The largest PKP Intercity railcar fleet contract was awarded to H. Cegielski – Fabryka Pojazdów Szynowych following a tender launched in November 2022. Newag also submitted its bid for this tender, but H. Cegielski – Fabryka Pojazdów Szynowych offered the lowest price for all seven tasks and requirements included in the tender.
The contract covers the supply of 300 carriages including options for an additional 150 vehicles.
This is the largest rolling stock tender in the carrier’s history in terms of the number of vehicles. H. Cegielski – Fabryka Pojazdów Szynowych will be responsible for the implementation of the project worth PLN 4.2 billion (EUR 982 million). If the options are exercised, PLN 6.35 billion (EUR 1.47 billion) is the total value of the contract.
If the option is exercised, which will extend the order to a total of 450 railcars, each of the rolling stock categories will be expanded by additional units, from 13 to 40 units.The new wagons will be designed for speeds of 200 km/h.
This contract is the result of the “largest tender in the company’s history in terms of the number of vehicles. Thanks to the implementation of this order, in 2028 we will have at least 300 carriages of various types, designed in a new design, which will allow us to offer passengers a new standard of travel and encourage even more people to use long-distance journeys,” Jarosław Oniszczuk, the member of the management board of PKP Intercity, said.
The PKP Intercity railcar fleet will consist of first- and second – class coaches of six various types and includes:
- 38 first – class compartment carriages with a separated non-compartment section;
- 40 second – class compartment carriages;
- 80 second – class non-compartment carriages with places for people with disabilities;
- 38 second – class compartment carriages with seats for people with disabilities;
- 40 second – class non-compartment coaches with places to transport bicycles;
- 38 restaurant cars designed to offer a more intimate interior;
- 26 day and night carriages that will provide comfortable journeys at night.
“The new carriages will be used to service trains running over medium distance, one of three new categories of connections that PKP Intercity plans to launch by 2030.Medium-distance trains will connect major agglomerations, stopping in smaller centers, and will also run abroad,” said Tomasz Gontarz, the vice-president of the management board of PKP Intercity.
The wagons will be homologated to operate on the rail network of six European countries such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia. Ultimately, after obtaining approval, the new vehicles will be able to serve the following routes:
Warsaw – Poznań – Berlin;
Warsaw – Poznań – Szczecin;
Warsaw – Katowice – Bohumin;
Przemyśl – Kraków – Katowice – Wrocław – Berlin;
Przemyśl – Kraków – Katowice – Wrocław – Szczecin;
Gdynia – Poznań – Wrocław – Prague or Kraków/Wrocław – Bohumin;
The acquired railcars will introduce new standards and set innovative directions for rolling stock design in Poland, as they were designed in accordance with a new approach to design. The innovative approach concerns both visual and technical issues.
The prepared design of new vehicles is a package of stylistic and functional solutions that will become a repeatable, intuitive, and characteristic standard of PKP Intercity.
The new coaches will introduce new quality in terms of the materials used and new colors. Trains will have cozier and more comfortable interiors with atmospheric lighting.
They will also be equipped with amenities that are already becoming standard on PKP Intercity trains. Passengers will benefit from Wi-Fi, individual lighting system, electrical sockets and USB. A comfortable journey will also be ensured by air conditioning and a passenger information system displayed on lightboards.
To ensure the safety of passengers, a fire detection system covering the entire carriages and video monitoring will be installed. The new design also includes new interior configuration solutions. Carriages of both classes will gain additional space for luggage, located under the seats, which will be more comfortable. An innovative solution will be a space intended for parents travelling with children, which will combine the passenger area with a safe play space, which will allow for comfortable traveling with children.
First-class seats will gain a new and consistent standard, which will include carriages with and without compartments, and inside, in addition to standard amenities, there will be novelties such as inductive chargers.
The restaurant cars will also change, gaining a more intimate and atmospheric interior.
In 2023, PKP Intercity has transported 68 million passengers, compared to 59 million in 2022, “which is the best result in the company’s history,” due to “multi-billion investments in rolling stock, thanks to which travel comfort is systematically improved. The past year also saw the development of the offer and remote sales channels,” the company says.
“This is an increase of over 15% year-on-year. It is worth adding that in each month of 2023, a record number of passengers boarded PKP Intercity trains. For 2024, the carrier forecasts that the number of passengers who will use PKP Intercity services will exceed 70 million. An increase of several percent year-on-year is an excellent result, considering that we managed to break the previously unattained barrier of 60 million passengers,” said Marek Chraniuk, the President of the Management Board of the PKP Intercity.
According to the company’s estimations, in 2030 its railway services will be used annually by 88 million passengers.
In 2023, PKP Intercity trains stopped in 411 towns at 465 stations. Increasing access to railways translates into lower CO2 emissions into the environment. By choosing the railway transport, passengers saved 1.67 million tonnes of CO2 in 2023.
The plans to renew PKP Intercity railcar fleet will result in more fast and comfortable services, while reducing CO2 emissions.
Rolling stock renewal programme
In 2023, PKP Intercity signed contracts for the modernisation and purchase of new rolling stock with a total value of over PLN 1.96 billion (EUR 454 million). Since the beginning of the implementation of projects to modernise and purchase new rolling stock, PKP Intercity signed contracts worth PLN 8.5 billion (EUR 1.97 billion). As a result of the investment, every year more and more connections are served by trains with a higher IC standard.In the latest annual timetable, their number increased from 274 to 303.
“Rolling stock investments completed in 2023 were a big challenge, but the vision of long-term changes in the quality of our services turned out to be effective. All the agreements we signed and implemented had a clear purpose. Improving travel conditions. We are happy and it fills us with pride that PKP Intercity also has the opportunity to implement its investment plans together with Polish producers,” Jarosław Oniszczuk, member of the management board of PKP Intercity, explained.
As part of the strategy, PKP Intercity concluded most of the contracts with Polish rolling stock manufacturers. One of them is Newag with which the company signed a contract worth PLN 1.17 billion (EUR 271 million) in December for the purchase of 46 single-system electric locomotives. In March 2023, a PLN 500 million (EUR 115.8 million) contract was signed for the purchase of 20 Griffin electric locomotives. The implementation of both contracts will result in a total of 96 modern locomotives from this manufacturer in the carrier’s rolling stock. In addition, in January 2024, PKP Intercity and Newag signed a contract for the supply of 63 electric multi-system locomotives with the option to order an additional 32 vehicles and the provision of a 5-year maintenance service. PLN 2.3 billion (EUR 532.8 million) is the value of this contract, and if the option is exercised PLN 3.5 billion (EUR 810.8 million) is the total value of the contract. The agreement provides for the possibility of exercising the option right and ordering additional 32 locomotives of this series by PKP Intercity. Then the value of the order would increase to almost PLN 3.5 billion gross. Delivery time for additional vehicles remains the same as in the original order. The first two locomotives will be handed over to the rail operator within the next two years and the contract will be fulfilled within 60 months from the date of signing.
30 EU160 Griffin series locomotives manufactured by Newag have already been delivered to PKP Intercity, where the company exercised the option for 30 vehicles.Orders are also being fulfilled with Newag for 20 electric locomotives of the EU160 Griffin series, of which 3 were received by the carrier in December 2023, 15 multi-system locomotives and 46 single-system electric locomotives. Pesa also produces 16 new electric-diesel locomotives for PKP Intercity.
Another Polish manufacturer with which the national carrier cooperates is the Poznań-based company H. Cegielski Fabryka Pojazdów Szynowych. In October 2023, PKP Intercity signed a contract worth over PLN 200 million (EUR 46.3 million) for the repair of 32 carriages. At the end of 2023, the companies signed another contract, this time for the periodic repair of 50 railcars, which after completion will be multi-functional Combo vehicles. The value of the entire contract is PLN 461 million (EUR 106.8 million).
The PKP Intercity railcar fleet renewal programme, which will be completed in 2030, establishes a new standard under which the rail vehicles will be able to run at speeds from 160 km/h to up to 200 km/h.
In the last few years, the Polish long-distance operator ordered 127 electric single-, multi-system or dual-drive locomotives (including option rights) and with this latest contract signed with Newag, the number of locomotives reaches 190. The value of all locomotive orders, including options, is PLN 5.5 billion (EUR 1.27 billion). The value of all contracted PKP Intercity investments is currently almost PLN 11 billion (EUR 2.54 billion).
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