Poland’s Government has approved a resolution for the establishment of CPK rolling stock company dedicated to the purchase of more than 100 electric multiple units which will then be leased to railway operators as part of the rolling stock pool.
According to the adopted resolution, the rolling stock company established by Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) will be able to attract minority investors. It will be financed to a significant extent through debt instruments (by banks, investment funds, insurance companies and pension funds).
Estimated investment expenditures on new railway vehicles in the years 2024-2030 should reach PLN 8.7 billion (EUR 1.96 billion), according to the prices from the first half of 2023, and a total of PLN 16-20 billion (EUR 3.6 billion – EUR 4.5 billion) by 2035.
According to Polish Office of Rail Transport (UTK), in the next 10 years, around 90% of passenger coaches and 70% of electric multiple units will be over 40 years old, qualifying them for decommissioning. Thus rolling stock procurement will be essential to deliver better, comfortable and sustainable transport services.
The new high-speed trains for CPK will have to run at operating speeds of up to 250 km/h, have two power systems, a passenger information system that takes airport data into account, and feature energy efficiency and high passenger comfort.
The approved concept for the provision of passenger rolling stock in connection with the implementation of the CPK programme provides for the establishment by CPK of a subsidiary company whose main task will be the purchase and management of the rolling stock required to serve the future high-speed rail lines.
On the basis of the resolution, the CPK rolling stock company will be able to establish a rolling stock pool. Operators operating under this model use trains purchased from manufacturers in large numbers, which they then lease to railway operators on a tender basis under multi-year contracts.
“Implementation of the railway component under the CPK programme will generate demand for modern rolling stock currently unavailable on the Polish market. CPK is the first project that takes a comprehensive approach to rail transport, creating opportunities for railway operators to save on capital expenditure and grow at the same time. We believe that, as with the approach to liberalising the rail market, it is worth taking advantage of international experience and know-how,” Mikołaj Wild, CEO of CPK said.
According to the adopted resolution, the new rolling stock will be compliant with the technical specifications for interoperability (TSI) and will meet a number of technical and quality requirements ensuring the safety and comfort of travellers. CPK rolling stock will be designed for power supply of 3 kV DC and 25 kV AC, will meet the requirements of people with disabilities, will be energy efficient and equipped with energy recovery systems as well as with the ETCS.
“Even the best railway infrastructure cannot function without modern trains. Therefore, the purchase of rolling stock for the CPK lines should be conducted in a well-thought-out and comprehensive manner. We are convinced that Polish companies will be involved in the manufacture of the trains and that this purchase should also form a boost for our economy,’ said the Deputy Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Marcin Horała, the government plenipotentiary for CPK.
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