The first ever freight train in history to travel from the Chinese city of Xi’an to Gdansk harbour arrived this week taking 10 days to make the approximately 5,000 mile or 7,000 km long journey. Although this method of transport is more than twice as expensive as the same journey by sea, the historic trip has sparked a great deal of interest as the journey is much quicker than the 45 to 50-day journey made by sea meaning companies can take advantage of faster turnaround times.
Eco-friendly Transport a Priority for Poland Says Polish PM
Poland’s Prime Minister has said this week that his government has a priority to put more zero-emission vehicles on the roads as the country leads the charge toward eco-friendly electric transport as he opened an international conference in Warsaw focusing on ways of reducing emissions from transport.
He added that he was determined to support electromobility through measures such as tax incentives and efforts to promote alternative fuels while adding that Poland is the largest producer and exporter of electric buses in the EU.
Last year, international decision makers at a UN climate conference adopted a Polish-drafted declaration calling on countries to increase the use of eco-friendly electric transport.
The Polish prime minister said at the time that Poland aimed to pour at least EUR 3 billion into electromobility over the next 10 years.
MEVO Operator has Paid Half its Fines
The former MEVO cycle hire operator has paid back half of the penalty to the Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot Metropolitan Area authorities, however it is not yet known when the bikes will be back on the street. More than 4 million zloty of the 8 million zloty the penalty has been paid back which was levied because of withdrawal by the Area authorities from the contract due to the unreliability of the system operator.
The Metropolitan Area announced a so-called technical dialogue a week ago. Consultations with contractors interested in system management and development were planned. The dialogue will last a minimum of 6 weeks. The collected data will be used to develop a procedure that will be aimed at selecting the city bike operator.
Polish Runner Smashes Greek Ultramarathon Record
Łukasz Sagan,a Polish ultra-long-distance runner has won a 490km-long ultra-marathon setting a new record of 69hrs:22 minutes and 17 seconds along the way and beating the previous record by five hours.
It took the 36-year-old less than three days to run from Athens to Sparta and then back to Athens, 12 hours ahead of the next contender and reaching Athens at 3.30 in the morning
The 490 km route going through both urban and mountain areas has a 6800 m elevation, making it even more difficult than it already sounds.
Weather
Friday is going to be cloudy with a moderate breeze and temperatures reaching 6 degrees centigrade (43 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, and -1 degrees centigrade (30 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight.
Saturday will be cold with sunny spells where temperatures will struggle to reach 2 degrees centigrade.
Highlights of what’s going on this weekend in the Tricity.
· First up this weekend is the Nordic Focus festival which is being held throughout the weekend at various locations in the Tricity. For three days without leaving the country, we will be able to feel the refreshing breeze of Scandinavian culture and delve into the philosophy of life of people living in the Nordic countries. Events include workshops on how to life a zero-waste life, discussions and film previews, concerts and much more.
· The largest and most popular Charity Dance and Fitness Marathon in Pomerania takes place at Ergo Arena tomorrow, Sunday from 4pm. This is the 7th Gdańsk Zumba Marathon. The event is open to everyone, regardless of age, fitness or experience.
· Today is St Cecelia’s Day – the Patron of music and musicians and there are plenty of musical offerings around the city today and over the weekend. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of Poland’s greatest 19th century composers – Moniuszko – there will be a spectacular concert at the Cathedral in Oliwa Park this evening. There will be two orchestras – the Kaunas Conservatorium String Orchestra conducted by Kristina Domarkiene and the Gdansk Music College Chamber Orchestra led by Jagoda Wyrwinska. The concert starts at 7pm and entrance is free.
