HITACHI Rail and Polish manufacturer Pesa Bydgoszcz have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to partner on manufacturing high-speed trains, to jointly develop a double-deck train and to transfer advanced technologies. The agreement includes partnering in a tender to supply PKP Intercity with 20 320km/h high-speed trains and targets supplying fleets to other operators in central and Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
Pesa says the partnership marks the next phase of development following the company’s acquisition by the Polish Development Fund. The state-owned investment group acquired the manufacturer in 2018 and has sought to stabilise the company, develop its manufacturing capabilities and support the development of advanced technology products, including hydrogen locomotives.
“This is not only a joint bid for PKP Intercity, but also the foundation for the production of modern double-deck trains at our Bydgoszcz plant for markets across the CEE region,” says Krzysztof Zdziarski, Pesa CEO.
PKP contract
Under the agreement, the manufacturers will offer Hitachi’s ETR1000 high-speed train, which are certified for operation in Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. Hitachi has sold more than 70 of the trains to Italian State Railways (FS) subsidiary Trenitalia for both its domestic and international services as well as Spanish high-speed operator, Iryo.
The PKP Intercity contract will include options for another 35 trains as well as maintenance for 30 years. Under the suppliers’ plan, the initial order for 20 trains would be manufactured in Italy after which Pesa would become more steadily involved in production, leading to partial manufacturing of the train in Poland. Pesa would also be entirely responsible for maintenance of the fleet.
The technology transfer agreement envisages welding of aluminium train bodies and the construction of double-deck trains in Poland. New production halls will be built at Pesa’s plant in Bydgoszcz to support production of these vehicles.
“The agreement with Pesa Bydgoszcz is a key element of our development in the Polish rolling stock market and is an excellent addition to Hitachi Rail’s local business, which has so far focused mainly on digital, interoperable ERTMS signalling systems,” says Paweł Przyżycki, CEO of Hitachi Rail in Poland.
Siemens announced a similar partnership with another Polish manufacturer, Newag, in February under which it will also focus on the production of high-speed trains for the Polish market.
Port Polska
Central Communication Port (CPK), the delivery body for Poland’s Port Polska hub airport and associated rail projects west of Warsaw, is planning to purchase three fleets comprising a mix of 320km/h high-speed trains and 200km/h sets for Airport Express and regional services. A request for information was sent to prospective suppliers last month with newly-formed leasing company, Port Polska.KDP, set to announce tenders to purchase the trains later this year.
For all the latest global rail tenders, subscribe to IRJ Pro.
