The government has announced a tender for the modernization of the Szczecin–Berlin railway line and is not sparing in its praise. Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Arkadiusz Marchewka describes it as an “investment of strategic importance.” PKP PLK promises to reduce travel time to Berlin from over three hours to 90 minutes. At the same time, another major railway project as part of the Central Communication Port (CPK), has been scaled back.
On Monday, PKP PLK launched a tender procedure for the modernization of railway lines 408 and 409 from Szczecin to the Polish-German border. The investment includes adding a second track on single-track sections, electrification, construction of two viaducts, three new stops, and the expansion of the Szczecin Gumieńce station. The works are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027 and last approximately three years.
The result? Freight trains will run at speeds of up to 120 km/h, while passenger trains will reach up to 160 km/h. The travel time of the fastest trains between Szczecin and Berlin will be reduced from 120 to 90 minutes.
The official cost of the investment has not been disclosed, but railway market experts estimate it at over PLN 1.3-1.5 billion. It appears that for the government, this project is a priority. “The modernization of the Szczecin-Berlin railway connection is an investment of strategic importance for the region and for Polish-German cooperation,” said Deputy Minister Marchewka.
Strategic, but for whom?
Faster rail is always good news, for passengers, for the region, and for trade. But it is worth comparing this enthusiasm with the same government’s approach to other railway investments that were intended to serve a much larger number of Poles.
The Central Communication Port (CPK),a project that included, among other things, a network of railway trucks connecting CPK with the entire country, has effectively been frozen by the current government. Spoke number 3, which was to connect CPK with Ostrołęka and Giżycko, thus serving the entire north-eastern Mazovia and Masuria regions, has been shelved.
In other words: a connection to Berlin – strategic. Connections to eastern Mazovia and Masuria – dispensable.
The question is: why is the same government, which can find PLN 1.5 billion for a connection to Berlin and call it a strategic investment, unable to maintain railway plans for millions of residents of eastern and north-eastern Poland?
The CPK was a project of the previous government. And that is a sufficient reason to freeze it, regardless of how many Polish regions lose out as a result, opposition politicians say.
Residents of towns and villages located along the planned CPK railway can only watch as the government boasts about reducing travel time from Szczecin to Berlin. They themselves are still waiting for high-speed rail, and, according to current plans, will continue to wait.