The tram line in Torun in the final of the Construction of the Year competition

The construction of the tram line in Torun was among the finalists of the nationwide competition “Modernization of the Year & Construction of the 21st Century”. The general contractor of the investment was a consortium of Balzola Polska and INTOP sp. z o.o., for which TINES provided materials for elastic rail fastening. The supplied polyurethane resin TINES Polyrail 50 is widely used in continuous and point rail fastening, including in green embedded tram tracks. We are pleased with our contribution to the great achievement of our business partners.

The aim of the nationwide competition “Modernization of the Year & Construction of the 21st Century”, organized for the twenty-eighth time, was to select and reward construction projects – modernizations and new facilities – distinguished by their exceptional qualities. In this way, the organizers seek to promote and support activities aimed at saving national heritage buildings and structures. They also promote modernizations, reconstructions, revitalizations of areas, extensions of facilities and installations to achieve functional and aesthetic effects.

The competition is organized by the Association for the Protection of National Material Heritage and Targi Pomorskie Sp. z o.o., in cooperation with the Association of Polish Counties and the Polish Chamber of Construction. The competition promotes the functionality of modernized and reconstructed buildings and structures, modern technologies and design solutions, the use of new techniques, modern efficient and safe devices, high quality of construction and conservation works, the use of innovative materials, high ecological effects, and in the case of historic buildings, care for architecture and the protection of cultural heritage, preservation of the original qualities of the structures, and protection of contemporary cultural assets.

Objects and buildings whose modernizations and constructions were completed by the first quarter of 2024 could be submitted to the competition. The organizers provided two main categories of objects: New Object and Modernized Object. In each of these categories, it was possible to submit road objects, facades and thermal renovations, hotel and tourist facilities, cultural, sports, health and recreation facilities, residential, bridge, environmental protection objects, areas and urban complexes, industrial and engineering, sacred, educational facilities, green areas, public utility buildings, interiors, historic objects, and new objects in urban spaces.

The qualified objects can be viewed on the interactive map of Poland at www.modernizacjaroku.org.pl. The presentation of the tram line construction can be viewed here: https://www.modernizacjaroku.org.pl/pl/edition/4024/object/4119/budowa-nowej-linii-tramwajowej-w-toruniu

This year’s edition of the competition ended on September 27, 2024, with the Final Gala at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, where statuettes and diplomas were awarded. As part of the ceremonial event, an exhibition showcasing all awarded investments was also prepared. The construction of the new tram line won the main award in the category “Road Infrastructure Objects”. The statuette for the winner was collected by the Vice President of the Management Board of the Municipal Transport Company in Toruń, Piotr Rama.

About the tram line construction:

The construction of the line was carried out in the years 2021–2023 as part of the project “Improvement of public transport in Toruń – BiT-City II”. It is one of the largest investments in the city in recent years. Its goal was to create a comfortable connection between the northern part of Toruń (Wrzosy, Koniuchy, the so-called Jar) and the eastern and western areas of the city. The beneficiary of the project is the Municipality of the City of Toruń, and the tasks were carried out by the Municipal Transport Company.

The works lasted 697 days and, in addition to the construction of the embedded tram line, also included the reconstruction of the road system and the creation of a section of the so-called Staromostowa Route, which is intended to handle traffic heading north.

Thanks to the investment, nearly 13,000 meters of single-track embedded track were added in Toruń, including 5,200 meters of green embedded tracks. Along the route, 27 platform stops were built, including 14 green ones. Great emphasis was also placed on greenery. The investment included the planting of new trees, shrubs, grasses, and other perennials along the line. On Watzenrodego Street, a corridor for bats was preserved, and flower meadows were planted in this area.

After the construction of the new route, the length of tram tracks in Toruń increased by about 25 percent, and residents gained two new tram lines: No. 3 on the Motoarena – Heweliusza route and No. 6 on the Olimpijska – Heweliusza route. This gives passengers the opportunity to use new, comfortable connections, and the travel comfort has significantly improved. Line No. 3 covers a distance of 10.5 km in 33 minutes, and Line No. 6 – the longest line in the city – is 13.75 km long, with a travel time of 38 minutes.

The launch of the new section enriched the transport offer on other routes, including the east–west route, enabling convenient access for residents both to the city center and to the north.

The investment turned out to be a bull’s-eye and has been popular with passengers from the very beginning. According to estimates, over three million passengers used the newly created lines No. 3 and 6 during the first year of operation!

The new embedded tram line is also an open-air art gallery. Ten shelters along the route are Good Energy Stops, arranged by Toruń artists to put passengers in a good mood. The route also includes a rail-road-tram crossing, and the solution applied is the only one of its kind in Poland.

The total cost of the investment exceeded PLN 211 million. More than 72% of eligible expenses were obtained from the European Union. The beneficiary was the Municipality of the City of Toruń, and the investment was carried out by the Municipal Transport Company in Toruń. The main contractor was a consortium of Balzola Polska and Intop Warszawa.