A new rolling stock company, Port Polska.KDP, has been established within the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) group to oversee the procurement of trains for future high-speed, airport and regional rail services in Poland.
The company will initially be responsible for purchasing passenger trains for High-Speed Rail (HSR), Aero Express and Regio Express services. In a later phase, the trains will be leased to railway operators serving routes linked to the CPK rail network, including connections between Warsaw, Łódź and the new airport.
Tenders for the procurement of both high-speed and conventional train fleets are expected to be launched before the end of 2026.
The creation of Port Polska.KDP forms part of the wider Port Polska rail programme, which includes the development of new railway infrastructure and high-speed rail lines. The company will also be responsible for the acquisition of maintenance facilities associated with the rolling stock fleet.
The estimated value of the rolling stock and depot project is expected to exceed 10.1 billion PLN (2 billion GBP) by 2035. Under the Multiannual Programme for Centralny Port Komunikacyjny, Phase II 2024–2032, adopted in December 2024, 1.74 billion PLN of the funding is expected to come from bond issuance, with the remainder financed through a combination of equity and debt.
Port Polska.KDP will operate as a rolling stock operating company (ROSCO), a model commonly used in several European rail markets. Under this structure, trains are purchased by a leasing company and made available to passenger operators rather than being owned directly by the operators.
The company plans to acquire trains in three categories. High-speed trains capable of operating at speeds of at least 320 km/h will be used on services linking major urban centres. Aero Express trains, designed for airport-related services, will operate at speeds of at least 200 km/h and are intended for the planned Warsaw–airport–Łódź route. Regio Express trains, also capable of speeds of at least 200 km/h, will be aimed at regional and inter-regional services.
CPK issued a Request for Information to passenger train manufacturers in May as part of preparations for the procurement process. The exercise is intended to provide information on available technologies, production capacity and potential supplier participation ahead of the formal tenders.
Piotr Rachwalski of Port Polska, Member of the Management Board of Centralny Port Komunikacyjny responsible for rail said:In mid-May we sent a Request for Information (RFI) to passenger rolling stock manufacturers. We want to obtain the broadest possible picture of the market, including from Polish manufacturers, who I hope will join the two tender procedures we are preparing as part of consortia. We intend to launch tenders for both types of rolling stock – HSR and AEX/RE – towards the end of this year.
The establishment of Port Polska.KDP also reflects expected changes in Poland’s passenger rail market. Following the implementation of the European Union’s Fourth Railway Package, greater market liberalisation is anticipated after 2030. CPK argues that a dedicated rolling stock leasing company may be better positioned to secure financing for train purchases than individual operators, as it is not dependent on winning service contracts and can lease vehicles to multiple operators over time.
The leasing model is intended to support access to new rolling stock while spreading the costs of acquisition and maintenance across the life of the vehicles.
