Potencjał i perspektywy rozwoju infrastruktury transportu kolejowego w Polsce w ujęciu przestrzennym
Authors: Bocheński Tadeusz 
Published: December 2024

Potential and perspectives for the development of rail transport infrastructure in Poland in spatial terms
The subject of consideration in this monograph is the condition of the railway infrastructure (potential) and plans for its development (perspectives) in Poland in the context of linking the existing and planned railway network with the settlement network. Among other things, plans for railway investments within the rail component of the Central Transport Port (CPK), the Rail+ programme (Kolej+), plans of the national infrastructure manager &ndash; PKP PLK and local governments were analysed, with a particular focus on those concerning the construction of new or reconstruction of previously decommissioned lines. The impact of these investments on improving the access of cities and municipalities to rail transport and connections between cities was examined. The situation in 2020 was taken as a base point, taking into account investments completed between 2021 and 2023. Plans for the development of rail transport up to 2040 were analysed.
The aims of the research presented in this monograph were: 1) to assess the current condition of the railway infrastructure and plans for its expansion in the context of providing access to rail transport for cities and communes and improving connections between cities, and 2) to identify measures to: provide access to rail transport for as many inhabitants as possible and to reconcile the needs of freight and passenger transport.
In 2020, the length of active railway lines in Poland was 19,883 km, which translated into a density of 6.2 km/100 square km. Railway infrastructure used for passenger traffic (an active passenger station) was located in 1114 (45.0%) communes with a total population of 27.7 million people, representing 72.5% of Poland&rsquo;s population. On the other hand, traffic stations where goods trains could potentially be operated were located in 1017 communes (41.1%). An analysis of the route extension ratio on the relations between voivodship and county towns shows that the existing railway network layout did not allow for optimal connections: in one case between voivodship towns (Szczecin&ndash;Gorz&oacute;w Wielkopolski) and in 64 relations between voivodship towns and county towns within a single voivodship.
After 1989 the PKP, and since 2001 the PKP PLK, apart from short (up to about 4 km) connecting lines and lines to airports, has not built any longer railway line from scratch. The only new line in the last 33 years was built on the initiative of the voivodship government and a company established for this purpose. At the same time, the railway infrastructure managed by the Polish State Railways (PKP) was deteriorating and many lines were also decommissioned. Subsequently, especially after 2007, upgrades were carried out on the main routes, the projects adopted for these works often involved reducing the number of stations and additional tracks, resulting in reduced capacity. In 2008, the first document containing a comprehensive plan for the functioning of rail transport in Poland was published. The investments planned in it mainly included modernization and expansion of existing lines, construction of short connecting lines and connections to selected airports, as well as the HSR &ldquo;Y&rdquo; line. Almost a decade later, the concept of expanding the rail network within the framework of the creation of the CPK emerged. The construction of new lines also began to be considered by local and regional governments and PKP PLK. In total, plans for the construction of new lines and the reconstruction of decommissioned lines as part of CPK, Kolej+ and other plans by PKP PLK and local authorities cover around 4,000 km of rail routes. The implementation of all these plans would result in another 313 communes, with a total population of 3.6 million, gaining access to passenger rail transport, compared to the situation in 2020. However, these values should be considered unrealistic to achieve. Priority should be given to further modernisation with the addition of connecting lines and new sections that are part of the TEN-T network. At the same time, the main document defining the state&rsquo;s transport policy and in force at the time of writing this book &ndash; the Strategy for Sustainable Transport Development 2030 (SZRT), despite its name, assumes a further dominance of road transport and a decreasing importance of rail transport &ndash; we are therefore faced with the prediction that transport in Poland will become less sustainable. However, Poland&rsquo;s obligations as a member of the European Union and the availability of funds for rail investment mean that numerous projects related to this branch of transport are being implemented. Investments aimed at expanding railway infrastructure were primarily targeted at passenger transport. However, not all projects involving the construction or reconstruction of railway lines led to improved access to rail transport and connections between cities. Investments aimed at expanding rail infrastructure were primarily targeted at passenger transport. The construction of some lines may have a strategic rationale &ndash; for military and freight transport or related to improving connections with Lithuania and Ukraine. Some sections of unplanned lines did not fit into any of these objectives and were therefore considered unjustified. The impact of the Rail+ programme, which will bring passenger trains to 79 communes, including 21 poviat cities, will be important. The realisation and adaptation of railway investments to local needs was easier when they were carried out by a regional railway infrastructure manager &ndash; the Lower Silesian and Pomeranian Voivodeships are good examples. Many of the proposals and projects analysed were initiated by local governments &ndash; some of them were then included in PKP PLK&rsquo;s investment plans. In the case of the railway component of the CPK, individual spokes should be analysed by sections, some of which can be described as unjustified from the point of view of the adopted purpose of this analysis. Conclusions from the analysis carried out in this study may be the starting point for a discussion on the directions of rail transport infrastructure development in Poland.