High-speed railway in Poland. PKP Intercity is already preparing a tender
Together with the construction of the railway component of the Central Communication Port, a high-speed railway line is to be built. PKP Intercity is already preparing for it and announces the first tender for high-speed trains. – This is a huge opportunity for us, because the high-speed railway will be a driving force for the entire railway in Poland – said Marcin Karasiński, member of the management board of PKP Intercity, in an interview with Wprost.pl.
Although we are still waiting for the final decision regarding the Central Communication Port, it is almost certain that the railway part of the investment (the so-called railway component) will be built in one form or another. – This is a huge opportunity for us, because the high-speed railway will be a driving force for the entire railway in Poland. We are waiting for it and preparing for it, said Marcin Karasiński, member of the management board of PKP Intercity, in an interview with Wprost.pl.
PKP announces a tender
A member of the PKP Intercity management board announced that in September the company plans to launch a tender for the purchase of at least 20 trains that will be able to service the high-speed rail line.
– These will be trains capable of reaching a minimum speed of 250 kilometers per hour, and maybe even more, analyzes are currently underway in this regard, because such trains are purchased for a minimum of 30 years and we want to take into account the prospect of high-speed rail –
He added that Pendolino trains, which have been in the PKP Intercity fleet for 9 years, will also be able to run on high-speed rail lines. They are adapted to move at speeds of up to 250 km/h.
Preparations for the holidays
PKP Intercity is also preparing for the increased traffic that will occur during the holidays. The company intends to launch additional connections, especially on the most crowded routes.
– First of all, we see that we have increased passenger flows. We place great emphasis on the preparation of rolling stock, because it belongs on the tracks, not on the sidings. We are optimizing repair cycles and working to launch as many trains as possible. We want to ensure that the busiest lines have a cyclical schedule even every half hour –
He added that PKP Intercity intends to transport at least 14 million passengers this year, which will be a record number.
Record-breaking May Day
The railway is becoming more and more popular in Poland every year. This is visible in the numbers and subsequent records achieved during passenger peaks. This year's May Day was record-breaking. In the period from April 26 to May 5, over 2.2 million passengers used the carrier's services. Such a large number of travelers could be served thanks to additional reinforcements of the rolling stock. Poles eagerly chose the railway to spend a long spring weekend.
The number of passengers who used PKP Intercity services increased by 14%. compared to the same period in 2023, when nearly 2 million people chose the carrier's trains. Responding to the increased traffic, PKP Intercity reinforced almost 550 trains with additional 827 wagons and launched additional trains on the most popular routes. The timetable also includes special connections for fans to the Polish Cup final in Warsaw.
The connections between Warsaw and the largest cities: Gdynia, Krakow, Lublin, Poznań and Wrocław were the most popular among travelers. The average number of passengers transported by PKP Intercity between April 26 and May 5 was approximately 224,000. people per day. Record attendance took place on May 5, when nearly 277,000 people used the carrier's services. passengers.
