Łódź rail tunnel signalling contract for CPK tunnel

Łódź rail tunnel signalling contract work has gone to Alstom. Separately, the agreement is with Austrian contractor PORR, as reported by RailTech. The deal covers the long-distance tunnel beneath the city. It forms part of the future Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) high-speed rail network.

Łódź rail tunnel signalling contract and scope

In April last year, the state-backed CPK company selected a PORR-led consortium to build the tunnel. At the same time, Railway Supply previously covered that award. The company leads the recently renamed Port Polska project. Also, the contract was worth about €410 million. In addition, the broader package covers construction of a 4.6 km tunnel beneath central Łódź.

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Separately, Alstom will design and install the tunnel’s railway control systems, according to Alstom. Also, that work includes the signalling equipment inside the tunnel. In addition, the company will integrate the systems with surrounding infrastructure near Łódź Widzew station.

Railway line no. 85 and the Poland high-speed “Y” route

The tunnel will form part of railway line no. 85. Meanwhile, the planned high-speed “Y” route will link Warsaw, the future CPK airport and Łódź by 2032. Still, extensions towards Poznań and Wrocław are planned by 2035.

The structure will run 25 to 35 metres below the centre of Łódź. For example, it is expected to be the longest railway tunnel in Poland. It is also expected to have the largest diameter. Meanwhile, trains on the wider network are planned to run at speeds of up to 350 km/h. Inside the tunnel, the maximum speed will be 160 km/h.

Alstom and PORR on tunnel control systems in Łódź

“The design and installation of the railway traffic control system in the long-distance tunnel in Łódź is of strategic importance for the safety and reliability of the entire investment,” said Adam Juretko, Branch Director Katowice at Alstom Polska. “It is a unique project, both in terms of scale and technical requirements. In its execution, we will use the many years of experience of our Katowice team of qualified engineers in designing and implementing control systems, gained both in Poland and through international projects across Europe.”

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