“Dworzec Główny” tram/bus stop renamed to “Teatr im. Juliusza Słowackiego”

The public transport stop near Krakow’s main rail station, hitherto known as Dworzec Głowny (Main Station), has been renamed Teatr imienia Juliusza Słowackiego in honor of the 125th anniversary of the iconic theatre nearby.

Proposed six years ago, the change was controversial with city councilors and protested by many residents online. Most objections center on the fact that many tourists need to seek out the train station but are not necessarily familiar with the theatre, which, while a Krakow landmark, is just one of many in the city and is some distance away from the stop.

On the other hand, a representative of Krakow’s public transport agency ZIKiT justified the change with anecdotes of tourists entering the theatre in search of trains because of the former stop name. Others have pointed to other examples of Krakow stops named after theaters, such as Teatr Bagatella and Teatr Ludowy.

To help with confusion, ZIKiT plans to introduce a voice announcement which will tell passengers that they can transfer to the rail station from that stop.