The Central Communication Port has decided to increase the maximum speed of the projected ‘Y’ railway line, connecting Warsaw with Łódź, Poznań and Wrocław. Instead of the previously planned 250 km/h, trains are to reach up to 350 km/h. Such a change will significantly shorten travel times between major cities and create a competitive alternative to air and road transport. The new ‘Y’ line will be around 480 kilometres long.
Y” railway line to 350 km/h
The increase in speed means that it will take around 1 hour and 38 minutes to travel from Warsaw to Poznan and 1 hour and 36 minutes to Wroclaw. This is more than 40 minutes shorter than the earlier variant assuming a maximum speed of 250 km/h. According to a microsimulation model developed by CPK, trains will exceed 300 km/h on more than 80 per cent of the route from Warsaw to Poznań and about 70 per cent of the section to Wrocław. The shortest journey between the capital and Poznań is to include only two stops – at Warszawa Zachodnia and Łódź Fabryczna stations. A train stopping in five cities, including at CPK airport and in Sieradz and Kalisz, will cover the same distance in 2 hours and 19 minutes. Similar time differences apply to the route to Wrocław, where a 350 km/h train will shorten the journey by more than 40 minutes compared to a slower train.
The “Y” line as the axis of the High-Speed Rail system
The new railway line, which is about 480 kilometres long, will be realised in two branches leading to Poznań and Wrocław. It will be a key element of the High-Speed Rail programme and the investments associated with the construction of the Central Transport Port. The company stresses that it has been planning the infrastructure with top speeds in mind from the outset, and limiting it to 250 km/h would be an unjustified reduction in technical capacity. According to the Passenger Transport Model, around 80 per cent of travellers on the ‘Y’ line will travel between the main centres – Warsaw, Łódź, Poznań and Wrocław. For this reason, the offer of super-fast connections will be aimed primarily at this group of passengers. At the same time, the line will also be available for trainsets travelling at 200-300 km/h to serve medium-sized cities.
CPK construction schedule
The ‘Y’ line is part of a larger project involving the construction of a central airport between Warsaw and Łódź. The new airport is initially expected to handle around 34 million passengers a year, with the possibility of further expansion as traffic grows. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 and the first phase, covering the Warsaw-CPK-Lodz section, is scheduled for completion in 2032. The entire line to Poznań and Wrocław is expected to be operational by the end of 2035.
High-speed rail in Poland
The decision to increase the maximum speed to 350 km/h will put Poland among the countries that will fully exploit the potential of high-speed rail. The investment in the ‘Y’ line and the associated CPK infrastructure is expected to contribute to shorter travel times, increased mobility for residents and a stronger role for rail in the national transport system.
Source: CPK press materials, money.pl, nowawarszawa.pl
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