The new Katowice-Ostrava line variant could include freight and an intermodal terminal
Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) selected an investor’s variant to construct the new Katowice-Ostrava line between Poland and Czechia. The high-speed line will mainly accommodate passenger trains transiting at 250km/h. However, sections of it will also be available for rail freight services, while it could also help kick off the construction of an intermodal terminal in Wodzisław Śląski.
The new Katowice-Ostrava high-speed line is part of a broader investment project by CPK. CPK is a Polish transport hub in the making, integrating air, road and rail infrastructure and services. At the same time, since it will become one of Poland’s leading passenger and freight hubs, CPK aims to launch targeted investments around the country to facilitate its connections.
Apart from the Katowice-Ostrava line, CPK will also be part of the new Poland-Ukraine line project linking Warsaw and Kyiv. the line will cross CPK and, according to its CEO Mikołaj Wild, “will be the shortest between Ukraine and the EU”.
New intermodal terminal
The Katowice-Ostrava line variant will cross the cities of Rybnik, Żory, Jastrzębie Zdrój and Wodzisław Śląsk before crossing the Polish-Czech border on the way to Ostrava. The connection between the latter two will be new as it currently does not exist. New railway stations are planned across the new line, but most importantly, a new intermodal terminal could be constructed in Wodzisław Śląski.
The operation of an intermodal terminal in the region could be considered an essential addition to the existing network, which includes rail freight hubs like Ostrava, Katowice, Slawkow or even Dabrowa Gornicza.
Limited space for freight
Freight will not have a leading role in the new Katowice-Ostrava line because high-speed passenger trains will occupy the route. “Sections of it will be available to freight services”, says CPK; however, its most significant contribution is that it will probably alleviate the existing lines from passenger traffic, thus providing more space for rail freight.
In any case, as mentioned before, the region which the new line will cross is a transport and economic hotspot. In this sense, even the slightest contribution can be valuable, either with the possible construction of an additional terminal or by the provision of extra track capacity.
RailFreight Summit Poland
Do you want to follow the discussion about investments in the Polish railway network at the Railfreight Summit Poland? CPK and its role as an integrator of the railway network in Central and Eastern Europe will be highlighted in the programme. You can attend this summit and join the discussion by registering for the event, which will take place on 19 & 20 April 2023 in Warsaw.
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