Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) has contracted Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne (PSE) to provide power connections for the high-speed rail line between Warsaw and Łódź, forming part of Poland’s Port Polska investment programme.
CPK and PSE will work together to connect traction substations on the route to the national transmission grid. The total value of the agreements exceeds 46 million PLN.
Power supply for the High-Speed rail Warsaw-Łódź agreement signed
© CPK
Under the arrangements, PSE will connect two traction substations serving the Warsaw–Łódź line. One substation will be located near the planned new airport and will be supplied from a 400/110 kV power substation currently being built by PSE. This facility will also provide electricity for airport operations, including the air traffic control tower, operational control centres, rescue and fire-fighting buildings, maintenance facilities and offices for airport services.
The second traction substation, located in Dmosin near Łódź, will be supplied from the 400/220/110 kV Stryków power substation. Traction substations play a central role in railway operations, as they distribute and convert electricity for use by trains.
PSE, Poland’s electricity transmission system operator, is responsible for the operation and development of the national transmission grid and cross-border interconnections, as well as infrastructure supporting the wholesale electricity market.
The Warsaw–Łódź high-speed rail line will use a 2×25 kV alternating current power supply, which is required for train operations at speeds of up to 350 km/h.
Piotr Rachwalski, Member of the Management Board of Centralny Port Komunikacyjny responsible for rail said:
Ensuring power supply is an extremely important element of the High-Speed Rail construction process. A 2×25 kV alternating current supply will allow passenger trains to reach speeds of up to 350 km/h. We are counting on continued good cooperation with PSE in the implementation of further sections of the ‘Y’ railway line, which will connect Warsaw, the new airport, Łódź, Poznań and Wrocław, setting a new standard for rail travel in Poland.
Under the division of responsibilities, PSE will build the power infrastructure required to connect the traction substations to the transmission grid, while CPK will construct the substations themselves as part of the Port Polska programme. The facilities will enable electricity to be distributed and converted to the voltage required by the railway traction system.
Railway lines developed under the programme will use two power supply standards: 3 kV direct current for conventional lines connecting to the new network, and 2×25 kV alternating current for the high-speed “Y” line. The latter standard has not previously been used in Poland.
The power supply agreements mark further progress on the Warsaw–Łódź high-speed rail project. At the end of 2025, CPK announced the first construction tender for a 13-kilometre section of the route between Kotowice, in the Brwinów municipality, and the airport junction. Further procurement procedures are planned in 2026 for five additional sections totalling 120 kilometres, while preparatory works continue for the high-speed rail tunnel excavation.
Tags
Products & Services