TV Republika reports that Poland has purchased used German railcars at what the infrastructure minister described as a bargain price. “We bought them for next to nothing. Please believe me. I am a politician from the Polish People’s Party, you can trust me”, said Dariusz Klimczak, Minister of Infrastructure, when asked about PKP Intercity’s purchase of old German railcars. “A disaster”, commented Tobiasz Bocheński, an MEP from Law and Justice (PiS).
Old German Railcars to Run on Polish Tracks. Klimczak: We Bought Them for Next to Nothing
Soon, 50 used railcars purchased by PKP Intercity from Deutsche Bahn will begin operating on Polish tracks. Company authorities emphasized that the decision was not driven by cost-cutting considerations, but by necessity. They argued that this move would provide a rapid reinforcement of the fleet before new trains manufactured in Polish plants enter service.
Today, Dariusz Klimczak, Minister of Infrastructure nominated by Polish People’s Party (PSL), was asked about the purchase. The politician used the opportunity to criticize Law and Justice (PiS).
“If PiS politicians had conducted tenders effectively and purchased trains, we would not have this problem today. But they annulled tenders. There was one tender in which a consortium of two Polish manufacturers submitted a bid – Newag and Pesa. Why didn’t PiS resolve that tender? Why didn’t they buy the trains? They should be asked that. I do not want to call them incompetent or say they are incapable of doing it. Let passengers and the public judge”, he stated.
He then declared that the old railcars from Germany had been purchased at “a very low” price.
“I don’t know whether this is some kind of trade secret, but I will speak in general terms. We bought them for next to nothing. Really very… Please believe me. I am a politician from the Polish People’s Party, you can trust me. We bought these railcars for next to nothing. They are really very good”, he said.
Klimczak’s remarks were addressed in a post on X by Tobiasz Bocheński, a Member of the European Parliament from Law and Justice (PiS).
“The government bought 50 railcars from Germany, some of them 40 years old. And they are bursting with pride. A disaster”, he commented.