After 10 months of intensive work, the “Jadwiga” TBM has completed its tunneling operations on the first railway tunnel in southern Poland as part of the Podłęże–Piekiełko project, the largest investment by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe.
The TBM, weighing 2,500 tons and with a diameter of nearly 11 meters, has completed the excavation of the railway tunnel beneath the Pisarzowa area. From June 2025 to the present, the machine has advanced 3,750 meters underground, between the towns of Męcina and Mordarka in the Beskid Mountains.
Operating continuously, the machine excavated the rock and, simultaneously, installed the concrete rings of the structure. On its peak day, the TBM advanced 46 meters in a single day—a result considered top-tier in Europe for such projects.
“The project is progressing rapidly and will significantly improve passenger comfort. Both the main tunnel and the escape tunnel were completed in record time, thanks to the efforts of the engineers, railway workers, and miners involved,” said Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak.
The 3.75-kilometer-long underground structure will significantly reduce train travel times between Nowy Sącz and Limanowa, and once other sections of the new route are completed, the connection to Kraków will also be considerably faster.
Complex Underground Infrastructure
The first railway tunnel in southern Poland, part of the Podłęże–Piekiełko project, is part of a system consisting of 20 tunnels, 16 of which are for train traffic and 4 for evacuation. The total length of the underground structures will exceed 31 km.
The completion of drilling the first tunnel does not mean the end of the work, as the next steps include connecting the tunnels, laying the tracks and the overhead contact line, as well as installing safety and rail traffic control systems. The final stage will include testing, acceptance, and certification.
According to representatives of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe, the TBM shields used in this project will be reused on other sections between Kraków and Nowy Sącz after undergoing technical maintenance. The next phase of work will take place in the Szczyrzyc area, where new tunnels will be built in difficult mountainous terrain.
The project will transform transportation in southern Małopolska, contributing to the area’s economic and social development. The section is part of the modernization of Railway Line No. 104 and is co-financed by the European Union through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
A strategic project for southern Poland
The investment, estimated at approximately 17 billion zlotys (EUR 4 billion), will significantly reduce travel times in southern Poland.
The Podłęże–Piekiełko project includes the modernization of 75 km of track between Chabówka and Nowy Sącz, as well as the construction of 58 km of new track between Podłęże, Tymbark, and Mszana Dolna.
The route is designed for speeds of up to 160 km/h, which will allow the Kraków–Nowy Sącz journey to be completed in approximately 60 minutes and the Kraków–Zakopane route in about 90 minutes.
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