PKP Intercity high-speed train tender sets 320 km/h plans

Poland’s PKP Intercity high-speed train tender has opened a procurement process for 20 trainsets designed for operation at up to 320 km/h, as previously covered by Railway Supply. PKP Intercity high-speed train tender: timeline and routes The procedure also includes an option to buy a further 35 high-speed trains and covers maintenance services, along with the development of a technical maintenance facility to support the new fleet. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply. To take part, bidders must show experience delivering trains capable of at least 250 km/h. Before the tender was launched, PKP Intercity ran a market analysis phase and held discussions with nine rolling stock manufacturers, including Polish companies. The operator says those manufacturers plan to participate in consortia with partners that can meet the required high-speed delivery track record. PKP Intercity has also set out a timetable intended to give suppliers time to prepare solutions and form consortia. As reported by Railway Pro, applications for qualification to participate are due by the end of April 2026, a longer stage than in previous rolling stock procedures. Bid submission is planned for May 2027, and the contract award is scheduled for August 2027. PKP Intercity high-speed train tender: specs and onboard offer According to PKP Intercity, the new trains will be adapted for speeds of up to 320 km/h, with each train around 200 meters long. The onboard layout is expected to include two travel classes, bar or restaurant areas, solutions for people with disabilities, and facilities for families with children. Additional innovations that can further increase functionality and comfort are also set to be discussed during the competitive dialogue. “Y” line services and cross-border approvals In domestic operation, the firm order is planned for the new “Y” line, which is being designed for speeds of over 320 km/h. The corridor is intended to link Warsaw, Łódź, and Wrocław with hourly services, and to connect Warsaw, Poznań, and Szczecin every two hours. PKP Intercity also expects the new rolling stock to run every two hours between Warsaw and Berlin via Łódź and Poznań. Don’t miss…BNSF flood restoration work restores washed-out lines in Washington If the option for 35 additional high-speed trains is exercised, the operator anticipates higher frequencies on the Warsaw–Łódź–Poznań–Szczecin and Warsaw–Łódź–Poznań–Berlin routes, with hourly services. On the Warsaw–Łódź–Wrocław route, services are estimated to run every half hour. PKP Intercity has also said the new trains may enter service on a new line on the Warsaw–Płock–Grudziądz–Gdańsk–Gdynia route, which could strengthen fast connections between Warsaw and the Trójmiasto area on new infrastructure. For international operation, the high-speed fleet will need approval not only in Poland, but also in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria. PKP Intercity presents the “Y” line routes as a base that, once developed, could enable fast travel on trains running at over 350 km/h to major European cities. This includes the connection to Berlin, as well as links such as Warsaw–Prague and Warsaw–Leipzig via Łódź and Wrocław. The operator notes that in October it began testing a Pendolino train on the Czech rail network as part of a broader interoperability assessment. The results are expected to help ensure uninterrupted movement of high-speed trains between the two countries, which have different national systems. CPK project scope and PKP Intercity rolling stock renewal The “Y” line sits within the wider CPK project, which aims to build 1,790 km of high-speed lines across 12 routes and modernize and adapt other lines to provide fast connections between major cities and Warsaw. Under the program, the “Y” line is the main component of the Warsaw–Łódź–Poznań–Wrocław route and includes a 4.6 km tunnel in Łódź. The Warsaw–Łódź section is scheduled to become operational in 2032, when CPK Airport is also planned to launch; these milestones are also outlined by Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK). The “Y” line is expected to be 480 km long and fully operational by 2035, contributing to the “Poland in 100 minutes” program. Alongside the high-speed tender, PKP Intercity continues renewing its rolling stock. One major procurement covered 42 electric multiple units under a EUR 1.6 billion contract with Alstom, including an option for 30 more multiple units. The operator describes that tender as historic and says the trains will also be adapted to operate in the Czech Republic. The operator is also modernizing its fleet to introduce more units capable of speeds of over 200 km/h. In July, it introduced the EIC Jantar and EIC Posejdon services using carriages and a Griffin locomotive manufactured by Newag. PKP Intercity says these were the first conventional locomotive-hauled trains to reach 200 km/h in regular service. Both include restaurant cars and entered service on the Warsaw–Gdańsk corridor, which was initially served by Pendolino trains—Poland’s only high-speed trains, put into operation in 2014. PKP Intercity has said it is investing heavily in fleet renewal, announcing in 2024 that contracts worth almost EUR 4 billion had been signed and were underway with domestic manufacturers. In April 2025, the company reported taking delivery of 148 carriages and 29 Griffin EU160 electric locomotives, and said it had completed three of seven rolling stock investment projects. European funds play an essential role in these programs. PKP Intercity reported receiving European funding of over EUR 1.25 billion for new and modernized rolling stock, with the total value of projects implemented with European funds exceeding EUR 2.6 billion under the operational programs for 2007–2014 and 2014–2020. In 2024, it also signed a EUR 500 million financing contract through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO) for the purchase of 57 locomotives and the modernization of existing carriages for interregional routes. Along with purchasing new trains, carriages, and locomotives, PKP Intercity says it is modernizing its existing fleet and has planned investments of over EUR 765.5 million to modernize and adapt facilities serving the rolling stock fleet.