The Poznan Główny to Szczecin Dąbie section of the E59 railway line in Poland is being modernised by Polish national railway infrastructure manager PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe (PKP PLK).
The 195km-long Poznan-Szczecin section is a part of the Baltic-Adriatic rail corridor, which passes through Swinoujscie, Szczecin, Poznan, Wroclaw, Opole and Chalupki in Poland. The E59 railway line runs from north to south in western Poland.
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The modernisation of the line will involve five sections, namely Poznan Glowny-Rokietnica, Rokietnica-Wronki, Slonice-Choszczno, Choszczno-Stargard and Stargard-Szczecin Dabie.
The project is expected to eliminate a 118.7km-long bottleneck on the sections from Poznan Glowny to Wronki and Slonice to Szczecin Dabie while improving line capacity and service quality. It will also improve signalling systems of the line.
The total estimated cost for the modernisation of E59 Poznan-Szczecin rail line is approximately zl4bn ($1.03bn). Preliminary works on the project started in 2017 and the project is anticipated to be completed in 2022.
Details of E59 Poznan-Szczecin line modernisation
Works on the Poznan Glowny-Rokietnica section will include the reconstruction of two railway stations (Kiekrz and Rokietnica), Pamiatkowo station, six platforms and four rail-road viaducts.
It will also involve the modernisation of seven railway crossings and construction of three new passages (Poznan ul Buzanska, Kiekrz and Rokietnica) beneath the tracks.
The section between Rokietnica and Wronki will witness the reconstruction of three railway stations (Szamotuly, Peckowo, and Wronki), ten platforms, two viaducts, tracks and catenary over a length of approximately 76km.
The project will further undertake the upgrade of 19 crossings and construction of two underground passages (Szamotuly and Wronki) and 15 animal crossings in the Rokietnica-Wronki section.
The Slonice-Choszczno section will include the construction of a passage under the tracks at the Choszczno station, renovation of five railway crossings and conversion of three engineering facilities to animal crossing facilities.
It will also involve the reconstruction of the Choszczno railway station and the Stary Klukom station, four platforms, tracks and an overhead line for a stretch of approximately 23km.
The Choszczno-Stargard section will involve the reconstruction of two railway stations (Dolice and Kolin) and four stops (Ziemomysl, Morzyca, Strzebielowo Pyrzyckie and Witkowo Pyrzyckie), 12 platforms and 60km-long tracks and catenary.
The section will also witness the renovation of ten rail-road crossings and development of 21 animal crossings.
The Stargard-Szczecin Dabie section will include the reconstruction of two railway stations (Stargard and Reptowo) and three stops (Grzedzice, Miedwiecko and Szczecin Zdunowo), 11 platforms and 24km-long tracks and traction network.
It will also involve improvements to six railway crossings and modification of engineering facilities to animal crossings.
The project also covers the upgrade of the telecommunications network and devices used for railway traffic control. A local control centre will be built in Stargard, while the current control centre in Poznań is planned to undergo extension. Enhancements to the platforms will include better access, improved lighting, and a passenger information system. The changes will adapt the platforms to meet the requirements of people with vision and mobility problems.
As part of the upgrade, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe is also constructing a railway bridge over the Warta in Wronki.
Benefits of E59 Poznan-Szczecin line modernisation
The renovation project will enhance mobility among European countries and allow the railway line to meet European standards.
The modernisation of the E59 Poznan-Szczecin rail line will improve cross-border cooperation among the countries in goods transportation.
It is also expected to boost the usage of railways for public transport and mobility of goods in the western part of Poland.
The project will improve connectivity between southern and central Europe to Szczecin and Świnoujście seaports. It will also increase safety on the Slonice-Szczecin and Poznan Glowny-Wronki railway sections.
The travel time between the capital of Greater Poland and West Pomerania is expected to decrease by 50 minutes upon completion of the project.
The project will enable passenger trains to achieve speeds of up to 160km/h and freight trains up to 120km/h.
Financing
The European Union is co-financing the E59 Poznan Glowny-Szczecin Dabie railway line modernisation project with approximately zl1.8bn through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
The European Investment Bank (EIB) signed loan agreements worth €400m ($446.36m) with PLK Polskie Linie Kolejowe to support the project in 2019.
Contractors involved
PKP PLK and AZD Praha signed three contracts for modernising signalling and communication equipment on three different sections, including Poznan-Wronki line, Slonice-Szczecin Dabie line and Wronki-Slonice line.
The first contract was awarded in September 2018 while the second and third contracts were placed in January 2019 and February 2020 respectively.
The first two contracts will be completed by the end of 2020 while the third contract is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
Austrian firm Strabag won two contracts to upgrade the Wronki-Krzyz and Dobiegniew-Slonice sections in January 2020. They include the reconstruction of double-track lines, modernisation of stations and construction of new bridges, viaducts, railway crossings and a subway.
Porr received a zl374m ($96.78m) contract for modernising the Krzyz-Dobiegniew segment of E59 Poznan Glowny-Szczecin Dabie rail line, in January 2020. The completion of the section is slated for the fourth quarter of 2022.
In July 2019, a contract was awarded to Colas Rail Polska to upgrade the E59 line between Slonice and Choszczno.
