You are here: Home » Archives for Poland
Poland - Articles and news items
Rail industry news / 16 May 2013 /
The European Investment Bank (EIB), the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States, is increasing its loan for PKP Intercity’s Pendolino trains from EUR 224m to EUR 342m. The project consists of the purchase of 20 modern high-speed trains and the construction of an associated maintenance depot in Warsaw. With the increase of financing, the Bank aims to ensure smooth project implementation by completing the financing plan. (more…)
Rail industry news / 25 February 2013 /
The consortium led by Bombardier Transportation, with Thales and Nokia Siemens Networks has won the contract to modernize the signalling of the 350 km long E65 railway line linking Warsaw and Gdynia. This contract has a value of €112 million (469 million PLN).
(more…)
Rail industry news / 20 December 2012 /
Rail technology leader Bombardier Transportation will deliver its globally proven ERTMS solution for the 340 km Warsaw to Gdynia section of Poland’s E65 line, linking the capital with the Baltic Sea. With Bombardier’s second major delivery of ERTMS technology in Poland the entire northern section of the Pan-European Rail Corridor VI will be interoperable, allowing trains from other countries to travel between Gdynia and the Czech border.
(more…)
Issue 3 2012 / 8 June 2012 /
Arriva was the first, and remains, the only private rail company operating in the Polish market. Supported by over 150 employees, the company delivers 2.5 million train kilometres annually, serving over 100 stations and handling over two million passengers in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Pomorskie voivodeships. Arriva RP is committed to providing a safe, secure and high-quality service to all of its passengers.
Arriva’s initial entry into the Polish market
Arriva entered the Polish rail market in 2007 via a joint venture with PCC Rail, a company that held a passenger license and had vast knowledge of the Polish rail freight market. Arriva brought a wealth of experience in the public transport and rail passenger operations arena to the joint venture. The Consortium began operations in December 2007 after securing a three-year tender in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie voivodeship.
From the beginning, Arriva encountered several difficulties associated with the short time for mobilisation (contract was signed in August, while operations were due to start in December of same year) and delays in the polonisation of rolling stock. (more…)
Issue 4 2011 / 4 August 2011 /
Rail Polska was established in November 1999 by Mr. Edward Burkhardt, the founder and the only owner of Rail World Inc., registered in Chicago. Mr. Burkhardt successfully privatised railways in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Estonia. The original aim of the company was to take part in the privatisation of PKP Cargo which had just started to be considered. However, it soon turned out that the privatisation would not take place quickly. And then, our owner decided to use Rail Polska as the basis for creating his own freight transport operator.
On 1 March 2003, having analysed existing market opportunities, Rail Polska purchased 100% of shares in ‘Kolex’ – a company providing Firma Chemiczna ‘Dwory’ / the Chemical Company ‘Dwory’ in Oświęcim with railway transport services, and Zec Trans – a company offering motor transport services and providing five railway sidings belonging to Kogeneracja Wrocław (Zespół Elektrowni Wrocławskich) with railway services. (more…)
Issue 1 2011 / 15 February 2011 /
In the past, Poland (with its 23,000km railway network) badly needed a good operational radio communication system. The first simple analogue system started in 1972 connecting the harbours of Gdynia and Gdansk with Silesia. The radio-telephone network has provided good communication between dispatchers and running trains along the whole route of approximately 800km. The loco-drivers, beside the connection with the dispatchers, were able to communicate among themselves. On the frame of this system (which was called colloquially ‘train line radio’) various mutations were created, e.g. marshalling yards or emergency/rescue networks. As it was mentioned, the first PKP analogue system using simplex transmission worked properly and is still operating in a 150 MHz band. (more…)
Issue 3 2010 / 31 May 2010 /
On 11 and 12 of May 2010, European Railway Review organised Polish Rail Development 2010 – a comprehensive event for industry personnel to gather in one place to learn and discuss the most important issues surrounding the development of the railway market in Poland.
Held in the vibrant and historic city of Warsaw and Hosted by PKP Railway Lines S.A., Day One began with the Chairman of the event, Aleksander Domaradzki – an Independent Industry Expert – welcoming all delegates, speakers and sponsors and making clear that with the continuing volcanic ash problems, the situation continues to show how important the railway industry is. (more…)
Rail industry news / 14 May 2010 /
Bombardier Transportation recently announced that it has received a landmark European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) contract for the first implementation of ERTMS Level 2 technology in Poland. The contract, from PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe and valued at approximately 54 million PLN (14 million euros, $17 million US), involves the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the BOMBARDIER INTERFLO 450 ERTMS Level 2 onboard and wayside signalling system.
A recognised pioneer in development and deployment of ERTMS systems worldwide, Bombardier is now bringing its ERTMS Level 2 signalling technology to the Polish rail market. The new signalling system will be installed on the section of the E30 main line between Legnica, Wegliniec and Bielawa Dolna and delivery is part of the modernisation programme of the pan-European transport corridors which will ensure interoperability on railway lines in Poland. The system will be developed and delivered by Bombardier Transportation Rail Control Solutions sites in Sweden and Poland, to go into operation in April 2012.
Anders Lindberg, President, Bombardier Transportation Rail Control Solutions, said: “As pioneers of ERTMS technology, we are extremely pleased to win this significant order which strengthens Bombardier’s market lead in ERTMS and brings ETCS Level 2 technology to Poland, extending the network across Europe.”
Bombardier has a strong presence in the development of ERTMS/ETCS technology, with its INTERFLO ERTMS Level 1 and Level 2 solutions in operation or being delivered across Europe and Asia on more than 2,500 vehicles, 11, 000 km of track and in 17 countries.
Bombardier Transportation’s Rail Control Solutions portfolio covers the whole range of BOMBARDIER CITYFLO mass transit solutions, from manual to fully automatic systems as well as communication-based systems. It also provides INTERFLO mainline solutions, from conventional systems to ERTMS level 2 systems. Bombardier solutions encompass a complete palette of wayside and onboard products.
Issue 2 2010 / 4 April 2010 /
In recent years there has been considerable growth in high-speed rail. In many countries, the development of a high-speed rail system plays a key role in economic development and it is treated as an element to improve prosperity considering the great value of public procurement and increased attractiveness of the regions to which it reaches. New high-speed lines projects have not only been rising in Europe and Japan, but also in the United States, South Korea, China, Taiwan and Iran.
This rapidly expanding new transport mode is often described as the ‘transport mode of the future’ for a number of reasons. As well as improving rail services, promoting the modern image they seek to convey and yielding greater customer satisfaction, high-speed trains also play a key role in achieving territory integration and helping to create socio-economically balanced societies. This highly efficient transport mode makes significant demands in terms of investment, technology, industry, the environment and its political and social aspects. (more…)
Issue 6 2008, Past issues / 3 December 2008 /
Poland is playing ‘catch-up’ with other European countries in the field of economic affairs and in satisfying domestic needs. This is why the country is finding developing high-speed railway lines difficult. However, the country recognises that by having better transport infrastructure and by having easier ways to move between agglomerations, the quicker its economic development will be.
Over recent years, high-speed railways have developed not only in technologically advanced countries of Western Europe, for example France, Germany and Spain, but also in developing countries such as Turkey, Morocco, China and Argentina1.
Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, established a team which groups representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Economy, Regional Development, Environment, Infrastructure and governors of Poznan, Łódz, Wroclaw and Warsaw, and also presidents of PKP S.A. and PKP PLK S.A. The team has prepared the project entitled “Programme of building and starting carriages on high-speed lines in Poland”, and is also obliged to supervise its implementation.
(more…)
Issue 5 2008, Past issues / 27 September 2008 /
For over half a century, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been an element of strategy of each business entity who wishes to be perceived as a reliable and stable element of economy and society. PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA, the administrator of the railway infrastructure in Poland, observes the CSR principles both in its current activities and strategic planning for coming stages.
There are several factors which are peculiar to PKP PLK SA’s activities and have a decisive effect on our economic behaviour, adhering to the law and ethical rules, and functioning in society which is to say on every element of CSR.
Firstly, we are a joint stock company and therefore we operate on a commercial basis. It means that our financial activity follows the rules of commercial law. This is a significant difference as compared with the period before 2000, when the railway transport in Poland was state-owned.
(more…)
Issue 4 2008, Past issues / 1 August 2008 /
The rapid development of road and railway transport is a regular subject of public debate in Poland, in particular in the view of the EURO 2012 organisation. It is worth noticing that from 2007 to 2013, the Polish Railway Authority, PKP PLK, plans to carry out a number of major investments (see maps).
Jacek Stirmer, Director of the Strategy Office of PKP PLK SA says that by 2012, PKP PLK plans to modernise 1,248km of railroads within the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Programme.
In the second half of 2007, PKP PLK signed several agreements for supervision of line modernisation, crucial for the expansion of Pan-European transport corridors.
One of the latest agreements is between ARCADIS Profil and BRI Koltech Inwestor, which involves modernisation of the E65 railroad from Warszawa Wschodnia to Nasielsk. The project is carried out with 84% of money from the Cohesion Fund (16% of the funds will be provided by the state budget), and is worth €4,439,000 net. Works have been broken into 10 periods, and the agreement will be performed over a period of four years.
(more…)
Login to access exclusive content