High-speed trains became a familiar part of transport infrastructure in Europe. On the picture: high-speed train station in Frankfurt

High-speed trains in Poland

From Warsaw to Gdansk you can get by train in 2.5 hours. 20 new high-speed trains will connect two largest Polish cities. A contract for a total 1.6 billion zloty (400 million €) was signed between French company Alstom and Polish railway operator PKP Intercity.

According to the contract Alstom commits to build for the railway of Poland 20 new superfast trains Pendolino and organize all necessary infrastructure. Thus, the journey from the capital of Poland to the Polish Baltic's main city will be reduced to 2.5 hours.

Agreement to jointly created system of superfast trains was signed by the parties in May. However, PKP Intercity had three months in order to confirm the possibility of financing the project in full range. Thus, the transaction will be financed partly by PKP Intercity thanks to a grant from the Centre of Transport of EU projects. The grant is 794 million zloty. Another 896 million Polish railway operator has received as a credit from the European Investment Bank.

It is expected that the first high-speed trains will run between Warsaw and Gdansk in 2014. In addition to the route Warsaw - Gdansk in Poland also hope to provide new high-speed routes in the areas of Warsaw - Krakow and Warsaw - Katowice. Travel time by express train in these areas will take about 1 hour. Average speed of the new express train will be approximately 220 kilometers per hour.

At present high-speed Pendolino trains you can see in the near regions of Poland - Czech Republic and Slovakia. There routes are Prague - Bratislava, Prague - Vienna, Prague - Ostrava. The pilot train of Pendolino also you can see in Russia. It runs between St. Petersburg and Helsinki.

Ilya Kalachev

Photo: Marcus Lenk

Date: 01/09/2011