CPK Poland Confirms Four Bids for 6km Rail Tunnel

WARSAW, POLAND – The company developing Poland’s Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) has received applications from four consortia to enter the competitive dialogue for the construction and design of the primary rail station and tunnel beneath the new airport. This core infrastructure project, which includes a station hall with a volume over 1.6 million cubic meters, is slated for contract awards in the first quarter of 2027. The project is a key component of Poland’s new integrated air and high-speed rail network.

What Is the Full Scope of This Project?

The procedure covers the design and construction of a high-speed rail station and an associated 6-kilometer tunnel system. The combined excavation volume for the project is approximately 5.1 million cubic meters, comprising 3.5 million for the tunnel and 1.6 million for the station hall. The station itself will feature 12 tracks and 10 platform edges, fed by six tracks from both the east (Warsaw) and west (Gdańsk, Wrocław, Łódź) approaches. The names of the four Polish-based consortia that have applied were not disclosed.

Key Project Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Projects?

The multi-year procurement timeline, with contract awards set for Q1 2027, mirrors the schedule for other European mega-projects. For instance, the UK Environment Agency’s £5.5bn Collaborative Delivery Framework (CDF2) for flood defence and coastal erosion assets also has contract signings scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, indicating a common lead time for complex, large-scale public infrastructure tenders (Source: Construction News, 2026). The station’s planned volume of 1.6 million cubic meters, noted as three times that of Warsaw Central, establishes it as a major new-build transport facility on a national scale, though specific volume comparisons to other new airport terminals like Berlin Brandenburg were not provided by the client.

Editor’s Analysis

This tender marks a critical step in translating Poland’s high-speed rail ambitions into tangible construction activity. The decision to limit bidding to local consortia in this initial phase appears to be a strategic move to cultivate domestic expertise in a highly specialized infrastructure sector. The project’s success is fundamental to CPK’s goal of functioning as an integrated multi-modal hub, directly challenging the dominance of other central and eastern European airports by leveraging high-speed rail connectivity, a strategy increasingly seen as vital for sustainable transport networks across the EU.

FAQ

Q: Which companies have applied to build the CPK rail station?
A: The names of the four Polish-based consortia that submitted applications were not disclosed by CPK in its announcement. A maximum of five bidders will be selected from the applicants to advance to the competitive dialogue stage.

Q: What is the total budget for the CPK airport rail tunnel and station?
A: The estimated value for this specific design-and-build contract has not been publicly released. The overall CPK program involves extensive investment in both airport and nationwide rail infrastructure, but individual contract values are not yet known.

Q: When will high-speed trains start running to the new CPK airport?
A: The station and tunnel are scheduled to be commissioned at the end of 2032. This opening is planned to coincide with the launch of the first high-speed rail section between Warsaw and Łódź, with further connections to Wrocław and Poznań following by 2035.