CPK launches tender to build first HSR tunnel

Centralny Port Komunikacyjny has launched a tender for the construction of a 4.6-kilometre tunnel for High Speed Rail in the city of Łódź. This will be the third major construction contract for currently the most advanced CPK rail project. The other two are already underway in the centre of Łódź.

“The CPK long-distance tunnel is the key element of the so-called Y-line, the planned HSR route between Warsaw, CPK, Łódź, Wrocław and Poznań. This investment is crucial for the operations of the Polish railways and respresent a significant milestone in the realisation of the Poland in 100 minutes project. Our efforts go beyond integrating various modes of transport to establish a comprehensive transportation network in the country. We are also dedicated to modernising infrastructure and enchancing train speeds to reduce travel times between cities”, says Dariusz Klimczak, the Minister of Infrastructure.

The tunnel under the centre of Łódź, to be excavated using a TBM with a diameter of about 14 m, will span approximately 4.6 km in length. Two tracks will be located inside, allowing trains to run in both directions. “It will be the longest and largest-diameter underground railway passage constructed using this method in Poland to date. The CPK tunnel is one of the most technically demanding pieces of the Y HSR line. At the same time, it is also our most advanced project”, adds Filip Czernicki, CEO of CPK.

The CPK plans to open the bids at the beginning of September. The selection of the most advantageous bid will be based on price evaluation (70 % of the tender criteria) and personnel qualifications (30 %). The contractor will have 46 months from the signing of the contract to complete the order.

Trains running on railway line 85 (LK85) from Warsaw will enter the tunnel behind Łódź Fabryczna station. The tunnel exit will be located south-west of Łódź Kaliska, in the vicinity of the existing railway line 14 (LK14). Further on, the route will lead westwards towards Sieradz, beyond which there will be a fork of the "Y-line" - towards Wrocław and Poznań.

To date, the CPK has signed two of the three major contracts relating to the city of Łódź. The first is a contract for the reinforcement of the Łódź Cultural Centre (ŁDK) foundations, which is already well advanced. The second contract which has already been signed, includes the construction of the Retkinia launching chamber (work is already underway) and the Fabryczna receiving chamber (work will begin after the completion of work on the ŁDK).

The reinforcement of the ŁDK foundations, on the western side of the Łódź Fabryczna station, has been carried out by Keller Polska since last September. The value of this contract is over 93 million PLN net. The work is scheduled for completion by mid-2025.

The launch chamber enabling the start of excavation with a mechanised TBM shield, is being built in the vicinity of the Retkinia housing estate - south-west of Łódź Kaliska. The work is being carried out by Budimex, under a contract worth 147 million PLN net, signed with CPK in December 2023, and should be completed later this year.

The construction of the CPK long-distance tunnel is coordinated with the ongoing construction of the tunnel for regional and agglomeration traffic, led by the Polish railway infrastructure manager PKP PLK.