New Trains, Bigger Firepower: Poland’s Military Rail Overhaul Begins

Poland is planning to enhance its military mobility with a major investment in railway equipment. Behind the scenes, discussions with PKP Cargo signal a shift that could reshape the country’s defense logistics.

Poland’s Ministry of National Defense (MON) is planning a EUR 98 million investment in modernizing its military rail transport, with funds earmarked for new diesel locomotives, six-axle wagons, and transport platforms. The announcement was made by Lieutenant General (Ret.) Edward Gruszka, an advisor to Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, during the opening debate at the Forum Bezpieczeństwa Kolejowego, as reported by Rynek Kolejowy.

"As the Armed Forces, we will invest approximately 400 million PLN in new rail transport equipment," said General Gruszka, citing a direct commitment from Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz.

The initiative is expected to enhance military mobility and improve logistics efficiency, particularly for heavy equipment transport.

🔥 MON chce zainwestować 400 mln w nowe ciężkie, spalinowe lokomotywy i współpracować w tym zakresie z PKP Cargo. Wojskowi widzą potrzebę zapewniania transportu kolejowego niezależnego od sprawności sieci trakcyjnej.#kolej #MON #wojsko//t.co/NHUQ3zCWSW

— Lukasz Malinowski (@Lukasz_Malin) February 21, 2025

PKP Cargo’s Role and Potential Challenges

Rynek Kolejowy reports that, according to General Gruszka, negotiations between the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces and PKP Cargo took place in January to discuss the specifics of the investment. However, financial and regulatory hurdles remain, as direct state support for a private-sector entity like PKP Cargo could be classified as unauthorized public aid under EU competition laws.

PKP Cargo, Poland’s largest rail freight operator, has an existing seven-year, EUR 337 million contract with the Polish Armed Forces, signed in 2021, to provide military logistics services. The latest talks suggest that PKP Cargo may receive additional state-backed support, but the exact funding mechanism has yet to be disclosed.

Budget, Procurement, and Market Impact

According to the information from RailFreight, the Ministry of National Defense has yet to outline a clear procurement timeline or specify how many locomotives and wagons will be acquired. Questions remain regarding budget allocation, the potential issuance of tenders, and whether other private rail freight operators will have access to contracts under the same conditions.

During the Forum, PKP Intercity CEO Janusz Malinowski weighed in on the scale of the investment, stating that EUR 98 million would only cover the purchase of around 20 locomotives.

"This is a good step, but the level of underinvestment from past years is enormous. Poland’s military rail transport urgently needs new heavy-duty diesel or dual-mode locomotives," Malinowski noted.

The discussions at Forum Bezpieczeństwa Kolejowego also focused on the ongoing and planned investments in railway infrastructure for military logistics. According to PKP PLK’s Security Office Director Włodzimierz Kiełczyński, Poland plans to allocate EUR 65-67 million toward modernizing 14 military loading terminals by 2030.

Such improvements will ensure that rail remains a viable and efficient mode of transport for military operations, especially given the need for rapid deployment capabilities across Poland and NATO’s eastern flank.

Source: Rynek Kolejowy; RailFreight