How to use Warszawa Centralna train station

About the station

Warszawa Centralna is a train station of contrasts.

On the outside it’s a text book example of stark brutalist Soviet era architecture - which we're rather partial to, though we appreciate it's not to everyone's taste.

However, the interior of Warszawa Centralna has been modernised, creating a pleasant, user-friendly environment in which to catch a train.

A particularly worthy achievement, as the platform/perons are below ground and the trains arrive and depart in a tunnel.

The other main stations in Warszawa:

Warszawa has three stations used by long distance trains.

Warszawa Centralna lives up to its name with a location closest to the city centre - though it's still some distance from many of the most popular areas of the city.

Trains from the south and west call first at Warszawa Zachodnia station - before going on to Warszawa Centralna and then Warszawa Wschodnia station.

Trains from the north and east call first at Warszawa Wschodnia station before going on to Warszawa Centralna and then Warszawa Zachodnia.

So the first station in Warszawa that your train will call at won’t be Warszawa Centralna and this may not be particularly obvious - so take care not to leave the train at the wrong station.

Services

Availability

1st Class Lounge

Bus Station

Car Hire

Information Desk

Left Luggage

Metro

Step Free

Taxi Rank

Terminus Station

TouristInfo

Useful links

Location

Station Map/Diagram (PDF)

Station Website

Live Departures

Train Times

Tourist Information

Public Transport Website

Tram/Metro Map

Onward Journey Planner

Tram and Bus Stops at Centralna

Airbnb

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Departing By Train From Warszawa Centralna Station

When departing from Warszawa Centralna, making your way to the train can be (initially) bewildering, due to the numbering system for platforms/tracks used by PKP, the national express train operator in Poland.

Check our Poland guide for a full explanation, but at Warszawa Centralna the advice is to use the electronic departure indicators to initially discover which ‘peron’ (platform) your train will be leaving from.

The signage is excellent so making your way to the peron shouldn’t be too difficult.

When you're on the concourse don't be overly concerned about the specific 'track' that your train will be leaving from, you'll be able to work that out once you are on the ‘peron’ (platform).

To The Trains:

(1) There are escalators and lifts down from the main concourse and you can use these to access an interim level - which also houses the left luggage office and numerous shops, cafés and food/drink outlets.

(2) From this interim level there are escalators and lifts down to each ‘peron’ (platform).

(3) The specific ‘tor’ (tracks) that the train will be departing from are on either side of the peron.

One each side of the peron (platform), there are electronic indictors for each specific tor/track giving details of the next train to depart from each track.
As shown on the image of the peron at Warszawa Centralna above.

The tracks/tors have their own numbers, which are separate to the peron numbers.

(4) The tracks/tors are also zoned and there are indicators on the peron showing in which zone that the carriages/coaches of each train will be located.

You can use these indicators to work out where to wait on the track for easy boarding.

Do check these indicators, as some of the trains that depart from Warszaawa Centralna are much shorter than the length of the track, so only use one end of the platform (peron).

Keep the departure time front of mind:

Warszawa Centralna is not a terminus station, in fact virtually all the trains which use it just call at the station on route to their final destinations.

However, most trains are scheduled to spend up to 10 mins in Warszawa Centralna between their arrival and departures.

As you make your way down to your train, you will see the peron (platform/track) that it will be departing from below you.

So it's likely that you will also see your train already waiting in the station, but unless you're cutting it very fine and only have a minute to spare - avoid panicking and hurtling down the steps/escalators.
It's likely that you won't have to rush.

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Accessing The City Centre and Old Town

Warszawa Centralna is the closest station to the city centre used by express trains, but its location in the city isn’t particularly convenient, unless you’re heading to the Palace of Culture And Science, which is across the street.

Centralna station also isn't directly linked to the Warsaw Metro.

Onward Connections By Metro:

The closest Metro station to Warszawa Centralna is 'Centrum' station on Line 1 - it’s a comparatively easy 5 – 8min walk away.

To reach Centrum from Centralna, leave the station by its exit on the street named 'Emilii Plater' and walk through the gardens on the opposite side of the road - the Palace of Culture And Science skyscraper will be to the left,

Or if the weather is poor, a slightly longer option is to use the underground passageway from Centralna to Śródmieście station and then take another passage from Śródmieście to Centrum station.

Onward Connections By Tram:

For the old town - take tram lines 10, 17, 33 from tram stop ‘10’ on ‘aleja .Jana.Patwa ii’ which is the main road to the west of the station - the opposite side of the station to the Palace of Culture And Science skyscraper.

The tram stop is somewhat hidden beneath the road flyover.

From here take a tram three stops to Kino Fermina and make a transfer there (go to the intersection of the two streets and turn left) to lines 13, 20, 23 eastbound and take any of these trams two stops to 'Stare Mistro'.

To access the old town from the Stare Mistro stop walk up the stairs, that lead to the street above the road tunnel.

The Stare Mistro tram stop is also at the northern end of Krakowskie Przedmieście (the Royal Route).
Walk up the stairs behind the tram stop and turn left at the top.

For the southern end of Krakowskie Przedmieście, take the Metro one stop north of Centrum to Metro Świętokrzyska station.

Then connect there for line M2 (direction Dworzec Wileński) and leave the train at to Nowy Świat-Uniwersytet station.

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Changing Trains at Warszawa Centralna Station

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Local Trains inc Trains To Chopin Airport

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Conveniently Located Hotels/Hostels

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Warszawa Centralna

Warszawa / Warsaw, (Poland)

Journeys from Warszawa / Warsaw

About the station

Useful links

Departing By Train From Warszawa Centralna Station

Accessing The City Centre and Old Town

Changing Trains at Warszawa Centralna Station

Local Trains inc Trains To Chopin Airport

Conveniently Located Hotels/Hostels