It will be the next major European country to have a fully-fledged high-speed rail network. Visit Poland has finally moved from the planning phase to the actual implementation of its future network. At the end of last year, the government launched a call for tenders for the construction of its first high-speed line. A second tender, separate from the first, has also been issued for the future trains that will run on it.
The project will begin with the construction of the new Warsaw Zachodnia station, an ultra-modern structure to the west of Warsaw. It will require an investment of €600 million, and will form the backbone of what the authorities describe as the fastest rail corridor in Europe and one of the fastest in the world.
" A historic moment for Poland "said Polish Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak. " PKP Intercity has launched the tender for the country's first high-speed trains, designed to travel at speeds of 320 to 350 kilometres per hour. "he said.
According to the published timetable, construction of the first section linking the west of Warsaw to Lodz - to the west of the capital - will begin in 2027. Entry into service is scheduled for 2032, reducing the journey time between the two cities from the current 1h15 to around 40 minutes. The second phase will extend the line to Poznan and Wroclaw. This second section is scheduled to open in 2035.
The high-speed line will also serve Port Poland, the new mega-airport under construction between Warsaw and Lodz. The hub is intended to replace Warsaw's Chopin airport. The close integration of rail and air is a major pillar of the national transport strategy, which aims to make Poland a major hub in Central Europe.
The high-speed rail project represents an estimated investment of around €20 billion, plus some €10 billion for the new airport. If they are completed on schedule, they will elevate Poland to the rank of strategic multi-transport hub for the whole of Central and Eastern Europe. Even if it means taking the place that should normally have gone to Berlin.
