A Look at Poland's Infrastructure - BETTER than AMERICA OR UK?
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- čas přidán 11. 05. 2023
- In Warsaw and across major cities in Poland the transportation system will blow the mind due to its sheer value of efficiency and low cost of commuting. In this video, I share my honest admiration of Poland's public infrastructure compared to that of the UK and America.
A Look at Poland's Infrastructure - BETTER than AMERICA OR UK?
#polandtravel #poland #warsawpoland
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I'm from London too, and I've lived in Poland for almost two years now. I love it here and I hope I never have to back.
All the best. But why you need a pentagram? Are you slave of evil?
Really can u live in Poland without visa after brexit??
@@jkpakosz6698 Visa is only a card, u can easy switch it right?
@@XR_Rocket
???...
Residence visa I meant... from wich world are u??
@@jkpakosz6698 lol i was thinking about credit card hahah my bad, i misunderstood this
Wow every time when I watch some video from Poland, I wish to move there...
Are you a Brit? Please don't come here. Stay where you are
Of course . The past 20 years there has been massive infrastructure investments, for a great deal EU funds. So it is all really fresh and new . And with a booming economy ...
I'm from Poland and when I was a child my dream was moving to USA... Now I forgot about that. I love Poland. I feel save and happy in this country. My friends from other Western European countries are shocked when they see how developed Poland is.
In the Philippines, I met a Norwegian policewoman. After a few days of acquaintance, she said that if it wasn't for work, she would like to live in Poland, because Norway is not as safe as everyone thinks.
@@lws7394 Gonna stop you right there. That growth has been present even before Poland joined the EU back in 2004. What's more, even if Poland wasn't in the EU, the "member state" fees and administration fees of EU funds actually make us lose around 2% GDP in contrast to if we would just use the GDP we spend directly. My point is, Poland would be growing the same even without giving the EU leverage for blackmail.
@@skotnica93 Possibly, but I can't find that in figures. For the GDP, trade and FDI there is a clear change in 2003-04. Between 2003-2008 the GDP doubled. The GDP PPP of Poland had the same trendline as Ukraine. Until april 2003. Then the Purchase Power grew twice as fast ! (Of course, from 2008 Ukraine had other sorts of problems ..).
It is the same with UK and the Brexit referenderum date. The day after opting out things changed (downwards in their case..).
Don't forget that the process already started in 1998 when EU declared to be open for enlargement.
I plan on moving to Kraków, Poland from Connecticut, USA.
Why?
Strangely the other day I met a Polish America who made the move from the U.S. to Poland and she’s loving life in Krakow.
My suggestion is to visit first and see if you like it then make your decision from there. Honestly, Krakow is the best city in Poland.
@@Shekumanstravel Potwierdzam. Kraków is a beautiful city and historically and geographically related to my native Częstochowa.
By the way, many Poles return to their homeland from the USA. Some time ago my mother designed an apartment in Częstochowa for a Pole from Florida.
I'm an American from Mass, I moved to Gdansk many years ago. I'm never going back . Life is much better here overall
@@tnickknight true that!
In Kyiv,also run Polish trams "Pesa" ... excellent comments and editing by the author ... Poland is beautiful
Pesa is great firm from Bydgoszcz❤
Thank you. )
Long-distance trains do not normally go through Warsaw Gdanska and it is a station not adapted to such a large traffic. The station temporarily took over the role of Warszawa Zachodnia for the time of the reconstruction of Warszawa Zachodnia. This situation is temporary.
Good to know this! Thank you for sharing this piece of information 👍
to the top you go with this comment
@@uncletimo6059 cheers
I traveled around Poland by train. Central stations, if they were built recently, are good. The Polish tour was mostly excellent. Tickets are cheap
@@user-qg7oo1nx6q There's a governmental investment programme being implemented rn and many stations are being renovated or new are being built.
I remember myself travelling by train in UK about 20 years ago. I was so impressed how flawless and comfortable it was, comparing to Poland that days. Now we might be at the similar level, probably. Just cheaper 😉
It would have been even better if we didn't have this cyst on the arse of a politician called Tusk in power back in the days. He wasn't doing anything except for selling national property, like he sold TPSA, banks, oil companies, sugar industry..(and many others) for pennines. Then instead of rotting in prison he fu**ed of to EU to a promised job, as a reward for dismantling Poland.
I'm so glad that you like Poland 🇵🇱 You said, you live in London, I've been living in London for the past 19 years & I was born in Poland.
This country has made such a huge progress in the past 30 years, it's unbelievable. Poland in the 80's and 90's (when I was growing up) was very miserable place. Today, it's 180' turn. Kind regards from Polish man in London.
You know what happend in the past the history? West is free for 78 years Poland 34years...
Wow. Very professional video. I'm impressed 👍 Greetings from central Poland ❤
How nice of you, mate! ❤
especially here 6:55 🤣
@@Bonzai87PL we need those professional takes of fellow man of culture! ;)
@@MrValgard i obviously agree ;)
As a german i Was really surprised about the polish Train network always punctual clean and with eating Waggon. I wanna add that this has nothing to Do with my nationality just an Observation.
These restaurant carriages, called WARS, are only ones in Europe with the real kitchen annexe, where food is actually cooked, not prepared in microwave. I love them.
Clean yes, comfortable yes, punctual definitely NO
Your surprise just confirmes german superiority complex. What did You expect? Dirty, slow and serving salmonella? And why? Because it`s Poland?
Most of railway's in western Poland were built by Germans anyway but Poles maintained and extended lots of them.
W.A.R.S - Przedsiębiorstwo Wagonów Sypialnych i Restauracyjnych „Wars” ENGLISH - Enterprise of Sleeping and Dining Cars "Wars" (Read as VARS)
Brilliant vlog!Thank you♡
Let’s be real: it’s not difficult to beat the US when it comes to public transportation
Thanks for the video. I'm glad you're enjoying your trip to Poland, and Łódź. I saw your next video about the city itself and I wonder what you'd say if you took this train to the next station, Łódź Fabryczna. That one's already after a full renovation and it's in an area called the new city center of Łódź, so it's a bit more fancy than some parts you had to go through. On the other hand this gave you a more honest representation of the city. There's a lot of places that look really cool, but also still lots of work to be done.
I love polish trains
Greetings from 🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada. Thank you for a beautiful video about the efficient and modern infrastructure in Poland. Good job!!!
You paid 1,7pln in Warsaw beacuse you bought a wrong ticket, unless you are a student with Polish student card 😉 Warszawa Gdańska station is small station that is used now because of the major reconstruction of the main Warszawa Zachodnia station. Anyway, good job making this video 👍
Still, 3,40 PLN is a bargain. It's less than you pay for a toilet in London.
I like your music choices on your videos timeline. Its hard to recognize my homeland after 23 years aboard. Good job bro!!
Great to watch this, Polish people look always at bad side of our country, don't recognise it good sides. We are worlds champions in complaining. I hoop author will come more time to Poland everyone are welcome here. Thanks for this video.
glad u enjoyed! liked the music and content itself! Regards!
Great choice of backdrop music, bro!
I live in Poland. The roads are very good - and I remember what they used to be like. The trains work really well and are affordable - at least the ones I take are.
it would be much better here if Poland got into the Marshall Plan after the II world war. Unfortunately we got russian occupation to 89 instead - thanks usa and uk - our wonderfull allies. After Poland joined the European Union, we received funds 4 times smaller than Greece. Now leftist extremists mainly from Berlin and Paris are trying to block all Polish funds. They used to simply attack our country with tanks in the past. Now they do it with white gloves. Still, we manage. The leftist extremists who started the war in Ukraine are trying to tighten the screw even more now, you probably notice regular press amd politics attacks on our country. Show me another country in the world that has received over 2 million Ukrainian emigrants in a few weeks without anyone's help. Poland had a beautiful potential that was destroyed by the countries of pigs, rats and parasites. What is now, just a substitute for Polishness
Hi Alan, i have Bern following you propaganda channel and regarding your antipolonism you should move out of Poland very quickly.
Wonderful video Sheku....❤😊
Great music!
I really like professional editing of yours.
Cool intro, that cyan texts and animation. Cool
Great movie pal and not because I'm Polish. Nice narration and music. I recommend you to travel on old types of trains with compartments for 8 people in second class and 6 in first class. Perfect for traveling with friends. I live in Scotland and some connections are at a decent level, but in Poland public transport is an adventure. First of all, I am glad that you feel good in Poland.
great intro!
The thumbnail and editing is clean 🥶
I really enjoy your videos! Thanks for making them. In the clip you briefly show a bus ticket in the frame. That was a reduced-price ticket meant for kids or students. Unless you have a valid document that allows you to use such tickets on you at the time of a spot check, you may get a fine for traveling without a valid ticket. Keep making great videos. Cheers!
nice video man,peace!
Wow, nice video. Leaving for Poland for vacation in the summer. Any suggestions on where should I go first? Greetings from the US 🙂
Zakopane, Wrocław , Warsaw, Mazury Gdańsk
Zakopane if you want to see mountains and nature.
Kraków is like the only Polish city that survived constant invasions and is a VERY beautiful city and you definitely should not skip visiting it.
Gdańsk is probably 2nd most beautiful city in Poland and located by the Baltic Sea.
Wrocław is also worth visiting.
And finally, Warsaw. It is the capitol after all and will allow you to visit many memorials to heroic Poles who fought for centuries for Poland's freedom. Once you realize that the city was completely leveled during WW2 by the Germans and rebuilt using pictures and paintings it will leave you in awe.
This is of course a top 5 I personally would recommend, with probably Kraków and Gdańsk being top 2 recommendations. Enjoy your stay in Poland. Try to learn how to say hello, good bye and thank you in Polish. It will break our polish neutral face mode you will see everywhere.
Add underrated Katowice to your list which is the capital of biggest Polish conurbation called upper Silesia. Within the past 20 years it has been transformed from ugly, grey and dirty city of steelworks and mines to beautiful, modern and vibrant place with beautiful parks, most amazing cultural objects (NOSPR for example) and many events (especially during summer time).
Gdańsk 100%.
@@EP-cm8ch south:
Kraków - my friends from abroad Adore this city. Great food, cheap, many places to drink, best for parties, great buildings and climate - the only big city that wasnt destroyed during ww2. If you are in Kraków - close things to see: auschwitz death camp-a must see - take a guide- its in english. And Wieliczka - salt mine with restaurant and chapel underground. Zakopane (about 1h from Kraków)- polish winter capital in the mountains -also great in every other sezon - hike in the mountains. Wrocław city and you will be close to bledne skaly - rock Labirynth though american nature absolutely doesn’t have a rival 😅, castles: zamek książ, zamek moszna. You can experience a shift as coal miner in Zabrze -guido - they also have great restaurant nearby but the old german industrial city is in decay - so you can see rough part of Poland (don’t worry - its nit dangerous its just in decay). Another part is Bytom and lipiny.
North-east: Lake district - Mazury - best in the summer to enjoy swimming on boats - you can here them, you can also kayaking through quiet rivers between lakes (again, you can here kayaks) and ride a bike.
North: Malbork castle - the biggest castle in Europe. Gdańsk - old city (Look in Google - you’ll like it). North-west: Torun - for one day - great pierniki (typem of cookies) - they also has beer and liquer with the taste of these cookies.
Plus Nobody outside of warsaw will recommend you to visit warsaw :D its ok but No „wow” effect
I used to live in London and I remember the strikes of the tube drivers were so annoying !
Trust me you’re not missing anything since you left because it’s has gotten worst.
And they have higher salaries then beginner doctor...!
Now in Warsaw they got new type of Polish made "Solaris" buses, where the doors open to the external sides, not inside. Pretty convenient and saving space.
Its a bit shame, that Solaris Bus and Coach belongs to Spaniards now.
Solaris bus in Poland is 25 yers
It requires a very good engineering and maintainence to be safe.
@@krzysztofpadako9245
Not with Polish owners anymore.
@@jkpakosz6698 w Polsce nie ma własności prywatnej, to się zgadza a jak masz za dużo to Ci zaraz zabiorą
●A suggestion to the people of Poland.
I am a Korean writer.
The beginning of China's rapid development was due to Korea's technology transfer.
Japan was reluctant, but Korea accepted China's wish.
South Korea wanted peace with its neighbors, and South Korea wanted China to step up and help the two Koreas unify.
Now, if Poland cooperates closely with korea, it will be able to develop its economy faster than China.
If you wish desperately, you can achieve your wish.
I hope the Polish people will cooperate more actively with Korea.
Just as China has developed rapidly, Poland can take the lead in developing Europe if it cooperates with Korea.
First of all, give Korea a lot of preferential treatment.
Koreans are full of emotions. And Korean people have cherished their credit in history.
Korea has lived with 5,000 years of historical tradition.
Before the Industrial Revolution, there is a record of Western missionaries visiting Korea and praising the morality of Koreans.
I hope Poland will work closely with South Korea and seize the opportunity for a great revival.
2023.05.28.
"Can the last place become a wise man?"
an author. From Oh Jae-sun
Man the soundtrack is just 😍omw to play some on a highway ride throught pl
its cool to see somoebody from the uk making a video of our capital city I personally live in the suburbs od Warsaw and im going to school there everyday if you have any questions im happy to answer them I could maybe even show you around
In Krakow region roads in Poland are even better than those in Germany
popiertoliło cię ? W krakowie ? Ty chyba nie lałeś albo nigdy w Krakowie nie byłeś 😂
@@swiety_eligiusz chodzi mu kolo Krakowa. Region.
Good choice of music.
Hey there mate, Indonesia has new fast train from Jakarta to Bandung it will be open this May, many will review this 👍
Hopefully, later this year I will be able to visit Bandung to see a friend and I might take the fast train
Great video, superb montage! Very well done and a pleasure to watch :)
Oh, and yeah, you might have got the wrong ticket in the bus in Warsaw. "Ulgowy" is a discount ticket (50% off) that is valid for some groups of people (like students). So unless you are a student you should get a "Normal" one. If you are - well done, you've chosen correct one (but got wrong ticket for the train - you would also be able to get 50% off). If not - be careful, as ticket control might give you troubles
They have one day, one week, one month tickets too.
Nice music 🎶
I loose my concentration, focus, FOCUS haha :D :D :D I love it MAN!!! Greetings :)
Lol don’t loose concentration like me, mate 😂
@@Shekumanstravel with respect to you, trains are cheap in Poland if you come from UK.
For our wages in Poland trains are not super cheap
@@donbabilio8298 yeah for foreigners tickets are cheap , for Poles not so much because of difference in pay , with dollars or euro you can buy more than with polish currency , and if someone travel to Poland with euro , dolar etc. then for them things are cheap , but for Poles is opposite in many cases.
@@BlackDragon95912 true though Polish salaries do have purchasing power too .
Of course salaries in UK are much higher
Man you should send link to your channel to some tourist ministry of Poland - they should pay you, sponsor you etc.
You should also try visiting cities east of Vistula (Wisła) river i.e. mostly Białystok and Lublin. We are considerably smaller than the "west" part of Poland but there are still a lot places to visit which definetely do not resemble anything in the west part yet they are really worth visiting and as always - there are a lot of Poles who are just waiting to welcome you as much as possible. Cheers!
Those places aren't worth the extra 200-300 km.
Thanks bro you see something nice abot me motherland
7:25 this is ED161 and it won the award for the most beatiful train in the world
Smacznego!
Amazing intro 😊
I am touched, mate! Great to see you liked it.
@@Shekumanstravel I've watched quite couple travel videos and your hands down got best intro, fun to see how other people see your home (I'm from Bydgoszcz 🤪😉), funny fact ...we complain about the train's all the time 🤣
Proud of Poland! 😊❤
Remember to always use IC trains instead of TLK if possible. Basically same price but higher comfort and priority
ach te złote rady gamoni - remember always... PoIactwo...
@@swiety_eligiusz ach te złote rady sfrustrowanych niestetypolaków.
Great video! It’s a shame though that you didn’t go all the way to Łódź Fabryczna station with that train. In my opinion it’s the most beautiful station in Poland, its modern architecture is absolutely stunning!
Guy is talking about how hood Poland is while being in Łódź, damnn :D
Nice music buoy...
Music is awesome.
cool video ;)
Thank you 🙏
The keyword to everything in Poland is: newer. Poland had to rebuild twice, first after world war 2 and then for the second time after the collapse of communist system. Both events left the country in enough of disrepair that entire systems had to be rethought and remade from scratch, cause they were not functional anymore. Infrastructure is one example. This includes both transportation and telecommunication - e.g. the Internet is way cheaper yet also way more reliable and faster than in the US. The electronic banking system is second to nothing in the world both in terms of security and convenience. Economic and military upheavals are as much of an opportunity as they are tragedy.
The station you've visited in Warsaw is just a temporary substitution... as there is a new, big main traffic station under construction right now. Gdanska station is designed just for local traffic:)
Better than the US? EASILY. Not hard to beat. Better than the UK? Not really, but defo at similar levels.
In warsaw there is phone app "jak dojade" i dont know it has eng versior or not, but basicly u put where u want to go and this app will show u what bus/tram to take, where u will swich etc.
Soundtrack is awesome, respect from Wrocław, lower Silesia
I am very flattered, mate. It’s took time to find the right soundtracks but I am glad you noticed it. Cheers
It's cheap but not for the natives. Keep that in mind.
Mate you should receive a contract for advertising my country :) the grass is always greener on the other side
07:25 THIS is all Poland produced train called Pesa DART.
Warszawa Gdańska isn't so popular station. Most people go from or to other cities from Warszawa Centralna (Central Station) or Warszawa Zachodnia (West Station), so Gdańska station isn't modernised. Maybe, it'll be in some time.
That’s so true! The Warszawa Centralna is the main one and modern indeed
Zachodnia is getting a major renovation, so a lot of trains are redirected through Warszawa Gdańska.
It's not hard to have a better infrastructure than in the UK. Just come to Edinburgh and you'll see how bad is there.
This infrastructure is new as it was rebuilt in a few recent years. Before that it was old and used both in Warsaw and Łódź. It was horrible then. There were not many trains, they were old and dirty and they traveled quite slowly.
@@erykbaradziej3639 but who cares about past? The present counts.
@Eryk Baradziej True complainer. When someone says something nice about Poland, let him/her know that before was much worse and that present doesn't count.
@@erykbaradziej3639 There were many trains and they were cheap. I agree that post-PRL railway system was not nice but it was still quite extensive in comparison with many western countries. What is happening now in Poland is a miracle for people who use trains in UK.
Nice intro. BTW. I think you should use 'bilet normalny' not 'ulgowy' in public transport. Unless you're a student studying on Polish school/university. You will get fined if they check that.
I thought progressive Rafau introduced discount for black ppl
Awesome! Peace of information ℹ️ cheers
@@Shekumanstravel'bilet normalny' is like a normal/standard ticket and 'bilet ulgowy' is like, let's say, a concession ticket 'cause ulga means concession or relief. Basically, a half-price ticket for students. However, in most cities school students pay even less 'cause they can buy a special ticket for the whole year or a term, which is really cheap. Also, in Poland, elderly people go for free or use these half-price tickets. Different cities, different rules.
@@antekp2965 Wow yr so funni!
@@antekp2965 No, but I guess there should be a discount for mentally handicapped people writing comments like yours.
Cool Bro💪 Greetings from Warsaw😀
Polish infrastructure underwent huge modernizations on the occasion of organizing the European Football Championship in 2012 (with Ukraine btw.). Since then, it's a pleasure to use trains or other public transport, because before it was really bad.
Yeah, it wasn't that big of a change. The government at that time was advertising it this way but the great renovations ended up being some painting job in most cases. At least when it comes to the stations. It wasn't that big of a jump but everything's improving but by bit since then surely. Especially in recent years when there has been a big investment programme impremented to rebuild and renovate train stations all over the country.
I am Polish and it is not that great everywhere but also if you happy to live along mainline in a bigger city there are no major issues to complain about.
Great movie
It’s nice to hear positive things about one’s own country. It provides a different perspective HOWEVER I wouldn’t go as far as calling Polish train infrastructure “perfectly designed” :) Major cities still aren’t connected in a efficient way (for example Warsaw > Wrocław or Szczecin) not to mention the lack of true high-speed tracks and trains. Nevertheless a lot of progress has been made in the last 20 years and I do appreciate it.
Co wami powoduje, żeby shać czy kablować na własny kraj?
When he said everything is right on time i almost chocked-
You should see BART - in San Francisco , an image of Third World Country.
And I was thinking that our transportation network is always late and pretty bad in comparior to most highly-developed countries, thank you for correcting me.
A very interesting format, it's nice to hear about Poland from the point of view of a foreigner, and we complain all the time..
My friend, greetings from Gdynia and I invite you.👍
You have paid for a ticket to Łódź Fabryczna and you left the train before you got there, on Łódź Widzew. It is a smaller station before the main one.
Good luck man and all the best.
Well yeah that station from where you started is more of a temporary station while the main 3 stations are being reworked
👍
You should visit Wrocław
Why not go straight to Kiev?
Great and informative video. Thanks ps. please keep in mind that the main train station in Warsaw - WARSZAWA CENTRALNA is being rebuilt that's why most of the long distance trains are temporarily going through Warszawa Gdanska
It's actually Zachodnia that's being rebuilt.
Try Warsaw to Gizycko during school holidays, Tokyo rush hour got nothing on it .
6:21 You do get English speaking people at most important train stations, like Warszawa Gdańska. And Poland has one of the highest profficiencies in English in EU.
We have lot of rebuilding of railway and stations in Warsaw now so picked the bad moment :) Warszawa Gdańska is normaly a suburban station but because of this tohuvabohu it serves also for long distance trains. The building itself is scheduled for demolishing in next turn. It has some sentimental value (during the infamous 1968 antisemitic purge thousands of Polish Jews with one way travel document were leaving Poland from this very station) but it's horribly outdated. I spent many years in trains to Łódź and back and believe me - last 10 years were a giant step.
Wow, I am learning for your comments and your contribution is highly appreciated.
Thanks for sharing this information.
@@Shekumanstravel Let me know if you're in Warsaw again and need any guidance.
@@mkozlinski trully sentimental! Give me a break! One party of commie jews kicked out another party of commie jews! Learn history and stop smearing our country!
Only thing is that ticekt fot 1,7zł is a reduced one. Unless You have european student license, you should buy a normal one for 3,2 polish zlot, otherwise You could get a fine for 160zł (if paid immediately) or up to 250zł if paid after a week
welcome!
Yes! to answer the title
You should check out "Dworzec Łódź Fabryczna" train station - one of the best in Poland.
miales uprawnienia do kupienia ulgowego? :P
Maybe for you prices looks cheap but for Poles they are not that cheap
trzeba przyznac, że te dzisiejsze pociągi są ładne i czyste, nie tak jak dawniej :D
No racja...te kible zaszczane zasrane smierdzace... pamietam ze sie noga naciskalo i sie klapka otwierala
@@jakubszelag7345 :D
I live in London and train drivers strikes every freaking year drive me crazy how much more do they need to earn to be finally happy , in comparison public transport is on pair with Polish but prices put me off from using it and the crowds
What's the song in the beginning?
I come from Łódź and also I can speak English very well
I always thought Poland is poor eastern European ex CIS country like Moldova or Chechnya. It is modern now and clean.
Probably you are a little uneducated.
"ex CIS country"? 🤣🤣🤣
"Like Moldova or Chechnya"? O___o Really? I know that from western POV Poland wasn't rich but Chechnya...?
Very ignorant and I’ll informed. I’m happy for you, you’re learning
let's call it. Dude is clearly impressed by a fact that there are no camels and donkeys parked over the railway station. He even commended that kebab. Dude's a positive kinda guy. Hugs
I live just outside of London, apparently in one of the wealthiest counties in UK (Surrey). It happened I have a car and drive it occasionally. Thanks to the road infrastructure over here I do not spend that much on traveling. No need to go far, I have first hand experience of how it is driving in third world countries ;) I am also road cyclist, remember prising local roads for their quality comparing to what was in Poland 15-20 years ago. Now, the situation changed almost by 180 degrees. Trains, yep bloody expensive. Thanks god I do not have to do that anymore, used to commute to London for years. These days, monthly cost for travelcard from my place (I can see Shard and City from my flat) 27min by fast train (you pay the same no matter what train you are on, fast one or stopping service) is close to £500, ridiculous!!!
There’s a new trend growing now in Poland, transportation wise. My town of 45.000 four years ago was one of the first in Poland where the transportation all around the town is not only, modern, very clean and punctual - it has been totally free for over 4 yrs now!
it is developing as I see.. but I still remember 1990s and 2000s,. standing 2 hour trips in the corridor, people smoking in no smoker cars.. as a school boy was a bit afraid every time I got on train.. barely few times something bad happened.. but You well remember this times.. And You have to pay for toilet on the train station.. it makes it smell with urine.. I am glad to hear foreigner having such a good opinion about my country (though warsaw is not mine city).. But it still has many downfalls.. Hope You will hung around enough to know them too ;-)
It improved in quality, but heavily shrinked in coverage. At the times you are mentioning, the trains - despite being as bad as you described - reached many small towns and villages. It's not the case anymore. From 1991 to 2017 over 3700 km of Polish rail network have been put out of use - with some of them irreversibly physically destroyed, some still existing, but being in so poor condition that a train can't run there without the track being rebuilt (but nobody intends to rebuild them; only main lines are rebuilt).
Todays school boy from a small town would not be able to travel to and from school by train, as it was possible at those times...
The train you took is made in italy, its called "pendolino".
The train he used while going from Warsaw to Łódź was not Pendolino, it was Pesa Dart.
Better 🎉