Cohesion Policy: EU invests €880 million to improve Poland's railway system
The Commission adopted two major Cohesion Policy projects, improving the Polish rail network and increasing its capacity, speed and safety. Both projects should be operational as of January 2023 and will promote railway as a clean and competitive transport mode in the country.
Johannes Hahn i, Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy, Enlargement Negotiations and Regional Policy, said: "Seamless railway connections for passengers and freight will boost territorial cohesion in Poland while ensuring better quality of air in the country in the long run. This is another Cohesion Policy success story.”
Almost €838 million to upgrade rail connections between Śląskie and Łódzkie
EU i-funded works will modernise a 214.5-km section of the railway corridor between the towns of Chorzów Batory and Zduńska Wola Karsznice, between the regions of Śląskie and Łódzkie, on the Trans-European Transport Network. This will improve services for both freight and passengers, with increased safety and better access for people with reduced mobility.
The project includes replacing the track surface and reinforcing the ground underneath it, along with the modernisation or construction of bridges and viaducts. Overall, this EU investment will reduce travel time for cargo transport by 37 minutes and by almost half an hour for interregional passengers transport.
More than €43 million to improve the country's goods transport services
This will help buy more than 930 platform wagons for transporting containers by railway. These wagons will serve 91 routes between maritime and land terminals, covering the whole Polish territory.
The aim is to shift goods transport from road to rail in order to cut carbon emissions and increase road safety by reducing the number of trucks on the roads.
Background
Poland is the biggest beneficiary of Cohesion Policy funds. Since the country joined the EU in 2004, Cohesion Policy has financed 12,200 km of new or upgraded road, access to broadband for 9.1 million people and the creation of 151,000 jobs.
In the next long-term EU budget, Poland will continue to be the biggest beneficiary of Cohesion Policy funds. The Commission is proposing to invest over 72 billion euros of Cohesion Policy to support the transformation of the Polish economy, to make it greener, more competitive and innovative. Most importantly, these EU investments will play a prominent role in further improving Polish citizens' everyday life with better infrastructures, broadband coverage, transport and energy efficiency, health services and quality of air.
More information
EU investments in Poland since 2004
The Commission's proposal for the future Cohesion Policy 2021-2027
IP/19/5969
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