Warsaw West Station

Warszawa Zachodnia - one of the main gates into and out of the city (although located quite near its very heart).
The station as we know it dates back to the 1920s and 30s., but when you look around you can still find some remnants of the first railway line from the latter part of the 19th century: red brick, siloses etc...

Equally rare are remnants from more recent time. Here you are, a modernist signalling control from the 1930s. Can you see its oblong shapes, likening the building to a ship? Now it is (mis)used as a storage:

Let's bounce to the 1960s to see another example of a signalling control building. If the sea and ships were all the rage in the 30s, now it is the space that inspires architects to create spacecraft-like towers like this one:

When I was taking the pictures two years ago the station was being renovated. A new entrance, a waiting hall and underground tunnels were built or rearranged. Around the station new office buildings were built.

Now after over two years there are still some places for improvement, for example the neighbouring bus station or some of the underground tunnels... Yet its current image is lightyears away from what it looked like not so long ago. It is now closer to the centre in the sense of its function and atmosphere.

...but even though you can see the modern centre not so far away, you know you're in a differet era here.

...or to be more precise: different epochs blend right in front of your eyes.

Christmas theme metro train

Have you been lucky to get on the special Christmas train in the Warsaw underground?

The themed train was launched on Dec 6th (St Nicholas day - that is Santa Claus's!) and it will continue until January 6th.
Actually there are two - one at each f two Metro lines.
Both trains can be spotted between 7 am and 8 pm. Apparently it's easier to get on one on M2 line - because the second line is shorter, so statistically... ;-

Personally - I am a happy person who does not travel by metro too often,at least not during the rush hours!
Photo credits - Ola D.