The Polish rail infrastructure manager PKP PLK has announced a PLN 6 billion (EUR 1.4 billion) tender for the modernisation of Białystok – Ełk railway line which is part of the future Rail Baltica.
The project covers the reconstruction of 100 km of tracks performed by a single contractor, who will not be able to come from the so-called third countries. The investment is being carried out with the support of the Connecting Europe Facility.
“This tender will also be exceptional for another reason. For the first time, contractors based outside the EU, EEA and entities from countries that are not covered by the WTO government procurement agreement will be excluded from the procedure. This is our decision and reaction to the recently announced judgment of the CJEU. We approach this important investment rationally, such a restriction increases the security of its implementation,” explained Piotr Wyborski, the President of the Management Board of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A.
The planned works include 100 km of railway line, with a total of 8 stations and 10 stops which will gain a new standard. A second track will be built along the entire length, which will significantly increase the capacities and possibilities of conducting train traffic. Efficient and safe running of trains will be ensured by modern, computerised railway traffic control devices. Technical stations will be built in Podlasie and Lipińskie Małe, which will provide additional possibilities for trains to cross (pass each other), which will have a positive impact on the line’s capacity. After the works are completed, supervision of the route to Ełk will be taken over by the Local Railway Traffic Control Centre in Białystok instead of the current signal boxes.
The investment will change travel conditions as the new platforms will gain the same standard as on the rebuilt Czyżew – Białystok section. PKP PLK will prepare 6 stations and 10 stops for passengers, where modern platforms will be created, adapted to the needs of people with limited mobility. Two new stops will be created: Dziękonie, instead of the Czechowizna stop, and Ciemnoszyje. Some will change their location so that the railway is closer to residents – this will be the case at the Białystok Starosielce station and the Białystok Bacieczki, Fasty and Borsukówka stops. We will change the current Dobrzyniewo Duże stop into a station, which will create additional possibilities for conducting train traffic.
Similarly to the Czyżew – Białystok route, also on the line to Ełk, level rail-road crossings will be replaced by grade-separated junctions, tunnels and viaducts. PLK has planned to build 20 road viaducts, 12 railway viaducts and 12 underpasses. Drivers will not have to stop in front of the tracks, and trains – after all works are completed and the ETCS system is launched in the future – will be able to travel at a speed of 200 km/h on most of the section. The conditions for transporting goods will also improve as the new line and stations after reconstruction will provide the possibility of travelling trains with a speed of up to 120 km/h and a length of 750 m.
Along the Białystok – Ełk railway line, trains will cover the distance within 55 minutes travelling at up to 200 km/h when the project will be completed.
“The reconstruction of the Białystok – Ełk railway line is an investment that the inhabitants of the region have been waiting for for years. Shorter travel times, better travel comfort and greater safety are specific benefits that will change the daily lives of travellers,” the Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak, said.
The investment is carried out as part of several projects: “Works on the E 75 (Rail Baltica) railway line on the Białystok – Knyszyn section”, “Works on the E 75 (Rail Baltica) railway line on the Osowiec – Ełk section” which are co-financed by the CEF.
The project “Works on the E 75 (Rail Baltica) railway line on the Knyszyn – Osowiec section” is applying for co-financing by the European Union from the Connecting Europe Facility.
The construction works are planned to be carried out until 2029.
The modernisation of the Rail Baltica railway line is one of the most important railway investments implemented in Poland. PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe has already modernised two sections one from Warsaw Rembertów to Sadowne and from Sadowne to Czyżewo. Work is currently underway on the next, third section from Czyżewo to the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, Białystok. Work is planned on the following sections of the route including Białystok – Ełk and Ełk – Trakiszki sections.
The modernisation of Rail Baltica in Poland was divided into five stages. In 2015, the main works on the Warsaw Rembertów – Tłuszcz (Sadowne) route were completed. The investment on this section included, among others, the construction or reconstruction of 4 stations and 14 railway stops (including the opening of the new Warsaw Nowy Ług stop) and the replacement of tracks on a section of over 60 km. In addition, many engineering structures were modernized, including 8 bridges and 24 rail-road crossings.
Part of the project, PLK completed the modernisation of the Sadowne – Czyżew section. In 2019, work on the second section was completed. As part of the modernisation of the Sadowne – Czyżew line, 2 stations, 4 stops, 11 rail-road crossings and 3 bridges were rebuilt, a new bridge over the Bug River and a second track on the Prostyń Bug – Małkinia route were built. In addition, the Local Railway Traffic Control Center was established in Małkinia. Work was carried out on a section of over 36 km, where the tracks and the traction network were also replaced.
The next stage of the construction of Rail Baltica includes works on the route from Czyżew to Białystok totalling 71 km. This is the length of the section where works are currently underway as part of the implementation of Rail Baltica, from Czyżew to Białystok. The plans include, among others, the construction or modernization of 6 stations, 12 stops (including the provision of a new one – Białystok Zielone Wzgórza), 10 railway bridges, including the largest, almost 200-meter bridge over the Narew River. Additionally, a Local Railway Traffic Control Center will be opened in the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Platforms on the route from Czyżew to Białystok will be equipped with the Central Dynamic Passenger Information System.
On the Czyżew – Białystok section, the existing infrastructure will be modernised and new tracks will be installed to create additional capacity.
After the modernisation of the Czyżew – Białystok section is completed, the reconstruction of the longest section will begin – the 100-km route from the capital of the Podlaskie province to Ełk. The final stage of the construction of the Polish part of the international Rail Baltica line will be the modernization of the Ełk – Trakiszki section, 94 km long. The end of work on the route from Warsaw to Tallinn is scheduled for 2026. In the longer term, a tunnel will be built connecting Tallinn with Helsinki.
When the entire project is complete, the travel time of trains on the Polish section of Rail Baltica will be shortened. Passenger trains will run at up to 160 km/h, and freight trains to 120 km/h, which means that the journey from Białystok to Warsaw will take less than two hours. Faster journeys also mean more connections on the route.
The stations and stops will have static and dynamic passenger information systems and information for carriers. The platforms will be adapted to the needs of people with limited mobility – they will be raised, equipped with, among other things, ramps and guide paths that will make it easier for blind and visually impaired people to move around the facilities. The comfort of waiting for trains will be improved by new benches and shelters protecting against adverse weather conditions.
The investment will bring benefits not only to passengers, but also to entrepreneurs and drivers. The modernization of the line will make the railway an attractive, ecological alternative to road transport. This will make it possible to reduce traffic jams on local roads and reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Improving the transport of goods will also increase the economic and investment attractiveness of the regions.
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