photo: PKP Cargo press materials/PKP Cargo
In 2021, 21 stations opened to passengers, and plans for a restarted year are even more ambitious. All this is thanks to the most significant investment project in the history of Polish state railways, i.e., the Station Investment Program for 2016-2023.
Investment in the railways is gaining momentum. Last year was a record year. PKP AS opened twenty-one railway stations here out of all 44, which were made available to passengers within PID 2016-2023.
- Reconstruction and construction of new stations throughout Poland are gaining momentum, thanks to which passengers are gaining more comfortable facilities, which they can use every month. "This is extremely important because thanks to this and investments in the rolling stock and railway infrastructure, the railway is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to the car," says Maciej Małecki, State Secretary at the Ministry of State Assets.
- Investments in PKP SA railway station in 2021 are elements of the significant modernization of the Polish railways. "The Polish government will allocate almost PLN 2 billion by 2023 to modernize nearly 200 stations," says Andrzej Bittel, State Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure. The inhabitants of 21 cities thus gained access to a safe and comfortable railway infrastructure last year. I hope that the modern station buildings will become an exhibition piece of all these cities, towns and villages and make it easier for passengers to travel by rail. All these thanks to the Railway Station Investment Program.
The number of stations opened in 2021 is a new record, as so far, no more than nine railway stations have got opened in one year under the program. Among those made available in 2021 are renovated and built from scratch in the Innovative System Stations formula. PKP made available to passengers both large buildings and the smallest railway station in the entire project.
- The program of investments in railway stations is the most important project we have implemented, which is to provide passengers in large and small cities with a comfortable railway station. The reconstructions - both the historical ones, which have got carefully restored and the modern ones, built from the ground up - are a symbol of the changes that have taken place on Polish railways in recent years. "These changes are necessary because, among other things, in connection with climate challenges, the importance of rail transport will certainly grow in the coming years," says Krzysztof Mamiński, Chairman of the Board of PKP SA. In 2021, passengers acquired 21 comfortable, modern, accessible, and safe stations with high aesthetics. In 2022, we plan to make even more accessible and start construction work at such important stations as Olsztyn Główny, Częstochowa, Kielce, and Rzeszów Główny. I think that this year will be a breakthrough for many reasons and travelers in many places in Poland will see the results of our investments with their own eyes - says Ireneusz Maślany, Member of the Board of PKP SAThis is also confirmed by the numbers because in addition to already completed investments, even 53 percent. Of which is under construction, 30 percent. Project and only 17 percent. In the preparation phase.
The stations available to passengers in 2021 were significantly different, although PKP AS rebuilt all following modern standards. Modernized stations also differ in appearance. Among them are large facilities such as the railway station in Skarżysk-Kamienna, Wałbrzych (Central Station) or Tczew, but also the smallest historic railway station in the whole PID 2016-2023, i.e., Jabłoń Kościelna, and the first of the small typical IDS located in the Biadolina Szlacheckie. Of the historic buildings, the Szklarska Poręba Górna railway station, the brick and monumental Wałbrzych Główny railway station or the neo-Gothic railway station in Pszczółki, which refer to mountain architecture, deserve special attention.
The Tczew railway station, open to travelers last summer, also stands out for its interesting post-war and modernist architecture. These railway stations, built from the ground up, are built according to the original concept of PKP SA - they are to be modern, comfortable, affordable, and environmentally friendly. Since last year, PKP AS can convince residents of seven other cities they have opened that they are. Last year, the most interesting project was the IDS in Pomiechówek, designed by architects who are employees of PKP SA. It has a minimalist corpus with a gray brick facade and a glazed and dominant tower with a large, illuminated clock. Its characteristic feature is the unusual shape of the roof, under which PKP AS hid the service areas for passengers and business premises. There is also a separate waiting room for parents with children at the station, where a specially designed according to the instructions of PKP SA gets prepared for the little ones. Toys, including the cockpit of a locomotive control. The other six IDS opened this year are typical stations.
Five of them are IDS type B (larger) - with a covered service area for passengers and a small commercial space. These include the following stations: Janikowo, Biskupice Wielkopolskie, Pobiedziska Letnisko, Czarna Tarnowska and Sterkowiec. The last, IDS type A, was founded in the Biadolines of Szlacheckie. The award given in 2021 proves that Innovative System Stations enjoys recognition.