First location decision issued for the HSL between Warszawa and Łódź
posted on 4th Dec 2025 17:30
The construction of the high-speed line between Warszawa, the CPK Airport and Łódź is moving closer. Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) has obtained the first of the location decisions required for this section of the railway. The document, issued by the Mazovian Voivode, concerns the stretch in the vicinity of Warszawa West station.
The entire section covered by the location decision is approximately 1 km long, part of which runs in a tunnel near Warszawa West. This segment is of key importance: it will form the outbound route from Warsaw towards the CPK Airport and Łódź, where work is already underway on the long-distance tunnel. The Warszawa - Łódź route forms part of the so-called “Y” line of the High-Speed Rail network, for which CPK is responsible.
The section included in the location decision will connect directly to the track layout built by PKP PLK, which takes the current CPK investment into account.
“We have secured the first of the 12 necessary location decisions. This important stretch near Warszawa West is paving the way for further investment. We value our constructive cooperation with the Mazovian Voivode and look forward to the next location decisions, which are essential for continued progress,” - says Piotr Rachwalski, CPK Board Member for Railway Investments.
Design work for the 140-kilometre HSL section between Warszawa and Łódź is nearing completion. CPK has already submitted 8 of the 12 planned applications for location decisions. The company also holds all environmental decisions and 9 of the 14 water-law decisions. The Warszawa - Łódź section was the first included in the Railway Voluntary Acquisition Programme. CPK has already acquired over 151 plots (159 ha), with more than 95 % of eligible owners taking part.
As part of the Warszawa - Łódź HSL project, CPK plans a total of eight tender procedures: six for the main construction works and two covering traffic control systems, telecommunications and the overhead contact line.
Thanks to the construction of the Warszawa - Łódź HSL, the travel time between the two cities will fall to around 40 minutes (currently around 70). Passengers will reach the CPK Airport from Warsaw in under 20 minutes. Once the entire “Y” line is completed, journeys from Poznań to Warsaw will take just under 1 hour 40 minutes (instead of around 2 hours 20 minutes today), and the same from Warszawa to Wrocław - less than half the current travel time.
The Warszawa - Łódź section, whose design work has received EU funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF 2), is scheduled to open at the end of 2032, simultaneously with the CPK Airport. According to the timetable, the HSL sections from Łódź via Sieradz to Wrocław and Poznań should be commissioned by the end of 2035.
The Council of Ministers has allocated over 76 billion PLN for CPK railway investments by 2032 - around two-thirds of the current CPK Multinnual Programme.
CPK is a strategic investment focused on building the transport, logistics, and mobility backbone of Central Europe. By efficiently integrating air, rail, and road networks, it will transform the region’s infrastructure – removing barriers, supporting development, and better serving society. The project is crucial for Poland’s connectivity and economic growth and will be a key driver of integration across Central and Eastern Europe.
Construction of the CPK passenger terminal is scheduled to begin in 2026, with deep foundation piling. The underground railway station and tunnel are expected to be completed by 2029, and the airport will become operational by the end of 2032, alongside the first section of the high-speed line connecting Warszawa and Łódź.
