Vienna/Warsaw, 24 April 2017 – The modernisation of the existing railway line Nr. 354 from Poznań to Piła will reduce the travel time from its current two hours by 40 minutes. The contract for this key project was signed by PORR Polska Construction and PKP PLK S.A. on 24 April. Worth around EUR 114m (PLN 485m), the tender is the PORR’s largest so far in railway construction in Poland.
“In the last five years our Polish team has repeatedly proven their competency in railway construction. The upcoming modernisation of railway line 354 shows how much the market values our expertise”, said Karl-Heinz Strauss, CEO of PORR.
“One factor that we particularly welcome: this time it wasn’t the lowest offer price that was decisive in securing the tender. The primary reason we were chosen was the optimisation of the construction schedule and reducing track closure time. This has enabled us to keep the impact on rail operations during ongoing works to an absolute minimum, which is really important for rail users. A challenge that we are well-prepared for, thanks to our experience and the application of state-of-the-art technology and logistics”, said Siegfried Weindok, the Executive Board member of PORR Polska Construction responsible for railway construction.
142 km of track and more
The modernisation covers 142 km of track, overhauling 91 turnouts and the partial renovation of the catenary. On top of this there will be twelve bridges, four underpasses and 91 water conduits. Furthermore, 76 level crossings, 37 platforms and other buildings will be removed or newly built. The control and safety technology systems will be modernised, whereby two new electronic signal boxes will be installed.
The trains currently run at speeds of between 50 and 100 km/h; in future they will be able to travel at up to 120 km/h for passenger trains and up to 80 km/h for freight. Taken together, all of these measures will not only help to reduce travel times, but will also increase both the capacity of line Nr. 354 and passenger comfort.
Facts and figures at a glance
| Project type: | Railway construction |
| Project details: | Modernising railway line Nr. 354 Poznań Główny POD – Chodzież – Piła Główna as part of the “Wielkopolska Regional Operational Programme” for the years 2014 to 2020 |
| Order volume: | EUR 114m (PLN 485m) |
| Client: | PKP PLK S.A. |
| Construction period: | 32 months from construction start |
