Poland's railways are undergoing intensive modernisation and revitalisation thanks to funding under the National Recovery Plan (NRP). Investments worth PLN 18 billion will increase the efficiency and competitiveness of rail transport, improve passenger safety and contribute to reducing CO₂.

Modern infrastructure for the transport of the future

Due to the importance of projects concerning the modernisation and revitalisation of railway lines, PLN 10.7 billion has been allocated to them, which accounts for 59% of the available funds for railway investments under the NRP.

The possibility of building more modern infrastructure that will reduce commuting times and improve the quality of rail travel in Poland is the result of the hard work of Deputy Minister Piotr Malepszak and the Ministry of Infrastructure to make investments exactly as they should be. Not too big, not too small, for the people and not for an ideology,

said Deputy Minister Jan Szyszko.

From the point of view of regional development, for which the MDFRP is responsible, the investments we will build in Poland thanks to these changes are from many different areas.

We are talking about extending or improving travel standards on the country's main transport axes and raising the permitted travel speed to 250 km/h. We are also talking about regional connections, such as in the area around Wałbrzych in the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, but also about the construction of lines from scratch, such as the cross-cut through Piekiełko in the south of Małopolska, which is such a symbol of the NRP. This is a region – I am talking about Nowy Sącz and the railways in that region, whose rail network was built back in the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire,

said Deputy Minister Szyszko.

We want to invest money precisely in order to modernise the railway lines. The NRP funds will be used to improve train journey times by increasing the capacity of the lines, guaranteeing their better performance and eliminating bottlenecks. Our aim is to achieve rapid results in the shortest possible time,

said Deputy Infrastructure Minister Piotr Malepszak.

Currently, 65% of the funds earmarked for railway lines have already been contracted in the NRP, which means PLN 7 billion allocated to specific contractors and ongoing investments.

Key NRP rail projects

Around 40 rail projects are planned under the NRP, including:

• Modernisation of line 104 Chabówka – Nowy Sącz, section Chabówka – Rabka Zaryte – Mszana Dolna and Limanowa – Klęczany – Nowy Sącz: (value: PLN 4 million)
  • Restoration of passenger traffic after 20 years
  • Construction and modernisation of stations and stops
• Modernisation and electrification of line 38 Giżycko – Korsze (value: PLN 1.2 million)
  • Reducing journey times and increasing capacity on the Olsztyn – Elk route
• Revitalisation and electrification of line 181 Herby Nowe – Oleśnica, section Kępno – Oleśnica (value: PLN 800 million)
  • Passenger trains return after 20 years
  • Better regional and inter-regional connections

Comprehensive support for the railways

Railway investments in Poland are financed not only under the NRP, but also under programmes such as the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the European Funds for Eastern Poland programme and Regional Programmes. Between 2021 and 2027, a total of around PLN 33 billion in EU funds will allow for the further development of rail infrastructure, the purchase of modern train sets and the implementation of digital traffic control systems.