CPK launches second HSR tender on Warsaw–Łódź line
POLAND: CPK has launched its second optimise-and-build tender for Poland’s planned high-speed rail network, part of the country’s flagship infrastructure programme combining a new central airport with a high-speed rail connection west of Warsaw.
The procurement, announced 24 April, covers a 14.3 km section between the Airport Junction and Bolimów on Line 85, the Warsaw–Łódź corridor, and will run as a competitive dialogue with expressions of interest due by 12 June.
Four further tenders are planned for the full Warsaw–Łódź route, which is scheduled to open in 2032 alongside the new airport.
Second tender follows strong first-round interest
The section runs west from the airport hub toward Bolimów under an optimise-and-build model, under which a single contractor takes responsibility for detailed design and construction.
The first tender — covering the Kotowice–Airport section — attracted six consortia, indicating strong market interest in the programme.
CPK plans five tenders in total for the Warsaw–Łódź corridor, with the wider Y-network extending to Poznań and Wrocław planned for completion by 2035.
Line 85 is designed for 350 km/h operation on 25 kV AC infrastructure — a new traction standard for Poland, which currently runs on 3 kV DC nationwide. The line will be the first high-speed railway in Central and Eastern Europe built to that specification.