Koleje Dolnośląskie Delivers 100th Pesa Elf Train in Poland

WROCŁAW, POLAND – Koleje Dolnośląskie (KD), the regional rail operator serving Lower Silesia Voivodeship, placed its 100th train into revenue service in July 2025. The milestone vehicle is electric multiple unit 48WEc-064, the 37th Pesa Elf delivered under a 55-unit framework order. KD’s active fleet now consists entirely of 100 self-owned vehicles, 60 manufactured at Pesa Bydgoszcz.

What Is the Full Scope of This Development?

KD’s 100-vehicle fleet comprises a mix of diesel multiple units (DMUs) and electric multiple units (EMUs), with Pesa Bydgoszcz supplying 60 of the current 100 vehicles. Once all outstanding orders are fulfilled—55 Elf EMUs plus 10 additional DMUs—Pesa-built vehicles in the KD fleet will total 88 units. The current batch of Elf trains is funded through Poland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO). Pesa began delivering DMUs to KD in 2008 and initiated Elf EMU deliveries in 2022.

Key Development Data

How Does This Compare to Industry Trends?

KD’s fleet of 100 vehicles places it among the larger Polish voivodeship-level operators, though it remains smaller than Koleje Mazowieckie, which operated approximately 320 EMUs as of 2024 (Source: Koleje Mazowieckie, 2024). The 85% EU co-financing rate for KD’s Pesa orders exceeds the standard maximum of 70–80% available under the 2014–2020 EU Cohesion Fund for rail projects in less-developed regions, a rate achievable only through overlapping national and EU grant instruments. Poland’s parallel CPK high-speed rail programme—combining a new international airport hub with nationwide high-speed lines—reflects a separate but complementary investment track, with procurement for airport power supply systems already launched in 2025. Pesa’s daily production rate of one passenger vehicle at Bydgoszcz aligns with the manufacturer’s reported annual order book of approximately EUR 1 billion across markets including Romania, the Czech Republic, and domestic tram contracts.

Editor’s Analysis

KD’s 100th-train milestone signals the maturation of Poland’s post-2008 regional rail procurement model, in which EU structural funds effectively underwrite fleet replacement for voivodeship operators. The concentration of 88 of 100 vehicles with a single domestic manufacturer—Pesa—creates supply-chain dependency but also entrenches local industrial capability at a scale that has enabled Pesa to compete for export contracts in Central Europe. The undisclosed delivery timeline for the remaining 28 vehicles introduces a scheduling risk, particularly as Pesa simultaneously executes orders for Romanian, Czech, and domestic tram clients. Poland’s evolving dual-track strategy—EU-funded regional fleet upgrades alongside nationally driven CPK high-speed infrastructure—positions Lower Silesia as a beneficiary of both funding streams, though coordination between voivodeship procurement cycles and central-government infrastructure timelines remains an open question.

FAQ

Q: How many Elf EMUs will Koleje Dolnośląskie operate once all orders are complete?
A: KD will operate 55 Pesa Elf EMUs, the largest single fleet of Elf trains in Poland. The remaining 18 units from this order are still in production at Pesa Bydgoszcz.

Q: What share of the PLN 2 billion fleet investment is covered by EU funds?
A: EU grants cover up to 85% of vehicle value, with the current Elf batch financed through Poland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO). The exact co-financing breakdown for earlier DMU orders was not disclosed in the operator’s announcement.

Q: Which manufacturer supplied the 40 non-Pesa vehicles in KD’s fleet?
A: The manufacturer of the 40 vehicles not produced by Pesa Bydgoszcz was not identified in the official milestone announcement. This detail has not been independently confirmed.