With around 19,503 kilometers of railway lines, Poland presides over the third largest railway network in Europe. PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. - Polish Railway Lines (PKP PLK S.A.) – is the country's most important public contractor, investing 19 billion Swiss francs in rail infrastructure and two billion Swiss francs in rolling stock from 2016 to 2023 as part of the National Railway Program. This generous investment will enable tracks and stations to be constructed and modernized and will create innumerable jobs; 10,000 people and 3,000 machines work on railway construction sites every day.
Sustainable investments for people and the environment
The future is also looking particularly rosy: the already made investments will receive a significant boost from new EU funds for 2021 to 2027. Negotiations to the tune of 69 billion Swiss francs are already underway. Poland is set to receive an additional budget – around 61 billion Swiss francs – from the EU economic fund’s national reconstruction program. The expansion and upgrade of Poland's railway infrastructure is intended to both protect and preserve the environment as well as make it easier for the population to access the railway infrastructure and increase their travel comfort; rail passengers will be able to enjoy shorter travel times and increased safety standards thanks, for example, to new level crossings.
Two major projects already announced: opportunities for Swiss SMEs?
For the modernization of the railway infrastructure, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. plans to issue tenders for construction works worth a total of over four billion Swiss francs by the end of 2021. In addition, two major projects have already been announced: New stops for the Warsaw cross-city line are planned for construction by 2027, in addition to a new bridge over the Vistula. The scope of the work also requires an undercity tunnel to be excavated. The contract for the reconstruction of Warsaw West train station was signed at the end of 2020. Further tenders are set to follow in the fourth quarter of 2022. The largest infrastructure investment – 7.4 billion Swiss francs – is planned for the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny airport. By 2034, it will be connected to twelve railway lines with a total length of 1789 kilometers, all of which are to be newly built.
Webinar on market entry in Poland
The planned investments in Poland's railway infrastructure require a great deal of know-how and experience. Swiss railway providers posses the required knowledge and are therefore particularly sought after for collaboration. Our free webinar recording will show you how prospective Swiss companies can tender solutions for the railway industry in Poland and how to enter the market. You’ll not only get to know the current and planned railway projects in Poland, but you will also benefit from the experience of the Swiss SME HaslerRail AG, which is already active on the Polish railway market.
