Public Transport in Łódź

Piotrkowska-Centrum is a tram station which takes the form of a shelter. It connects two public transport axes of the city of Łódź. These are the W-Z Route (the main east-west communication artery of Łódź) and the Łódź Regional Tram (Łódzki Tramwaj Regionalny – ŁTR). This is a north-south rapid public transport system, connecting Łódź with Zgierz (from the north), and Ksawerów and Pabianice (from the south). Up until February 2018, trams had run to Ozorków, which is around 26 km to the north of Łódź, via the ŁTR route. 

The entire shelter, which protects against wind and precipitation, is located on level 0, i.e. above the underground road tunnel of the W-Z route constructed in 2013-2015. With the shifting of vehicle traffic along Piłsudskiego Avenue and Mickiewicza Avenue underground, it was decided to redirect the ŁTR route to Mickiewicza. Previously, trams on the north-south route (ŁTR) had turned left from Piotrkowska onto Żwirki and then right onto Kościuszki Avenue. However, with the reconstruction of the old tram route between Żwirki Street and Mickiewicza Avenue, the main north-south tram traffic was also moved there. All in all, an efficient connection of tram lines from the city’s main arteries was the net result of all the reconstruction work.

There are four platforms at the station – two each for the east-west route (W-Z) and north-south route (ŁTR). Twelve out of the city’s 18 regular daily tram lines stop at Piotrkowska-Centrum. 

The East-West Widzew-Retkinia Route

The East-West Route (“Trasa W-Z”) connects the two largest housing estates in Łódź – Widzew Wschód (in the east) and Retkinia (in the west). The Polish term Trasa W-Z, which goes back to the late 1970s, describes the Widzew-Retkinia road and tram route.

Back in 2013, one of the largest investments in Łódź infrastructure in recent years began. The project was called Modernizacja i rozbudowa Trasy W-Z, meaning “The Modernization and expansion of the East-West Route”. As part of the first stage of the project, the aforementioned Piotrkowska-Centrum Tram Station was built. The second stage of the project revolved around the expansion and modernization of some 13.2 km of tram lines on the route. Construction work enabled trams to run between the districts of Retkinia and Olechów. This particular route was opened in October 2015.

The North-South Route: Łódzki Tramwaj Regionalny

As previously mentioned, the Łódź Regional Tram (Łódzki Tramwaj Regionalny – ŁTR) connects Łódź with Zgierz (from the north), and Ksawerów and Pabianice (from the south). 

Before the ŁTR route was extended to Zgierz, to the north, and Ksawerów and Pabiance, to the south, the north-route had revolved around the following route:

• Chocianowice IKEA (loop, Port Łódź retail complex)
• Pabianicka Street
• Piotrkowska Street
• Mickiewicza Avenue (only from 31 October, 2015. Trams had previously run along the parallel on Żwirki Street between Piotrkowska Street and Kościuszki Avenue)
• Kościuszki Avenue
• Zachodnia Street
• Zgierska Street
• Helenówek (loop)

Overall, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to state that public transport in Łódź depends on the Łódź Regional Tram route to keep the city’s public transport authority afloat. This is because some of the city’s busiest tram stops, such as Manufaktura and Piotrkowska-Centrum, are on the north-south Łódź Regional Tram route.

Key Tram Lines and Stops

A fair number of tram lines in Łódź either run on or intersect (at Piotrkowska-Centrum) the north-south Łódź Regional Tram route. 

For instance, tram lines 2, 3, 11 and 19 run from different locations in the south of Łódź up to Manufaktura and further north. All of these lines run along Kościuszki Avenue and Zachodnia Street. 

Tram line 6 also runs along Kościuszki and Zachodnia. However, from a south to north perspective, line 6 turns right just before Manufaktura and goes around Park Staromiejski.  

Another stop on the ŁTR route that’s worth mentioning is Legionów. The stop is on Zachodnia Street and it offers the swiftest access to Freedom Square (Plac Wolności) or the northern end of Piotrkowska Street via Rosa’s Passage.

To reach the Port Łódź retail complex from Piotrkowska-Centrum, take number 11 to the stop Długa. For IKEA, go to the last stop on the line – Chocianowice IKEA. It’s also possible to reach IKEA from Plac Wolności with line 17.

The two most popular shopping centres in Łódź are Galeria Łódzka and Manufaktura. The nearest tram stop to Galeria Łódzka is Piłsudskiego-Sienkiewicza. There is no direct connection between Galeria Łódzka and Manufaktura so you can walk the short distance from Piłsudskiego-Sienkiewicza to Piotrkowska-Centrum or take either tram 7, 8, 10A, 10B, 12, 14 or 18 one stop along the line.

A healthy number of tram lines run past two of the three main railway stations in Łódź – Kaliska and Fabryczna. Moreover, tram lines 12 and 18 directly connect the two railway stations. 

As for the third main railway station – Widzew – it is only possible to reach it from Piotrkowska-Centrum using lines 7, 10A and 10B. For Widzew Railway Station, get off at the stop Rokicińska – rondo Inwalidów. Have in mind that it takes longer to travel between the two railway stations using line 7. Tram lines 10A and 10B connect Widzew and Kaliska railway stations while tram 9 connects Widzew and Fabryczna railway stations.

The Frequency of Trams in Łódź

On weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m, or 7 a.m. and 18 p.m. depending on the tram line, trams tend to run every 15 minutes in Łódź. On the face of it, this frequency is disappointing. However, 15-minute intervals are common in Kraków and Wrocław too. 

There appears to be one major exception to the norm in Łódź. On weekdays, tram 8 runs every seven or eight minutes from around 7 a.m. through 18 p.m. 

Generally, trams run every 20 minutes or so between 18 – 18:30 p.m. until around 11 p.m.

On weekends, trams tend to run every 20 minutes regardless of what time of day it is. One of the main differences between timetables on Saturday and Sunday lies in the fact that, on Sundays, trams run every 30 minutes until mid-morning before switching to 20-minute intervals. It depends on the line, but this switch in frequency on Sundays tends to occur at around 9 a.m.

The Historic Tourist Tram Line in Łódź

As previously mentioned, there is a short tram route in Łódź – line “0” – which is of a purely touristic nature. It operates during the summer months (May-September) on weekends and public holidays. The tram, which comprises historic carriages, runs from Plac. Niepodległości, in Górniak, up to Piotrkowska-Centrum and then on to Kościuszki and Zachodnia. From a south to north perspective, tram “0” turns right after the stop Legionów and then heads around Plac Wolności. 

After heading along Nowomiejska Street and Północna Street, which runs parallel to Park Staromiejski, the tram turns right onto Kilińskiego Street. It is along Kilińskiego, and indeed the streets which intersect Kilińskiego, where tourists can observe the regeneration of an abundance of tenement houses in Łódź city centre in recent years. Keep your eye out for the third street on the right – Włókiennicza. If you’re looking for a street in Łódź where history and modernity intertwine, then this is it.

On tram Line 0, the local public transport tariff in Łódź applies. Therefore, all time-based and short-term tickets valid in zone 1 are valid.

It is anticipated that tram line “0” will run from the beginning of May until the end of September 2025. In any case, I will update this post at the beginning of May so check back then for information pertaining to timetables.