PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe and Budimex signed a PLN 960 million (EUR 216 million) contract for the reconstruction of Tychy – Goczalkowice rail section on E65 mainline.
“The project will change rail transport in the province of Silesia bringing tangible results for increasing the accessibility and efficiency of railways on a line that is important in the Silesian agglomeration and of national and international importance,”said Ireneusz Merchel, President of the Management Board of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe.
48 km of tracks and 56 km of traction network will be reconstructed to increase the speed to 160 km/h for passenger trains and 120 km/h for freight trains. Additionally, 17 engineering structures and seven rail and road crossings will be rebuilt.
Along the section, the platforms at five stations and stops (Tychy Żwaków, Kobierz, Piasek, Pszczyna and Gopałkowice) will be reconstructed and modernised and access facilities will be constructed to accommodate people with reduced mobility.
The modernisation of the Tychy – Goczalkowice rail section section (Vistula Bridge) on railway line No. 139 and the E65 is carried out as part of the project “Works on basic passenger routes (E 30 and E 65) in the area of Silesia, stage I: line E 65 on the Tychy – Vistula Bridge. The scope of the planned investment includes construction works and the implementation of an executive design and installation of railway traffic control devices, railway equipment and telecommunications networks, along with the provision of post-warranty services for these devices.
The modernisation of the E65 railway line on the Tychy – Goczalkowice section will result in increased capacity as well as more efficient train travel on the route from Tychy through Pszczyna to Goczalkowice-Zdrój.
All works are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027.
“The agreement is another step towards a new, better future for the region. The reconstruction of the E65 mainline on the Tychy – Wisła Bridge section is an investment that will open new opportunities for development and integration. It will also be an opportunity to improve accessibility and transport infrastructure, which will result in economic growth and an improvement in the quality of life of residents,” Andrzej Adamczyk, the Minister of Infrastructure said.
The entire project is co-financed by the European Union through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 2014 – 2020. Under the CEF 2021 – 2027, PKP PLK obtained EUR 937 million co-financing to upgrade E30 and E65 rail lines.
Under the CEF 2015 calls for proposals, from the EUR 8.9 million eligible costs, Poland received EUR 7.5 million for studies covering the construction works on E30 and E65 railway lines within the Śląskie province covering the first phase E65 railway line, Będzin – Katowice – Tychy – Czechowice Dziedzice – Zebrzydowice section. The co-financing supported the detailed design documentation, executive and tender documentation and to obtain the necessary administrative decisions. The completed documentation allowed the construction works on this 127 km rail section.
For the 2016 CEF calls for proposals, the rail infrastructure manager obtained a co-financing of EUR 95 million with eligible costs of EUR 111.7 million for the construction works on the Most Wisła– Czechowice Dziedzice–Zabrzeg section of the two mainlines. This project which should be completed in December 2023, covers the modernisation of the E65 mainline on the above mentioned section totalling 17.9 km. Works also include the modernisation of Czechowice Dziedzice station which was put into service in 1885 along with the construction of the Austro-Hungarian Northern Railway. The project also includes the modernisation of the adjacent junction signal boxes (Most.Wisła, Ochodza and Zabrzeg), the modernisation of the surface and track bed, modernisation of level crossings, existing overpasses and railway bridges as well as the catenary network. The European co-financing is also used for the construction of a new local control command and signalling centre in Czechowice Dziedzice.
The Zebrzydowice station handles the largest number of international freight train routes in Poland as out of 58,700 freight train routes cleared in international traffic, over 14,400 were carried out through Zebrzydowice station – that is over 24%, which means that almost every 4th international freight train entered or left Poland via Zebrzydowice.
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