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Poland’s oldest operating electric train, 63-year-old “Granny”, returns to the tracks after a refurb

The train has been in operation since 1963.

Poland’s oldest operating electric train, 63-year-old “Granny”, returns to the tracks after a refurb

Poland's oldest electric train, affectionately known as "Granny" or Babcia, is set to return to service after a major refurbishment. This 63-year-old vehicle, originally manufactured in 1963 at a factory in Wrocław, served passengers in the southern province of Małopolska before being transferred to Masovia in 2003, near the capital, Warsaw.

Czesław Sulima, operations director for the regional rail operator Masovian Railways, emphasized the importance of tradition alongside modernization, highlighting that while the fleet is among the most modern in Poland, "Babcia has become a permanent fixture in Polish railway history." The train's recent refurbishment included upgrades to its monitoring system and toilet, which now operates in a closed circulation system.

Babcia will make its debut on a 10 km weekend route between Tłuszcz and Mostówka, northeast of Warsaw. As Poland's train travel continues to thrive, with a record 44.7 million passengers in the first half of 2026, there is a growing appreciation for the nation's railway history, including the nostalgia associated with older trains like Babcia.

Written by urgent.news from Notes from Poland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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