The Polish Government has approved the selection of Variant W41 as the preferred option for the high-speed railway lines No. 5 and 50 on the CPK Node – Płock – Włocławek section.
The multi-criteria analysis indicated that Variant W41 received the highest score and is characterised by the lowest number of developed properties that would need to be acquired for the project delivery. This section will be an important part of the North Central Mainline Railway (entralna Magistrala Kolejowa – CMK) as well as the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).
The selection of the preferred option for the approximately 150-kilometre-long section is the result of months of work conducted as part of the technical economic environmental study (STEŚ), including the forecasted passenger flows. Considering the duration of various investment phases, the completion of the railway line could take place after 2035.
As part of the TEN-T extended core network, CPK Node – Płock – Włocławek section may be eligible for European Union funding applications.
During the work, a hybrid option – Variant W41 – was developed. It was formed by combining Variants W1, W4, W6a, W8, and W9. Variant W41 has the least impact on built-up areas. In each of the models examined in the multi-criteria analysis – developmental, technical, economic, and environmental – this route received the highest ratings. This also results in the least disturbance to environmentally significant areas.
The CMK North railway line was planned as early as in the 1970s as an extension of the Central Trunk Line towards Kujawy region and the Tricity. Line No. 5, set to be built as high-speed railway line, will be the necessary addition to Poland’s railway network while significantly reducing travel times. For example, the journey from Płock to Warsaw Central station will take approximately 50 minutes by train (currently, such a trip takes over 2 hours). Meanwhile, the journey from Włocławek to the same station will take around 1 hour and 10 minutes by train (currently, it takes at least an hour longer).
On the CPK – Lipno section of Line No. 5, the design speed is 350 km/h, and Line No. 50, on the Grochowalsk – Włocławek section, it is 250 km/h. Both lines are intended for mixed traffic: freight and passenger.
The work is being carried out by a consortium of companies including IDOM Engineering, Architecture and Consulting, BBF, and Arcadis. The selected preferred option will be incorporated into the Integrated Railway Network project, under which an evaluation of the long-distance railway network will be conducted.
The Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) programme covers the construction of a new transport system that efficiently integrates air, rail, and road transport. As part of the CPK project, a new central airport will be built between Warsaw and Łódź, along with a high-speed rail network.
Share on:
