EIB lends €224m to PKP Intercity to buy high speed trains

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The European Investment Bank and Polish PKP Intercity have signed a €224m finance contract for the purchase of 20 intercity trains and a maintenance depot.

The new trains will allow for PKP Intercity to provide high-speed passenger connections between Gdynia, Warsaw, and Krakow/Katowice.

The rail operator PKP Intercity, majority-owned by the Polish State Treasury, provides long-distance passenger train services in Poland, based on a long-term Public Service Contract with the Polish Government.

The EIB loan, together with a grant from EU-funds, enables the company to purchase 20 trains (electrical multiple units) which will reach a top speed of about 250km per hour.

PKP Intercity will operate the trains on existing routes in Poland: Warsaw-Gdansk-Gdynia, Warsaw-Krakow, and Warsaw-Katowice.

They are part of a Trans-European Transport Networks project connecting Gdansk, Warszawa, Brno/Bratislava and Vienna.

In addition to the rolling stock, the project also comprises a related maintenance depot.

The loan complements another EIB loan to PKP PLK dedicated to the modernisation of infrastructure on the E-65 line from Warsaw to Gdynia – where the trains will be used.

Anton Rop, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, called the project an excellent opportunity for the Bank to further increase its support to the Polish rail sector:

“This loan will help implementing modern transport technologies in the Polish rail system.

“It complements the current series of rail investments in Poland that are necessary for an increased shift from cars towards rail transport.”

Janusz Malinowski, President of PKP Intercity said:

“These new trains will enable passengers in Poland to experience a new level of quality and comfort. With their leading-edge technology, these trains meet the highest functionality and safety standards.”

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