Poland’s rail infrastructure manager PKP PLK has completed the construction of the last of the three rail bridges in Krakow over the Vistula River allowing long-distance, suburban, and regional train services from June 11.
Train timetable and rail traffic on Krakow rail network are improved following the completion of the new bridge which allows the trains between the two largest stations to run on four tracks. The capacity of one of the most important sections of the E30 international railway line will increase.
“In Krakow, you can clearly see the metamorphosis that the Polish railway has undergone recently. Such positive and revolutionary changes have not been seen for years. New tracks on flyovers and bridges will significantly increase the potential of railways in southern Poland,” the Minister of Infrastructure Andrzej Adamczyk said.
This commissioning of the third rail bridge over the Vistula River was the main component necessary to put into service all tracks in the centre of Krakow. The bridge is situated in the vicinity of the Krakow Zabłocie stop, 5 km southeast of city centre. Due to the new structure the station benefits increased access while Krakow residents gain additional space to cross the river as railway track, a bicycle path and a footbridge have been built on the new bridge. The new infrastructure also allows people with reduced mobility to use easily all facilities due to a friendly design.
The project has changed the centre of Krakow. In order to find a place for two new tracks, 700-meter-long railway flyovers were built in place of the 19th-century embankment which allows the space under the railway line to be redesigned with new communication routes, places for rest and recreation for the benefit of the citizens. In addition, the existing rail viaducts have been enlarged to accommodate additional tracks.
“We have built a new railway in Krakow. Additional tracks on new flyovers, bridges and viaducts will increase the potential of rail transport, especially for agglomeration connections. It will be a fast, sustainable and increasingly popular means of communication, which will facilitate traveling throughout the region,” Grzegorz Kurdziel, member of the management board of PKP PLK.
Each of the three bridges built over the Vistula River is of different width, but they have a similar structure. They consist of three arched spans with the largest of them being 116 meter-long and 18 meters high. Trains will be able to run on the bridges at a speed of up to 100 km/h.
The project for the construction of the three rail bridges in Krakow has a value of PLN 1.2 billion (EUR 270.7 million) and is co-financed by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility under the project “Works on the E30 railway line, Kraków Główny Towarowy-Rudzice section, including the construction of metropolitan line tracks”. Within the 2015 CEF Transport call, a EUR 195 million financing was provided from the eligible value of the project of EUR 240.87 million.
“I welcome the completion of this important CEF project in Poland. A modernised urban railway, new bridges, new stops and modern control systems are changing the railway in this second largest Polish city. Thanks to this EU investment, Krakow will launch an agglomeration railway that will improve the condition of the natural environment,” Morten Jensen, Head of Unit at CINEA said.
The E30 railway line is running through Krakow city centre and its modernisation and expansion provide additional capacity for rail transport in Lesser Poland.
The scope of the project also included the modernisation of the lines 133 and 91 totalling 19.6 km, the construction of two metropolitan tracks on Kraków Główny Osobowy – Kraków Płaszów section and one track on the Kraków Płaszów – Kraków Bieżanów rail section both on the city’s agglomeration network, the demolition, reconstruction or construction of engineering structures, the construction of the new rail bridges over Vistula River and new passenger stops. The project also involved the construction of modern signalling system and two local command-control centres.
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