CPK Completes 420-Tonne TBM Cutterhead Lift Test in Łódź

ŁÓDŹ, POLAND – CPK finalized crane load tests in the Retkinia neighborhood in early July 2026, using 500 metric tons of water-filled ballast to simulate extreme lifting conditions. The test confirmed the equipment’s ability to handle the TBM’s 420-metric-ton drill head at 110% of rated capacity, clearing the way for machine installation. TBM excavation is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2027, with the tunnel expected to reach the reception chamber near Łódź Fabryczna station in 2028.

What Is the Full Scope of This Project?

The Łódź tunnel is a 4.6 km, single-tube, twin-track high-speed rail structure forming part of the CPK “Y”-shaped line linking Warsaw with Wrocław and Poznań via the new central airport. At 14 meters in diameter, it will be the longest and widest single-tube railway tunnel ever built in Poland, accommodating speeds up to 160 km/h. The tunnel is a critical underground bypass in Łódź, eliminating the surface-level bottleneck at the Fabryczna terminus and enabling through high-speed services. CPK’s master plan envisions approximately 1,800 km of new high-speed rail lines connecting major Polish cities, with the Łódź tunnel as a central urban section. (Source: CPK Master Plan, 2019)

Key Project Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Projects?

The Łódź tunnel will be nearly three times longer than any existing operational railway tunnel in Poland—the current longest is a 1.6 km tunnel on the line to Zakopane, while the 2.2 km single-track tunnel on the E65 line is under construction. (Source: PKP PLK, 2024) For Europe-wide scale, the project remains modest alongside the 57 km Gotthard Base Tunnel or the 64 km Brenner Base Tunnel, but its 14 m internal diameter for a single-tube, twin-track high-speed bore is unusual outside Alpine crossing structures. No direct cost benchmark for the tunnel was available; however, CPK’s entire railway and airport programme is estimated at over PLN 150 billion (EUR 35 billion), according to government projections. (Source: Ministry of Infrastructure, 2024) The broader Polish investment environment supports such large-scale plans: state-controlled KGHM launched an $8.55 billion domestic investment programme in 2026, with 80% allocated to its Polish core business, signalling robust capacity for capital-intensive infrastructure. (Source: Mining.com, 2026) This climate underpins CPK’s ability to advance the Y-line segments in parallel.

Editor’s Analysis

Successful crane certification turns the distant promise of a cross-city tunnel into a tangible execution phase, removing a key equipment risk before TBM assembly later this year. The test also sends a procurement-ready signal to suppliers eyeing follow-on contracts for the CPK network, which benefits from alignment with the EU’s North Sea–Baltic Core Corridor and potential Connecting Europe Facility co-financing. (Source: European Commission, 2023) With the tunnel progressing from planning to physical works, Poland moves closer to cutting Warsaw–Wrocław intercity travel to under two hours, a benchmark that would recast national mobility patterns and strengthen rail’s modal share against air on the busiest domestic trunk route.

FAQ

Q: How will this tunnel cut travel times on the high-speed line?
A: Once the full Y-line is operational, Warsaw–Wrocław journeys are projected to drop from over 3.5 hours to about 2 hours, with trains running at up to 250 km/h on open sections and 160 km/h through the Łódź tunnel.

Q: What is the total cost of the tunnel, and when will it be fully ready for passenger service?
A: The tunnel’s individual construction cost has not been publicly disclosed. Outfitting and safety tests are scheduled through 2029, meaning revenue service could begin no earlier than 2029–2030, though CPK has not confirmed an exact date.

Q: Who is building the tunnel and what happens to Łódź Fabryczna station?
A: CPK acts as the developer, but the main construction contractors have not been named in the milestone updates. The tunnel will bypass the existing terminus at Łódź Fabryczna, converting it from a dead-end station into a through stop on the high-speed network and eliminating the operational constraint that currently forces all trains to reverse.