Poland high-speed train procurement will be handled by Port Polska.KDP. It was established within the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) group. The company will procure rolling stock for the country’s planned high-speed passenger rail services.

Poland High-Speed Train Procurement: Tenders and Leasing
Poland High-Speed Train Procurement: Tenders and Leasing

At a later stage, the rolling stock leasing company will lease the trains to operators. Those operators will serve connections between Warsaw, Łódź, and the country’s new central airport.

Meanwhile, CPK is securing financing and preparing procurement procedures for the planned train categories.

Poland high-speed train procurement and financing

The program covers train purchases and the development of maintenance facilities. Its estimated value exceeds €2.37 billion, equivalent to 10.1 billion zlotys.

Under CPK’s 2024–2032 Multi-Year Program, bond issuances will provide €408 million, or 1.74 billion zlotys. Also, equity and commercial financing instruments will provide the remaining funds.

With assistance from consulting firm EY, CPK has begun securing train and maintenance depot financing⁠. In addition, an investment memorandum has already been distributed to potential financial partners. Capital market institutions also received it.

Maciej Lasek is the government commissioner for the Centralny Port Komunikacyjny project. He said:

“Within Port Polska, we are launching Port Polska.KDP, a company that will be able to lease trains to long-distance and regional transport operators. This is an important part of our strategy, but above all a practical response to the needs of operators, whom we want to help gain access to the most modern rolling stock without the long-term costs of acquisition and maintenance,”

High-speed, Aero Express, and Regio Express plans

Port Polska.KDP will operate as a ROSCO, or Rolling Stock Operating Company. This railway leasing model is established in the United Kingdom and other Western European countries.

The company plans to acquire trains in three categories⁠. For example, high-speed units are intended for connections between major urban centers. They can operate at no less than 320 km/h.

Separately, Aero Express trains are designed for speeds of at least 200 km/h. They are intended for airport passenger transport on the Warsaw – new airport – Łódź route.

Also, Regio Express trains have speeds of at least 200 km/h. They are intended for regional and interregional services.

Piotr Rachwalski is a member of the CPK Board of Directors. He is responsible for the railway sector. He said:

“Mid-month, we sent another request for information to manufacturers of passenger rolling stock. We want to get as complete a picture of the market as possible, including from Polish manufacturers, whom I hope to see involved in the two procurement procedures we are preparing. We intend to launch tenders for both categories of trains—HSR and AEX/RE—toward the end of this year,”

The establishment of Port Polska.KDP aligns with European legislation. It anticipates Polish passenger rail market liberalization after 2030. That liberalization will follow implementation of the Fourth Railway Package⁠.

According to CPK, ROSCO-type companies can secure financing for train purchases more easily. In addition, they can obtain more favorable credit terms than railway operators.

Unlike transport operators, a rolling stock leasing company does not depend on winning operating contracts. This allows different rail operators to use the purchased trains on a permanent basis.