A set of seventeen companies grouped into six consortia have applied for a tender to construct the first High-Speed Rail section in Poland.
The project, which will be delivered by Centralny Port Komunikacyjny as part of the strategic Port Polska investment programme, will see the creation of a High-Speed Rail line between Warsaw and Łódź.
CPK’s High-Speed Rail Tunnel in Łódź
© Centralny Port Komunikacyjny
The section applied for at present is a 13-kilometre stretch of high-speed track between Kotowice (in the Mazovia region) and the airport, with a decision expected to be made and a contract signed in the fourth quarter of 2027.
Applications to participate in the dialogue procedure for the design and construction of railway line no. 85 on the Kotowice – airport section were submitted by the following contractors:
- Consortium of ZUE, Duna Polska, POLAQUA
- Consortium of TORPOL, MIRBUD, KOBYLARNIA
- Consortium of Trakcja, PORR
- Consortium of Mostostal Warszawa, NDI, NDI SOPOT, INTERCOR
- Consortium of Gülermak, Track Tec Construction, UNIBEP, Pomorskie Przedsiębiorstwo Mechaniczno-Torowe
Maciej Lasek, Government Plenipotentiary for Centralny Port Komunikacyjny, said:
This is the first procedure for the construction of a High-Speed Rail line not only in Poland, but in the whole of Central and Eastern Europe. The course of this procedure so far aligns with the objective of supporting the development of Polish companies and local jobs.
In future railway tenders, we also expect a strong participation of domestic firms, which will provide a significant boost to the Polish economy.
Centralny Port Komunikacyjny will now begin the evaluation and analysis of the applications, with all six potential contractors possessing the potential to be admitted to the next stage of the procedure, which will involve discussions with bidders conducted under the competitive dialogue process.
Primary selection will be based on experience in completed construction works, including those carried out in Poland itself. Another selection criteria concerns the Polish language proficiency of key personnel involved within the teams, whilst the criteria for evaluating bids in the procedure itself will be price and the extension of the warranty period.
The so-called ‘Y’ railway line will connect Warsaw, Łódź, Poznań, and Wrocław, with trains expected to operate at speeds of up to 350 km/h, with the line’s geometric and technical parameters – such as gradients, curve radii, switches, and a new traction power standard for Poland (25 kV AC) – designed accordingly.
In the future, CPK intends to launch procedures for the construction of the following sections of the Warsaw–Łódź high-speed line:
- 18 km from Warszawa West to Kotowice
- 15 km from the airport hub to the Bolimowski junction
- 12 km within the Bolimowski junction
- 37 km from the Bolimowski junction to Brzeziny
- 11 km from Brzeziny to Łódź
There will also be two additional procedures carried out covering rail traffic control systems (SRK), telecommunications, and the traction power network (including power supply) for the entire Warsaw – Łódź line. A tender procedure for archaeological research along the route is currently under review by the tender committee.
Thus far, the company has submitted all 12 applications for location decisions required for the railway line and, according to internal schedules, the Warsaw – Łódź section is planned to be launched in 2032 alongside the opening of the new airport – and by 2035, passengers are expected to reach Poznań and Wrocław via the “Y” line.