CENTRAL Communication Port (CPK), the delivery body for Poland’s Port Polska hub airport and associated rail projects west of Warsaw, has established a new rolling stock leasing company that will be responsible for purchasing high-speed and regional trains that will be leased to operators of the future network.

A request for information for three new fleets was sent to prospective suppliers last month and new leasing company Port Polska.KDP is planning to announce tenders to purchase the trains later this year. The fleets will comprise:

  • high-speed trains with an operating speed of 320km/h and above to operate services between major cities
  • trains with an operating speed of 200km/h and above to operate Aero Express services between Warsaw, the new airport and Łódź, and
  • trains with an operating speed of 200km/h and above to operate regional and inter-regional services.

The fleets and an associated project to develop a maintenance hub are expected to be worth a total of Zlotys 10.1bn ($US 460m). Zlotys 1.7bn of this figure is expected to come from the issue of bonds with the remainder from commercial financing, according to The Multiannual Program for the Central Communication Port, Stage II 2024–2032.

“We want to obtain the broadest possible market picture, including from Polish manufacturers, who I hope will participate in consortia in the two tenders we are preparing,” says Piotr Rachwalski, member of the CPK board.

CPK aims to resume Łódź tunnelling

Meanwhile, CPK has taken over responsibility for construction of two railway tunnels in Łódź with a view to accelerating work.

The tunnels comprise a suburban rail tunnel running towards the city’s second station at Kaliska and a tunnel for the future high-speed line to Wroclaw and Poznan. Both tunnels will meet in a joint chamber to the west of Łódź Fabryczna station and require coordinated implementation.

Work was suspended on the suburban tunnel following an accident in 2024 in which an apartment block collapsed. The TBM excavated the tunnel subsequently became un-operational, and with the contractor reportedly failing to present a viable recovery plan, national infrastructure manager PKP PLK suspended the contract.

Under the new agreement, CPK will subcontract its portion of work and the project will be financed by PKP PLK, which will provide design documentation and take over the infrastructure once completed.

“This solution will enable the continued construction of both tunnels in a coordinated manner, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the entire railway system in Łódź and for the high-speed line,” CPK said in a statement.

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