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PKP Intercity has expanded its fleet renewal program

18 January 2022
Reading time ~ 3 min
Stadler Flirt EMU manufactured in 2015 in the PKP Intercity fleet
Stadler Flirt EMU manufactured in 2015 in the PKP Intercity fleet. Source: Stadler Rail
Belov Sergey, Editor-in-Chief, ROLLINGSTOCK Agency
Reading time ~ 3 min
Litvintsova Olga, Editor of International Projects, ROLLINGSTOCK Agency

Poland: The state-owned passenger operator has updated its long-term development plan, presented last January, with a 37% increase in plans to invest in rolling stock and build a depot.

As part of the updated program, PKP Intercity intends to allocate 24.5 bln PLN ($6.2 bln) to the renewal of its fleet by 2030 and invest 2.6 bln ($656.8 mln) in the creation of a depot with a lower environmental impact.

As previously announced, at the beginning of 2021, 38 double-deck push-pull coaches and 16 hybrid locomotives (traction from catenary for 160 km/h maximum speed and diesel for 120 km/h) are still expected to be purchased.

The rest of the plan was expanded. Thus, it is proposed to purchase 207 electric locomotives (+97.1% compared to the plan for 2021), 35 hybrid trains for speeds up to 160 km/h (+75%), 926 passenger coaches for a speed of 200 km/h (+85.2%) and modernize about 1.5 thsd (+197.8%). Also it was added to plans to obtain 35 EMUs and modernize other 54 trains, purchase 28 shunting locomotives, refurbish 13 shunting diesel locomotives and 87 electric locomotives.

Pesa 43WE EMU manufactured in 2015 on the Lublin-Warsaw-Katowice line Pesa 43WE EMU manufactured in 2015 on the Lublin-Warsaw-Katowice line. Source: finnmoller.dk

As a result of the program implementation, by 2030 PKP Intercity expects to own a fleet of 429 locomotives (+11% to the current fleet) and 109 electric trains (+47%). It is expected that by this time the annual passenger traffic of the operator will grow to more than 88 mln people, and the average traffic speed will increase from 120-160 km/h to 160-250 km/h.

Tenders have already been announced for the part of that rolling stock. So, in July 2021, a tender was placed for the supply of 38 double-deck push-pull coaches and 45 electric locomotives, € 482.5 mln was allocated in the budget for the purchase of this rolling stock. The supplier should be determined in the first quarter this year. Also in early January this year, PKP Intercity placed a tender for the supply of 16 hybrid locomotives. Participants can submit their proposals until mid-February. The supply of rolling stock must be completed within four years after signing the contract.

In addition, at the end of December 2021, the European Investment Bank (EIB) provided PKP Intercity with the largest ever loan in the railway sector in the amount of $489.3 mln. This loan should go for the procurement of 108 electric locomotives, 300 passenger coaches, 266 double-deck coaches as well as the modernization of 14 EMUs and 288 passenger coaches by 2028.