Alstom Wins Polish Court Ruling on PLN 6.9B Train Deal

Warsaw, Poland – A Polish court on 14 July 2026 dismissed Stadler Polska’s appeal in full, validating PKP Intercity’s tender for 42 double-decker EMUs and a 30-year maintenance contract awarded to Alstom Polska. The ruling upholds the National Appeals Chamber decision and confirms no breach of fair competition or equal treatment of bidders. The signed contract is valued at PLN 6.9 billion (EUR 1.62 billion) including maintenance, with an option for 30 additional trains.

What Is the Full Scope of This Case?

The case covers Stadler Polska’s challenge to the National Appeals Chamber (KIO) ruling that rejected its bid protest against PKP Intercity’s award of a PLN 6.9 billion double-decker electric multiple unit (EMU) contract to Alstom Polska. PKP Intercity opened tenders from Alstom Polska and Stadler Polska in July 2025, evaluated the bids, and selected Alstom’s Coradia Max as the most advantageous. The KIO rejected Stadler’s appeal, enabling PKP Intercity to sign the contract on 12 November 2025. The court dismissed the subsequent appeal in full on 14 July 2026, finding no irregularities or breaches of competition and equal treatment principles. The procurement covers 42 six-car double-decker EMUs, each with over 550 seats and a maximum speed of 200 km/h, along with a 30-year maintenance contract and an option for a further 30 trains. The court’s name, the delivery schedule for the first trains, and whether Stadler Polska has further appeal options were not disclosed.

Key Case Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Cases?

Comparable court challenges to Polish rolling stock procurement of this scale were not publicly available at the time of publication. However, the case sits inside a broader national rail expansion: in early 2025, Poland’s CPK programme submitted three Connecting Europe Facility (CEF2) funding applications worth PLN 1.18 billion in total, with nearly PLN 1 billion in requested EU support, and PKP Intercity has separately launched a tender for trains capable of 320 km/h (Source: RailwayPro, 2025; Notes from Poland, 2025). That volume of procurement raises the likelihood of further bid disputes and legal scrutiny across the Polish market.

Editor’s Analysis

The dismissal closes a two-stage legal route—first KIO, then court—that PKP Intercity has now cleared twice for the same tender, reducing delivery uncertainty for Alstom’s PLN 6.9 billion order. Because CPK’s CEF2-backed projects and 320 km/h train tenders are expanding the procurement pipeline, suppliers should expect formal bid protests to become a standard risk-management checkpoint rather than an exceptional event (Source: RailwayPro, 2025; Notes from Poland, 2025). The absence of a disclosed delivery schedule leaves the operational timing of capacity relief on Poland’s busiest routes as the next key variable.

FAQ

Q: What did the Polish court decide in the Stadler Polska v PKP Intercity case?
A: On 14 July 2026, the court dismissed Stadler Polska’s appeal in full and upheld the National Appeals Chamber decision, confirming no breaches of competition or equal treatment in the tender awarded to Alstom Polska.

Q: What is the value and scope of the PKP Intercity double-decker train contract?
A: The contract covers 42 double-decker EMUs and a 30-year maintenance agreement, with an option for 30 more trains. The total value is PLN 6.9 billion (EUR 1.62 billion), comprising PLN 4.1 billion for delivery and nearly PLN 2.8 billion for maintenance.

Q: When will the new Coradia Max trains enter service?
A: PKP Intercity has not officially confirmed an entry-into-service date. The trains will be manufactured at Alstom’s Chorzów plant and are designed for speeds up to 200 km/h on Poland’s busiest domestic routes.