Polish prime minister unveiled details of CPK development
During the press conference, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the implementation of the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) Programme. The head of the government emphasized that the new central airport will be built in Baranów near Warsaw, and the first railway investment to be completed will be the so-called Y line, which will connect Warsaw, Łódź, Poznań, and Wrocław.
The conference was attended by Dariusz Klimczak, Minister of Infrastructure, Piotr Malepszak, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, and Maciej Lasek, Government Plenipotentiary for CPK.
The Prime Minister announced the construction of CPK airport along with investments in the High-Speed Rail network in Poland, which will enable travel between Warsaw and major Polish cities in under 100 minutes.
The head of the government stressed that the delay in making a decision was necessary in order to objectively evaluate the project’s status and remove the political influence left by previous administration. .Today, thanks to the revision of the previous assumptions, it meets the transport needs of the entire country. This is mainly because, in the revised project, railways will be built not to converge in Baranów but to connect all major Polish cities.
The CPK programme will be a triple leap into modernity. Firstly, the High-Speed Railway, connecting Warsaw, Łódź, Poznań, and Wrocław in the first instance. Secondly, the central airport, along with the expansion of the regional airport network. Thirdly, the development of LOT Polish Airlines to become one of the leading carriers.
The initial step in creating a modern, efficient transportation system will involve constructing the railway ‘Y’ – a rail network connecting Warsaw with Łódź, Poznań, and Wrocław. Simultaneously, modifications to the alignment of the planned railway lines will drastically reduce the number of required expropriations. Based on realistic assumptions, the airport near Warsaw, connected not only by rail but also by an extended motorway, will be – as stressed by all conference participants – Europe’s most cutting-edge airport.
The Prime Minister also announced investments in the expansion of Warsaw Chopin Airport and the modernization of regional airports, including Modlin.
The expansion of Chopin Airport is a bridging solution until the new central airport becomes operational. Investment omissions at Chopin Airport in 2018-2019 have resulted in capacity issues. It is crucial to create conditions for LOT Polish Airlines, the national carrier, to dynamically develop until 2032, the date of the CPK’s opening.
During the conference, Maciej Lasek, Government Plenipotentiary for CPK, provided information on updated and revised schedules of the investment programme. He underlined that efforts had been underway for six months to optimize it, and ensure it can be completed within a feasible timeframe.
We have made the CPK Program more realistic so that it is feasible within a realistic schedule, coordinated with railway investments, and complete, ensuring passengers can reach the new central airport without any problems,
The location decision for the airport is expected by the end of this year, and the company aims to obtain the building permit in 2026. The construction work is scheduled to be completed by 2031, with the airport launching a year later.
In the near future, we will announce a tender for the construction of the High-Speed Rail tunnel in Łódź. We will complete the tender documentation for the construction of the next sections of the HSR from Warsaw to Wrocław. In the coming days, several contracts for design and preparatory works will be signed and further tenders for the execution of design works will be announced.
CPK holds great significance for Poland and the CEE region and will be executed based on updated assumptions, with emphasis on the social aspect and good cooperation with residents, local authorities, and business partners.
The planned capacity of the central airport is 34 million passengers, and the estimated construction cost until 2032 is PLN 131 billion.
