In Poland, high-speed Pendolino services were officially launched to the public in December 2014. Today, these trains operate on several key routes, including Warsaw to Gdańsk, Kraków, Katowice, and Wrocław, significantly reducing travel times between major cities.

Rail Baltica will integrate into Poland’s high-speed rail network by connecting with existing lines and enhancing the overall infrastructure. This integration will involve modernizing existing railway sections, such as the Warsaw-Ełk line, and constructing a new section from Ełk to Trakiszki to ensure seamless connectivity.

“Rail Baltica is included in two Trans-European Transport Network corridors. One of them, the North Sea-Baltic Corridor, stretches from Warsaw to Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The second, so called 3 Seas Corridor, reaches the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. In both, Warsaw serves as a key center for us, from where we will be able to travel and ship cargo through Europe with fast trains” said Vytis Žalimas, CEO of LTG Infra, Rail Baltica implementing body in Lithuania.

Fleet of 20 high-speed trains

In 2011, PKP Intercity purchased 20 ED250 Pendolino trains from Alstom. These trains are based on the proven Pendolino models that Alstom produced for Italy and Switzerland. They have a design speed of 250 km/h and an operating speed of 200 km/h.

The agreement included not only the supply of the trains but also their full maintenance for 15 years. Maintenance of these Pendolino trains is carried out by Alstom at a dedicated Pendolino maintenance depot in Warsaw.

16 trains operate daily across 34 Polish cities, covering a total distance of 21,000 km. Meanwhile, 3 trains are serviced and maintained at the depot, and one is typically undergoing repairs. Every night, the trains are cleaned, checked, and prepared for the next day’s routes.

Focus on comfort

Alstom, one of the world’s largest railway manufacturers, also installs signaling systems and provides maintenance services.

“The Pendolino depot is a dedicated maintenance facility. We are responsible for preventive maintenance every 12,000 km and comprehensive long-term maintenance of high-speed trains to ensure safety. Every day team of 160 people at the depot work on making sure Pendolino trains are ready to safely transport passengers“, said Michał Guzek, Member of the Management Board and Managing Director at Alstom Polska S.A.

PKP Intercity is currently introducing real-time travel speed displays on Polish trains. The high-speed trains also feature enclosed business or family compartments, first and second class compartments, a bistro area with seating and standing room, accessibility for people with disabilities and passengers with bicycles, Wi-Fi, and CCTV.

“Pendolino trains were built over a decade ago. When those trains started operations, a so called “Pendolino effect” was observed, with passengers choosing to travel by train for the pure comfort and excitement of travelling with Pendolino. It impacted the image of rail transport in general. Since then, passengers’ needs have evolved. Today, during the journey, they require internet connectivity and phone signal to combine travelling with work and staying online. What has not changed is the expectation of having a comfortable and pleasant journey“, said Guzek.

Rail Baltica in Poland – nearly 400 km

At the end of February, Rail Baltica representatives from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia visited Poland to meet with the railway infrastructure manager PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. The purpose of the visit was to learn about the work already completed and discuss future infrastructure upgrades.

Poland’s railway infrastructure network comprises over 18,000 km of lines, primarily on standard European gauge, including nearly 400 km of Rail Baltica. Additionally, Poland has a strategic objective to construct 2,000 km of new high-speed lines, aiming to connect all major cities to Warsaw in less than two and a half hours.

Rail Baltica is a strategic project of the LTG Group and the European Union, and the largest railway infrastructure project in the history of the Baltic States, as well as a part of Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The total length of the Rail Baltica line will reach: 392 km in Lithuania, 265 km in Latvia, 213 km in Estonia and nearly 400 km in Poland.