photo: The official website of Central Port Komunikacyjny (CPK)/Visualisation of CPK Airport
Poland is gearing up to become the leader in high-speed rail in Central Europe. The state-led CPK project is not only planning new railway lines but also the acquisition of dozens of high-speed trains.
Polish state investment company Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), responsible for preparing and constructing high-speed railways, is also progressing with plans for a fleet of trains for the future high-speed network in Central Europe. The company aims to establish a rolling stock leasing pool, providing trains to operators serving the railway lines built under the CPK project. This fleet will be managed as a Rolling Stock Operating Company (ROSCO), meaning CPK will purchase the trains and lease them to operators under long-term contracts. Potential locations for the main depot are being considered in Warsaw, Łódź, or near the airport.
The Polish government, under Donald Tusk and the previous administration led by Mateusz Morawiecki, sees this as a historic opportunity to develop local industrial expertise and manufacturing capacity for high-speed rail. To this end, state-owned Pesa Bydgoszcz and private manufacturer Newag have already signed agreements with international partners. Pesa is collaborating with Talgo, while Newag has partnered with Hyundai Rotem.
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CPK and Poland’s High-Speed Train Procurement
This week, CPK announced its plans to acquire 50–60 high-speed trainsets across multiple categories, stressing that procurement must begin within the next two years. The rolling stock pool has been allocated EUR 407.6 million, which accounts for approximately 20% of the fleet’s total estimated value.
"Another 20% will be contributed by the selected investor, while the remaining funds will come from loans and bond issuance," explained Piotr Rachwalski, a board member of CPK.
As a joint-stock company, CPK can issue government-backed bonds, leveraging Poland’s experience in bond financing. Unlike railway infrastructure agencies in other countries, CPK will own trains, a maintenance depot, and directly oversee operations. The company aims to lease trains to operators while maintaining state control over the network’s strategic coherence.
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Poland’s High-Speed Rail Expansion Beyond Its Borders
CPK’s ambitions extend beyond Poland’s borders, with plans to serve the entire Central European region and the Rail Baltica corridor. The main maintenance facility will be located near Łódź, strategically placed to avoid mistakes made in Spain, where depots were built far from major cities, leading to inefficiencies. "We don’t want to repeat Spain’s mistake, where the main depot was located too far from large and mid-sized cities, leading to empty return trips," Rachwalski told Polish railway magazine Rynek Kolejowy.
The number ofhigh-speed trains required will depend on market liberalization and investment strategies of competing operators. Meanwhile, PKP Intercity has already launched procurement for trains capable of speeds above 250 km/h. To operate core services on the planned “Y” corridor—Warsaw to Łódź and Wrocław, as well as Warsaw to Poznań—CPK estimates that fewer than 20 trainsets will be needed initially.
Poland’s High-Speed Rail Connection to the New Airport
CPK is also considering acquiring rolling stock for direct airport connections from Warsaw to the future CPK airport. These double-decker trains may be similar to the PKP Intercity fleet, with a capacity tailored to accommodate air travelers’ luggage needs. These trains, expected to be operational by 2035, will initially serve the Warsaw-Łódź corridor but later form the backbone of intercity services.
Within the next two years, CPK must launch multiple tenders for train procurement. It is also exploring ways to extend the purchasing pool to regional rail operators owned by Polish provinces (voivodeships). Currently, Łódź Agglomeration Railway (ŁKA), Koleje Dolnośląskie, and Koleje Mazowieckie lack dual-system trains capable of running on the future high-speed rail network. This is particularly important as CPK’s tracks will operate at 25 kV, while most existing PKP PLK railways still run on 3 kV DC traction.
Poland’s High-Speed Rail Congress: Key Players Set to Meet in March 2025
On March 17, 2025, experts will gather in Łódź for the High-Speed Rail Congress – Unlocking Poland’s Potential. One of the key speakers will be Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the newly appointed EU Commissioner for Transport.
The conference agenda will focus on:
- Developing Poland’s high-speed rail network
- Rolling stock procurement
- Infrastructure expansion
- Funding, regulations, and state policies
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Sources: RAILTARGET, www.tor-konferencje.pl, rollingstockworld.com, www.rynek-kolejowy.pl, www.cpk.pl