EU funds: Reconstruction of the Warsaw Railway Junction

Pursuant to the provisions of the concluded contract for co-financing for the project “Works on the cross-city line in Warsaw, section Warszawa Wschodnia – Warszawa Zachodnia, stage I”, the value of the planned investment will amount to more than PLN 1.3 billion. The investment will be financed from the EU funds under the Operational Program Infrastructure and Environment.

The development of transport infrastructure is one of the objectives of the Operational Program Infrastructure and Environment, which is why, as the CEUTP, we comprehensively support beneficiaries in their implementations, including PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. which will modernize subsequent railway stations. Thanks to the funds from the European Union, Polish transport is becoming more modern, safer and more comfortable, which is felt by every Polish citizen – says Joanna Lech, Director of the Center for EU Transport Projects.

We already have the European Program of European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate and Environment adopted by the Commission. The FEnIKS program was approved in September. All Cohesion Policy programs for 2021-2027 have been approved by the European Commission and there are no obstacles to spending funds on projects and calls. This is very good news for Poland and the Polish economy – said the representative of the European Commission, Mr. Przemysław Kalinka, in his speech.

Warsaw Railway Junction

The project is in the Mazowieckie Region in the area of the Warsaw Railway Junction (“WWK”) on the cross-city line.

WWK is an important element of railway infrastructure in Poland and Europe. The key element of WWK is the cross-city line covering the section of railway lines between Warszawa Zachodnia and Warszawa Wschodnia stations, partly running through a cross-city tunnel through the very center of Warsaw. The cross-city line is divided into a long-distance and suburban part. Only passenger traffic is carried out on the cross-city line.

Works on the Warsaw cross-city line are another element of the great modernization of the Polish railway. An extremely important, expected and needed investment, it will increase the capacity of the Warsaw Railway Junction. I hope that the works will run smoothly, and their effects will make it easier for passengers to travel by rail in the Warsaw agglomeration – says Andrzej Bittel, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Infrastructure.

The project is part of the following TEN-T transport corridors:

• Baltic Sea – Adriatic Sea;
• North Sea – Baltic Sea.

This is undoubtedly the most important and one of the most awaited investments for the Warsaw railway junction, and its implementation will be an important element of local, but also national and international railway routes – said the Minister of Funds and Regional Development Grzegorz Puda.

The head of the Ministry emphasized that the development of cross-border railway routes to connect EU Member States is one of the priorities of the EU transport policy.

Renovated railway lines mean higher economic growth and easier transport of goods. This is a very important factor in the context of the war in Ukraine, and Poland is currently the main exit to the world for the export of Ukrainian goods, said Minister Puda.

The Minister emphasized the importance of the development of railways, through which goods from Ukraine will be transited through Poland, sent, among others, to Western Europe.

Inconveniences on the cross-city line

The investment is a response to the unworthiness identified on the cross-city line, i.e.:

• In peak hours, capacity is exceeded, as calculated in accordance with the guidelines of the UIC406 card for the limit time of infrastructure occupancy.
• There is no separation of agglomeration traffic from long-distance traffic at Warszawa Zachodnia and Warszawa Wschodnia stations, which causes inconvenience for passengers and conflicting exit routes from the cross-city line.
• Not enough platform edges.
• Failure to adjust the location of stops to the needs of residents (the need to build new ones).
• Low speed of travel on turnouts.
• Collisions of trains running; limited possibilities of flexible response to traffic perturbations and minimization of delays.
• Difficult maneuvering of trains.
• Untapped potential of the area of the former Warszawa Główna station.

Project scope

The project provides for:

• reconstruction of 2 stations (Warszawa Zachodnia and Warszawa Główna);
• construction of 2 viaducts;
• reconstruction of 2 viaducts;
• construction of 4 footbridges;
• reconstruction of 1 pedestrian underpass.

According to the assumptions, the total length of the sections covered by the project is 20.449 km, of which 12.275 km in TEN-T.

The project also includes adapting the Warszawa Gdańska station to handle increased number of travelers.

PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. effectively use the EU and budget funds to ensure comprehensive development of the railway network. Modernizations of important sections of the line and stations increase the role of the railway. Thanks to the funds from the European Union, we will be able to obtain a reimbursement of the expenses already incurred for works at the Warszawa Główna, Warszawa Gdańska and Warszawa Zachodnia stations – says Arnold Bresch, Member of the Management Board of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A..

Project details

Beneficiary: PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.

Project number and name: POIS.05.01.00-00-0044/22-00 “Works on the cross-city line in Warsaw, section Warszawa Wschodnia – Warszawa Zachodnia, stage I”

Priority axis and measure: Measure 5.1 Development of rail transport of the TEN-T network under priority axis V: Development of rail transport in Poland

Total value: PLN 2,639,584,830.86

Eligible value: PLN 1,586,817,305.55

Value of the EU funding: PLN 1,348,794,709.71