photo: Jerzy Jabłoński / Flickr/Newag Griffin (PKP EU160)
Poland has big plans—to become the leader in high-speed rail in Central Europe. Not even a change in government has derailed this ambitious project.
When a new government took office in the fall of 2023, it seemed Poland’s ambitious plan to dominate the future high-speed rail system in Central Europe might be abandoned. However, in July 2024, Maciej Lasek, the government commissioner for the state-owned company CPK (Centralny Port Komunikacyjny), clarified that CPK’s primary role isn’t to manage rail vehicles but to build a new high-speed rail infrastructure.
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The Project Moves Forward Despite a New Government
Donald Tusk’s new government has quietly continued the original plans set by Poland’s previous conservative administration. According to the vision, the state, through CPK, was expected to procure high-speed trains based on a future transport model and lease them to various operators. This strategy would allow the state to maintain control over the future high-speed rail segment, ensuring its integration with traditional long-distance and regional transport networks.
At the end of 2024, the government adopted a multi-year CPK program for 2024-2032, which includes provisions for acquiring rail vehicles for the first years of high-speed rail operations. The plan envisions CPK contributing EUR 398.5 million from its own funds. Compared to the previous government’s approach, the share of CPK’s own funding is expected to be minimized in favor of commercial financing.
CPK is establishing a dedicated subsidiary—a rolling stock fund—and is developing a detailed timeline for vehicle procurement. The total estimated value of vehicle acquisitions by 2032 is approximately EUR 2.04 billion.
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But Where Will the Money Come From?
The EUR 398.5 million contribution will be sourced from bond issuance. Discussions in the infrastructure subcommittee of the Polish Sejm have confirmed that 2032 is the target year for the first high-speed trains to run on the Warsaw–Łódź and Warsaw–Poznań sections.
The plan includes trains with various capabilities:
- Regional express trains (up to 200 km/h),
- Medium-speed sets (up to 250 km/h), and
- High-speed trains (exceeding 300 km/h).
All trains will be dual-system to operate on all electrified tracks in Poland.
A Forum for Technical Dialogue
CPK is collaborating with operators and potential rolling stock manufacturers. It has created a forum for technical dialogue, bringing together Polish rolling stock manufacturers and railway infrastructure companies. The goal is to strengthen Polish businesses and drive research and development.
Among the most ambitious players is PESA Bydgoszcz, which has announced its intention to acquire a stake in the Spanish company Talgo. "The memorandum between PESA and Talgo focuses on collaboration in the production of high-speed trains, not just for Poland but for the entire region," said Krzysztof Zdziarski, CEO of Poland’s state railway company. "We’re considering integrating our network with Rail Baltica and other rail markets in Central and Eastern Europe, where PESA has already gained valuable experience," Zdziarski added.
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Source: CPK; Pesa Bydgoszcz