Poland Races Ahead of Czech Republic in High-Speed Rail Development: A Tale of Two Strategies

While Poland breaks ground on a high-speed rail revolution, the Czech Republic is still stuck at the station. With billion-euro plans in motion and EU funds flowing, Warsaw is building fast tracks to the future—while Prague debates how to pay the fare.

Despite their geographical proximity, Poland and the Czech Republic have taken sharply divergent paths in the development of high-speed rail (HSR) infrastructure. While Warsaw has established a clear roadmap through to 2032, Prague continues to grapple with financing models and long-term planning, casting doubt over its readiness to deliver on European transport ambitions. More than a year after RAILTARGET first analysed these national differences, the gap has only widened, with Poland making notable strides under both its previous and newly elected governments.

Spółka @CPK_PL de facto wywala do kosza wszelkie wykonane prace nad studiami wykonalności nowych linii programu #CPK (Za wyjatkiem Igreka WAW-LDZ-WRO/POZ).
I do 2032r nie planuje nawet składać wniosków o decyzje środowiskowe dla ŻADNEJ z tych linii (sic !)

A wiecie, że ok 75%… pic.twitter.com/O7t5cgGqPS

— patryk wild (@WildPatryk) March 25, 2025

Different Approaches to Financing High-Speed Rail

One of the most significant distinctions between the two countries lies in their approach to funding. In the Czech Republic, the discussion has largely centred around Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models, with cost projections for the national network nearing or even exceeding CZK 1 trillion (approx. EUR 40 billion). Yet, despite the headline figures, no definitive strategy has emerged.

In contrast, Poland avoids framing its HSR ambitions in terms of a single budgeted amount. Instead, it has developed project-specific funding plans based on whether each segment is included in the EU’s TEN-T core network or eligible for other targeted European funds. Such a tailored approach allows Poland to tap into diverse EU financing streams more effectively, accelerating its infrastructure ambitions.

Czech Reliance on EU Letters, Poland Acts with Financial Planning

Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka has supported a joint letter from eleven EU member states urging the European Commission to prioritise high-speed rail in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). However, such gestures contrast with Poland’s concrete financial and legislative action. In December 2023, Poland’s Council of Ministers approved a dedicated financial framework for HSR covering 2024–2032, detailing not only how projects will be delivered but where the money will come from. The Czech Republic, by comparison, has yet to present a comparable long-term investment plan.

A major turning point in Poland’s rail planning has been its complete abandonment of PPP models. While the idea was previously considered by the conservative government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, recent analyses by the Polish government and CPK (Centralny Port Komunikacyjny) concluded that PPP structures are unsuitable for rail infrastructure. However, Poland remains an active user of PPP schemes in other sectors, proving that the rejection is strategic, not ideological. In contrast, the Czech debate remains locked in speculation over the viability of PPP, which has further delayed tangible progress.

Poland’s Quiet but Effective EU Negotiations Yield Results

A fourth key difference is Poland’s low-profile but strategic bilateral engagement with EU institutions. Speaking at a high-speed rail conference in Łódź on 17 March, CPK’s rail director Piotr Rachwalski stated that Poland currently works with a baseline EU co-financing target of 44%, but is actively negotiating for a higher percentage.

Meanwhile, Poland has already secured PLN 556 million (EUR 130 million) for project preparation. In January, the government submitted additional applications to CINEA (the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency) for funding parts of the Łódź hub and the Katowice–Ostrava line—a corridor critical for Czech-Polish connectivity.

Poland’s advantage also lies in its streamlined land acquisition strategy, a known bottleneck in Czech infrastructure projects. Under a voluntary sale scheme initiated by the previous administration, the Warsaw–Łódź route already includes 90% of the required land. The programme is designed to make voluntary participation more attractive than expropriation, especially for owners of built-up areas. For agricultural land, simplified and advantageous expropriation procedures apply, making land acquisition both efficient and politically palatable.

880 km of Track by 2032: Poland’s Backbone Network

The current Polish plan envisages a backbone HSR network spanning 880 kilometres by 2032. The key routes include:

• Warsaw–Łódź–Poznań;
• Warsaw–Łódź–Wrocław;
• Katowice–Ostrava, crucial for regional integration with the Czech Republic.

Source: RAILTARGET; HSR Conference