Port Poland: first procurement procedure for the construction of high-speed rail
posted on 1st Jan 2026 14:21
As part of the implementation of the strategic Port Polska programme, the company Centralny Port Komunikacyjny has announced on 30 December 2025 the first-ever procurement procedure in Central and Eastern Europe to be conducted under the competitive dialogue procedure for the construction of a section of high-speed line. The tender concerns a 13 km stretch of the line between Kotowice and the airport junction in the Masovia region. Contractors may submit applications to participate until 2 March 2026.
On this HSL section, which forms part of the rail “Y” network linking Warsaw, Łódź, Poznań and Wrocław, trains will be able to operate at speeds of up to 350 km/h. The geometric and technical parameters of the line will be designed for this speed, including gradients, curve radii, turnouts and a traction power supply standard new to Poland: 25 kV 50 Hz. By comparison, the fastest line in Poland at present is the Warsaw – Gdańsk route, on which scheduled trains operate at speeds of up to 200 km/h. Soon, trains on the CMK (Central Rail Line), which connects Warsaw with Kraków and Katowice, will accelerate to 250 km/h. Meanwhile, the traction power supply used in Poland today is 3 kV DC.
“The HSL section from Warsaw to Łódź is the backbone of the planned ‘Y’ line, which will ultimately also reach, among others, Sieradz, Kalisz, Wrocław and Poznań. This investment is of enormous importance for transport. According to the Passenger Transport Model, as many as 20% of long-distance rail passengers in Poland will travel on this route (at least 21 million out of 111 – 124 million passengers in 2035, according to the PTM forecast),” - says Piotr Malepszak, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure.
The procurement procedure for the construction of the first 13-kilometre section of line No. 85 between Kotowice and the airport junction has been divided into two stages. In the first stage, contractors will submit applications to participate. In the second stage, CPK, which is implementing the Port Polska investments, intends to invite a maximum of six contractors. The selected entity will be responsible both for construction works and for preparing the detailed design.
“Today’s procurement procedure is the first in Poland to concern the construction of a section of a 350 km/h high-speed line that is infrastructure designed for speeds above 250 km/h. From a transport perspective, this investment will bring Poland into the premier league of the world’s developed rail nations. This competitive dialogue is a prelude to further HSL procurement procedures planned for 2026,” - says Piotr Rachwalski, Member of the Management Board of CPK responsible for rail.
The selection criteria in the announced competitive dialogue relate to contractors’ experience in completed construction works, including experience gained within Poland. The criteria for evaluating bids will be price and an extension of the warranty period.
It should be recalled that on 22 December this year, a works contract procedure was launched for archaeological surveys along the 120-kilometre rail section between Warsaw and Łódź, with further procedures currently in preparation. Details of the procedure are available here.
In 2026, CPK plans procurement procedures for the construction of further sections of the Warsaw – Łódź HSL:
18 km from Warsaw West to Kotowice;
15 km from the Airport Junction to the Bolimów Junction;
12 km within the Bolimów Junction;
37 km from the Bolimów Junction to Brzeziny;
11 km from Brzeziny to Łódź.
In addition, in 2026 the company will launch two procedures covering traffic control systems and telecommunications, as well as the traction network and power supply for the entire Warsaw – Łódź line.
Design work for the route between Warsaw and Łódź is nearing completion. CPK has already submitted 10 of the 12 planned applications for location decisions. In December 2025, it received the first such decision for the section in the vicinity of Warsaw West.
As part of the HSL programme, the company is carrying out advanced construction works in Łódź. Construction of the Retkinia chamber for the tunnel boring machine has been completed. Works are under way on the Fabryczna chamber and on strengthening the foundations of the Łódź House of Culture (near Łódź Fabryczna station). In June 2025, a contract worth 2.2 billion PLN was signed for boring the long-distance rail tunnel, which is due to commence in the fourth quarter 2026.
The new infrastructure will deliver attractive journey times for passengers. Travel time between Warsaw and Łódź will be around 40 minutes (currently about 70 minutes). Passengers will reach the new airport from Warsaw in under 20 minutes. The Warsaw – Łódź HSL section is scheduled to open in 2032, simultaneously with the commissioning of the airport. The HSR sections from Łódź via Sieradz to Wrocław and Poznań are expected to open by the end of 2035.