Warszawa Główna

Architecture-what architecture? This station has had a very chequered history. At one time the main station for the City of Warsaw had a passenger terminal building of Modernist/Art Deco style which was firstly damaged by fire during construction then bombed by German aircraft during the siege of Warsaw in 1939. It was eventually destroyed by German troops after suffering further damage during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944.

In the post-war period a different staion of the same name was built on the site of a goods yard consisting of a few platforms linked by level crossings (shown here) and a temporary wooden building. A new station, Warszawa Centralna, was completed in 1975 which took over the main international and regional services.
Warszawa Główna station still exists and according to the PKP website 'The restoration of railway traffic to Warszawa Główna railway station is planned, as well as the creation of new space for commercial activity and the integration with the public transport.'

The photo was taken from the Ostend sleeper train which had arrived from Moscow. This was my second family trip behind the Iron Curtain to visit relatives (off picture to the right).

Location: Warszawa Główna

Original line: PKP

Photographer: Charlie Niven

Contact photographer: Charlie Niven

Contact editor

Date: 08/1972

Image number: 64953