Poland Map Shows Approved High-Speed Rail Routes for $8 Billion Megaproject

The Polish government has approved high-speed rail routes as part of its $8 billion megaproject near Warsaw.

The Central Communication Port, or Centralny Port Komunikacyjny in Polish, is estimated to be one of the largest construction projects in Europe and is set to connect to the Polish capital by a series of high-speed railway networks.

The approved routes would see a 150 km high-speed line constructed between Warsaw and the Central Communication Port, with another section continuing to Łódź in the southwest.

Once completed, the Central Communication Port is set to be one of the largest airports on the continent, serving more than 30 million passengers per year. It is scheduled to be completed by 2032, in a 40-square-kilometer area on the outskirts of Warsaw.

In a statement on the rail development, the project said: “The Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) is a strategic investment aimed at creating a modern national transportation system that efficiently integrates air, rail, and road transport.

“As part of the CPK Programme, a new state-of-the-art central airport will be built between Warsaw and Łódź, along with a high-speed rail network. The new airport will be designed to serve 34 million passengers annually in its initial years of operation, with plans for flexible expansion in the long term according to market needs and growth forecasts.”

Newsweek contacted the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny for more information on the construction work via email.

The new railways, which extend into the south on the “Lipno section,” are expected to reduce journeys from Płock to Warsaw from over two hours to 50 minutes, while also reducing the journey from Włocławek to the same station by an hour. The CPK airport–Lipno section would be designed for speeds of 350 kilometers an hour.

The Central Communication Port has an estimated price tag of about 30 billion euros. In June, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the high-speed rail connecting the airport to the capital would be the first part of the project to begin construction.

As reported by Railway Pro, Tusk said in a news conference: “The CPK programme will be a triple leap into modernity. Firstly, the high-speed railway, connecting Warsaw, Łódź, Poznań, and Wrocław in the first instance. Secondly, the central airport, along with the expansion of the regional airport network. Thirdly, the development of LOT Polish Airlines to become one of the leading carriers.”

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