What this means for travellers is that the whole area is going to be a major construction site until the station is completed, something which is pencilled in for the 2nd half of 2012 (the 135,000 m2 shopping gallery and office space are due to be finished by 2013). During this time the bulk of the main station will be closed and a temporary train station (‘Dworzec Tymczasowy’) within part of the existing complex will be in use. This can be reached from Plac Oddziałów Młodzieży Powstańczej (D-2) on the opposite side of the station from the old main entrance and via Pl. Oddziałów Młodzieży Powstańczej and ul. Tadeusza Kościuszki. In the temporary station travellers can find all the same facilities of the main building – cash machines, toilets, ticket windows, etc. – albeit crammed into a much smaller space. As such, we stress that those travelling from Katowice by train should allow themselves some extra time to deal with the potential for extended queues, confusion and disorientation resulting from the construction works. If pressed for time, remember that tickets can be bought onboard the train from the conductor for a small price mark-up.
The sole advantage of Katowice’s train station is its location, right in the centre of town with taxis and buses waiting just outside the entrance. Several direct trains run daily between Kraków and Katowice, taking about 120 minutes to make the journey. It is also possible to travel between the cities of the Katowice conglomeration by local train: starting at 05:03 and running until 22:38, trains run 2 to 3 times per hour from platforms 1 and 2; the trip to Zabrze is about 25 minutes, to Gliwice 35 minutes. Station departure boards (odjazdy) are indicated by their yellow timetables while arrivals (przyjazdy) are white.
