In the future, a train journey between Poland’s major cities will take no more than three and a half hours and a trip to Warsaw no more than 100 minutes. These are just two of the goals of the Polish government’s new industrial policy, within which the development of the national railway network is of key importance.
The Polish government has recently announced the construction of a transport infrastructure system, including the new “Central Communication Hub” (CPK) in Baranow, an airport intended to serve as a hub, integrating air, rail and road transport. By 2035, CPK plans to build the so-called “Y”, a 480-kilometre-long high-speed railway line from the capital through Lodz up to Poznan and Wroclaw, at an estimated cost of around 80 billion Polish zlotys (EUR 18.5 billion). By 2032, trains are expected to cover the Warsaw-Lodz route via Baranow in 40 minutes. The section from Warsaw to Poznan and Wroclaw are expected to take 1 hour 40 minutes, with a maximum train speed of 300-320 kilometres per hour (km/h).
The second key investment will be the Central Railway Line (CMK): 320 kilometres from Warsaw to Gdansk, which are supposed to be completed by 2040 at a cost of approximately 45-50 billion zlotys (EUR 9-11 billion). Another part of the CPK railway development projects will be defined by the end of 2025. In parallel, Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PKP) will modernise almost 14,000 kilometres of rails with EU funds, at a value of approximately 100 billion zlotys (EUR 23 billion). Looking ahead, the aim is to increase the frequency of train journeys in Poland to an average of 20 per capita per year. Currently they are nine, compared to an average of 18 in the European Union (EU).
Looking at the prospects for Poland’s industrial policy, the Industrial Development Agency (ARP), a wholly state-owned subsidiary, will play an important role. The ARP’s main task is to provide capital to companies, in which it has invested some 9.6 billion zlotys (EUR 2.2 billion). The Agency intends to focus on financing projects that banks do not want to finance. Besides investing in offshore wind farms, it will purchase – for example – photovoltaic and biogas plants, as well as participate in the reform of Silesia’s economic profile and the creation of new jobs in the industry.
Another institution that will be important in managing Poland’s economic policy is the Export Credit Agency (KUKE), which is part of the Polish Development Fund group (PFR) and specialised in commercial and investment insurance. KUKE is diversifying its portfolio and increasing its financing in Ukraine. The value of insured turnover there has increased by 60 per cent, and its share of the portfolio has risen from 1.9 to 3.8 per cent. It is also preparing projects in Africa worth 20-25 billion zlotys (EUR 4.6-5.8 billion), where the Polish share could reach 6-8 billion zlotys (EUR 1.4-1.8 billion). In Africa, KUKE focuses on politically stable markets with fast economic growth, ambitious development plans and low risk of default, such as Morocco, Senegal, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. One of the largest projects is “Shop in Poland”, under which the Agency searches for infrastructure projects around the world and matches them with the over 500 Polish manufacturers and contractors it has in its database.
