The Polish Government is Interested in High-Speed Train Technology: Pesa Teams Up with Talgo

Another major deal is on the horizon. Polish company Pesa Bydgoszcz has joined forces with Spanish manufacturer Talgo to develop high-speed trains. The agreement was signed at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin.

This is the second Polish train manufacturer to secure a foreign partner for the development and production of high-speed trains. The state-owned PESA Bydgoszcz signed a memorandum at the InnoTrans fair with the Spanish train manufacturer Talgo. According to Talgo, the memorandum is the result of two years of negotiations between the two companies.

It is worth noting that last year, at the TRAKO fair in Gdańsk, a similar memorandum was signed between the private company NEWAG and Hyundai Rotem.

PESA, owned by the state through the National Development Fund (PFR), is acting in line with the Polish government’s intentions. Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Piotr Malepszak confirmed in early August 2024 in the Sejm that Talgo could be a partner for Polish high-speed rail vehicle manufacturers, as Poland's Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) is implementing high-speed rail projects. It is being considered that the Polish state could commission the production of rail vehicles for leasing to carriers or state operations, with financing from the Polish National Development Fund (PFR).

The newly signed memorandum, signed by Talgo President Carlos Palacio and PESA CEO Krzysztof Zdziarski, mentions that the collaboration will focus on technological and human capacities, as well as future tender conditions for high-speed rail vehicles. These tenders are expected to be announced in 2025, and PESA has already conducted preliminary market consultations at the government’s request. According to Talgo's President, the Talgo Avril platform, already in operation in Spain, and the Intercity 230 variant, set to be deployed in Denmark and Germany, will serve as the foundation for the project.

PESA CEO Zdziarski stated that the Polish company has been working on high-speed train development for years, always assuming that a technological partner would be essential. In this area, the potential of Talgo and PESA can complement each other. PESA and the future buyer, CPK, plan to deploy the trains in the broader Central European region, aligning with the Euro-Atlantic Three Seas Initiative.

Talgo has industrial capacities in Spain, Germany, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the United States. It is the main supplier of high-speed trains for Renfe and the supplier of trains for the Haramain project between Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. For Germany and Denmark, Talgo is preparing the Talgo 230 Intercity trains.

Czech company Škoda Transportation is also seeking to establish a partnership with Talgo. Whether the collaboration with the Korean partner will affect these plans is expected to be decided soon in Spain, as they deal with the rejection of Hungarian capital entering Talgo.

Source: Talgo Press Releases; InnoTrans