Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) has launched a tender for the construction of a 4.6-kilometre high-speed rail tunnel in the city of Łódź, Poland.
This will be the third major construction contract for the CPK rail project in Łódź, following an award at the end of 2023.
The tunnel will be excavated using a tunnel boring machine (TBM) mechanised shield with a diameter of about 14 metres. It will span approximately 4.6 kilometres in length, with two tracks located inside, allowing trains to run in both directions.
“The CPK long-distance tunnel is the key element of the so-called Y-line, the planned High Speed Rail (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 enhancing train speeds to reduce travel times between cities.”
CPK plans to open the bids for this contract at the beginning of September. Its selection will be based on price evaluation and personnel qualifications. The contractor will then have 46 months from the signing of the contract to complete the order.
Once completed, the tunnel will accommodate trains running on railway line 85 from Warsaw. The trains will enter the tunnel behind Łódź Fabryczna station, while the tunnel exit will be located south-west of Łódź Kaliska.
The route will then lead westwards towards Sieradz, prior to the fork of the Y-line towards Wrocław and Poznań.
“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.”
To date, CPK has signed two of the three major contracts relating to the city of Łódź. The first contract for the reinforcement of the Łódź Cultural Centre (ŁDK) foundations is already well advanced.
The second contract includes the construction of the Retkinia launching chamber, for which work is also underway. It also incorporates the construction of the Fabryczna receiving chamber, which will begin after the completion of work on the ŁDK.
These contracts are valued at 93 million PLN and 147 million PLN respectively.
