CPK Opens Tender for Warsaw-Łódź HSR with 19 Bidders

WARSAW – CPK, the company responsible for Poland’s new transport hub, confirmed that 19 companies and consortia submitted participation requests for the competitive dialogue on the 14.3 km high-speed rail section connecting Airport Junction to Bolimów Junction. The line is designed for speeds of up to 350 km/h and will form the initial segment of the Y-shaped corridor linking Warsaw with Łódź, Poznań and Wrocław. CPK will now select up to five contractors for the dialogue stage based on experience in rail infrastructure projects.

What Does This Contract Cover?

The successful contractor will prepare full technical documentation and build all infrastructure for a 14.3 km high-speed railway capable of 350 km/h operation. The scope includes 55 road and rail bridges and viaducts, wildlife crossings, drainage culverts, and the construction or upgrade of 30 km of roads. This work package is one of six procurement procedures for the entire Warsaw–Łódź high-speed line, with two currently in the competitive dialogue phase. Total contract value was not disclosed by CPK.

Key Contract Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Contracts?

Comparable tender data for high-speed rail construction sections of similar length in Central Europe was not publicly available at time of publication. Separate tenders for signalling, telecoms and electrification on the same corridor are also using competitive dialogue, with CPK indicating that experience from these procedures will allow remaining construction contracts to be launched via open tenders. By comparison, the Rail Baltica project has progressed multiple civil works contracts for sections of comparable scale in Lithuania and Latvia, though exact contract values and bidding pools differ (Source: Rail Baltica public procurement data, 2024).

Editor’s Analysis

The competitive dialogue approach for Poland’s debut high‑speed line reflects a strategy to de‑risk technically complex sections before moving the rest of the Y‑shaped corridor to open tender. While the construction procurement advances, separate tenders launched for signalling, traffic control and telecoms on Line 85 and Line 86 signal that CPK is targeting a fully integrated, future‑ready network. Market projections for Poland’s railway signalling sector point to adoption of FRMCS and 5G‑based communication platforms by 2025 (Source: Developing Telecoms, 2025), which could be incorporated into these contracts. Parallel rolling stock investments in the region, including GYSEV’s order for InterCity EMUs scheduled for delivery by 2027‑2028, indicate that both infrastructure and traction modernisation are accelerating simultaneously across Central Europe. CPK’s timeline remains ambitious; however, the phased procurement structure gives the programme a clear path toward the 2032 target.

FAQ

Q: When will the Warsaw–Łódź high-speed line be operational?
A: The section is scheduled to open in 2032, with the extensions to Poznań and Wrocław planned for 2035.

Q: What exactly is included in this 14.3 km contract?
A: The contract covers complete design documentation, construction of track for speeds of up to 350 km/h, 55 bridges and viaducts, wildlife crossings, drainage culverts and 30 km of new or upgraded roads.

Q: Which companies have applied for the tender?
A: CPK has not publicly released the full list of 19 entities; eight bidders (including six consortia) were selected for the dialogue stage, but their names have not been disclosed by the authority.