Water Main Burst in Jerozolimskie Avenue Halts WKD Commuter Trains in Warsaw

A serious water main break at Jerozolimskie Avenue in Warsaw flooded the roadway and WKD railway tracks on Sunday morning, forcing the suspension of train traffic.

Major Water Main Break Floods Tracks

On Sunday, August 2, after 8:00 AM, a serious water main failure occurred at 168 Aleje Jerozolimskie in Warsaw. Water from a pipe damaged during ongoing work flooded the service road and the tracks of the Warsaw Commuter Railway (WKD). Due to the escalating situation, WKD temporarily suspended train traffic between Warszawa Raków and Warszawa Śródmieście WKD.

The failure occurred at the viaduct over the WKD and PKP tracks, where a water pipe was damaged in the work zone. Water poured out in a wide stream, flooding the service road of Aleje Jerozolimskie and then flowing down onto the railway tracks located below.

Emergency Response and Partial Line Closure

The fire department, an inspector from the Metropolitan Security Center, and the water supply emergency service were dispatched to the site. Water utility workers partially cut off the water supply, limiting further inflow onto the tracks, while firefighters inspected the area to ensure no major hazard to people or infrastructure.

However, the failure caused severe disruptions to WKD train operations. Initially, track number 2—the right-hand track heading toward central Warsaw—was flooded, and traffic between Komorów and Warszawa Śródmieście WKD operated on a single track (track number 1) with potential delays and cancellations.

Escalation of Disruptions and Ticket Honoring

At 8:55 AM, WKD announced that starting at 9:00 AM and until further notice, all types of WKD tickets would be honored on Koleje Mazowieckie trains between Grodzisk Mazowiecki and Warszawa Śródmieście.

The situation on the tracks subsequently worsened. In an update published at 9:10 AM, WKD reported that continued flooding of the infrastructure made it necessary to close track number 1 as well, shutting down both tracks between Warszawa Raków and Warszawa Śródmieście WKD.

Shuttle Services and Track Reversal Operations

Trains arriving from the southwest terminated their runs at the Warszawa Raków stop. A shuttle service was introduced between Komorów and Warszawa Raków operating on each track individually, meaning a train departing Komorów on a given track reversed direction upon reaching Warszawa Raków and returned to Komorów along the same track.

WKD appealed to passengers to pay attention to the track from which their train was approaching, as each platform between Komorów and Warszawa Raków could handle trains traveling in both directions. Replacement bus service was launched between Warszawa Raków and Warszawa Śródmieście WKD.

Around 10:00 AM, the water inflow in the failure area was brought under control. Following track clearing and surface inspections, operations were planned to restore two-track train traffic between Warszawa Raków and Warszawa Śródmieście WKD.

Starting at approximately 10:10 AM, the gradual restoration of scheduled train operations was anticipated on the Warszawa Śródmieście WKD – Komorów route. Honoring of all WKD tickets on Koleje Mazowieckie trains between Grodzisk Mazowiecki and Warszawa Śródmieście remains in effect until further notice.