Poznań, and as such didn't take the BWE name. This additional service was dropped in 2004, but restored in 2007, and since 2012, continues from Poznań to Gdańsk and Gdynia, under the name Berlin-Gdynia Express.

The service began to serve Berlin Hauptbahnhof after its opening in 2006, no longer serving Berlin Zoo.

Second Class interior

Rolling stock

2nd class coach of the Berlin-Warszawa Express at Berlin Ostbahnhof.

Each train is six coaches long, using specially branded carriages provided by both DB and PKP - the livery is white, as per DB Intercity, but with a dark blue stripe instead of the normal red. Four of them (three full 2nd class and handicap car) are provided by PKP, Restaurant/1st class and first class are delivered by DB.

Since December 2010 the train has been hauled by Siemens EuroSprinter (ES 64) locomotives, provided by PKP and known in Poland as Class EU 44 Husarz. Prior to this the DB Class 180 was the most common traction, with Class 186 and Class 232 seen on occasion. In 2016, carriages are mainly provided by PKP Intercity, only restaurant carriage is provided by Deutsche Bahn. By 2017, all German restaurant carriages were returned to Deutsche Bahn. All carriages are provided by PKP Intercity.

Potential Improvements

Plans for the Polish Y High Speed Line include a route from Poznan to Warsaw, which follows the Berlin-Warszawa Express. Later phases include plans to extend to Berlin.

Summary of services

#	Former name	Period of EC operation	Details
40/41	Varsovia	1993–
42/43	Berolina	1991–
44/45	Paderewski	1998–
46/47	n/a	2002–
48/49	Posnania	1998–2004 2008	Berlin to Poznań only

See also

• Berlin–Wrocław railway

References

• Etmanowicz, Andrzej (2012). Berlin-Warszawa-Express: 20 lat pociagow EuroCity Warszawa - Poznan - Berlin [Berlin-Warszawa-Express: 20 years of Eurocity trains Warsaw - Poznan - Berlin]. Poznań: Kolpress. ISBN 978-83-933257-5-7. (in Polish and German)
• Möller, Steffen (2012). Expedition zu den Polen: Eine Reise mit dem Berlin-Warszawa-Express [Expedition to the Poles: A journey with the Berlin-Warszawa-Express] (in German). München: Malik. ISBN 978-3890293998.