What happened at CPK in 2024?
The past year has been a milestone period for Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), marked by significant achievements in its mission to build a state-of-the-art transport hub combining an international airport and a high-speed rail network. Over the course of 2024, the company announced approximately 60 procurement processes worth over PLN 8.3 billion, signed dozens of critical contracts, and concluded the year with a pivotal development: on 31 December, the Polish government adopted the Multiannual CPK Programme, securing over PLN 131 billion in funding for the project through 2032.
Key highlights of 2024
One of the most notable achievements was the unveiling of the detailed construction designs for the CPK airport terminal, railway station, and transport hub. These designs, developed by the Foster and Partners and Buro Happold consortium alongside 30 other design firms, included 6,250 technical drawings and over 50 comprehensive reports. In total, 500 experts contributed to the project, ensuring the highest standards of quality and innovation. The airport will initially accommodate 34 million passengers annually, with provisions for future expansion.
Land acquisition efforts under the Voluntary Acquisition Programme made record progress. By the end of the year, over 1,800 plots, covering more than 1,700 hectares, had been secured—representing the majority of the land needed for the airport’s first phase. Advanced negotiations are underway for an additional 300 hectares. Notably, no residents were expropriated during this process. The company also facilitated relocations and organized the demolition of structures on acquired land.
In the aviation sector, CPK selected Polish Airports State Enterprise (PPL) as a minority investor in the airport project. PPL, which manages Warsaw Chopin Airport, will contribute its expertise to the development of the new central airport.
CPK also signed contracts to design key support infrastructure. These include agreements with a consortium of Polish firms to design the Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC), part of the Support Infrastructure Engineering (SIE) programme, which includes facilities such as the air traffic control tower and emergency services buildings.
Additionally, CPK signed a contract with Spain’s INECO for technical advisory services on the design and construction of the high-speed rail (HSR) network. A separate agreement with HPC POLGEOL was secured for land and groundwater surveys in the area designated for the airport terminal and railway station.
Advancing High-Speed rail projects
The construction of Poland’s first high-speed rail line also saw major progress. Preparations for the 4.6-kilometre HSR tunnel in Łódź—the longest railway tunnel in Poland—are underway, with contractors for the project being selected. The investment, estimated at PLN 2.8 billion, includes advanced preparatory work such as the construction of a launch chamber at Retkinia and foundation reinforcements at the Łódzki Dom Kultury.
The design of the “Y Line,” which will connect Warsaw, Łódź, Wrocław, and Poznań over 480 km, is progressing rapidly. This line will accommodate train speeds of up to 320 km/h.
Meanwhile, other key rail segments are advancing. In 2024, the government’s plenipotentiary for CPK, Maciej Lasek, approved investment variants for railway sections including CPK–Płock–Włocławek and Ostrołęka–Łomża–Pisz–Giżycko. A series of public consultations for other planned routes, such as the CMK North line (Grochowalsk–Grudziądz–Gdańsk), engaged over 3,000 participants across 33 meetings.
The European Union continued its strong support for CPK’s railway projects, awarding PLN 162 million under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme for the design of a 155-kilometre railway segment between Sieradz and Poznań. This brings total EU funding for CPK’s railway investments to over PLN 500 million.
Looking ahead
To ensure seamless connectivity to the new airport and railway station, CPK is also investing in road infrastructure. A major tender was announced in autumn for the design and construction of 90 km of new and upgraded roads around the airport, including critical junctions such as the Baranów interchange and the CPK East junction.
In 2024, CPK made unparalleled strides in creating a modern, integrated transport system. With the airport, high-speed rail, and road networks progressing simultaneously, this landmark investment promises to transform Poland’s connectivity, boost its economy, and position the country as a leader in transportation infrastructure.
