Warsaw Railway Station in Saint Petersburg

• Construction of the railway line to Warsaw was ordered in 1851.
• The first station building was constructed between 1851 and 1853 to a design by Konstantin Skarzinski.
• Train services ended in 2001; in August of that year, a museum exhibition opened on the tracks beside the station.
• The building was renovated between 2003 and 2006; since 2022, it has housed Vokzal 1853, a food market and event venue.

Warsaw Railway Station was Saint Petersburg’s third major railway station, after Tsarskoye Selo and Nikolayevsky stations. In November 1851, Emperor Nicholas I ordered a railway from Saint Petersburg to Warsaw; construction was to begin at both ends in 1852. The first station building was constructed between 1851 and 1853 to a design by Konstantin Skarzinski. It was a modest, house-like building with five large archways in the center.

As the line was expanded, a larger building became necessary. The later station was designed by P. O. Salmanovich. Passenger areas and rooms for assembling trains and maintaining sleeping cars were housed under one roof. The complex thus brought together passenger services and long-distance railway operations, and shaped the surrounding station district.

Passenger services ended in 2001, and long-distance and suburban trains were transferred to other stations. On August 2, 2001, an exhibition by the Railway Engineering Museum opened on the tracks beside the station. The trackside exhibition and the station building were next to each other, but were separate locations.

Between 2003 and 2006, the station building was renovated to a design by Giovanni Bartoli and used as a shopping and entertainment complex. Since 2022, it has housed Vokzal 1853, a food market and event venue.

Warsaw Railway Station is not a departure point for today’s train journeys. Depending on your route, you will need to use Vitebsky Railway Station, Moskovsky Railway Station, Finlyandsky Railway Station or Ladozhsky Railway Station. The station shown on your ticket is your departure point; for example, trains to Moscow leave from Moskovsky Railway Station.

Saint Petersburg’s history includes not only its railway stations but also the city’s museums. When arranging an overnight stay, you can choose from hotels and holiday apartments in Eastern Europe based on location and travel routes.

According to the relevant authorities, German Visa and Mastercard cards and payment apps are currently not working. Cash withdrawals using German cards and transfers to Russia are also unavailable.

Where is the former station?

The address is 118 Obvodny Canal Embankment.

When did train services end?

Passenger services were discontinued in 2001. The museum exhibition on the neighboring tracks opened on August 2 of that year.

What is in the station building today?

Since 2022, it has housed Vokzal 1853, a food market and event venue. Before that, the building was converted into a shopping and entertainment complex between 2003 and 2006.

Where was the Railway Engineering Museum?

The exhibition, which opened in 2001, was on the tracks beside the station, not in the station building.

Why is the station called that?

It commemorates the railway connection to Warsaw, the construction of which was ordered by Emperor Nicholas I in 1851.

Can I catch a train there?

No. The station has been closed to passenger services since 2001; trains now depart from other stations.

According to the relevant authorities, German bank cards currently cannot be used for payments or cash withdrawals in Russia.