Warsaw railway junction: modernization of the cross-city line + second cross-city line (tunnel under the Vistula)
A program for rebuilding the Warsaw cross-city junction announced by PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe, composed of two parts. The first is a thorough modernization of the existing cross-city line between Warszawa Zachodnia and Warszawa Wschodnia – reconstruction of the track layout, overhead traction network and traffic control equipment, construction of the new Warszawa Solec and Warszawa de Gaulle'a (Nowy Świat) stops, and reconstruction of the Ochota, Śródmieście and Centralna stations. The second part is the construction of an entirely new, double-track cross-city line dedicated to long-distance traffic, routed in a tunnel under the Central Station, the metro lines and the Vistula. The total estimated cost is approx. PLN 9 billion (approx. PLN 5 billion for the modernization + approx. PLN 4 billion for the new line). The scope of this record covers only the through cross-city lines and the second tunnel; the separately conducted reconstructions of the Warszawa Wschodnia and Warszawa Zachodnia stations are separate investments and are not counted here, in order to avoid double-counting of costs.
How it went
This record carries no outcome assessment on any of the four axes yet. The timeline and sources below show what is known about it; the assessment itself has not been made.
Timeline
- AnnouncedFeb 2026
- Original date2040
- Current date2040
Change history
- Feb 2026stage: announced
Significance
The Warsaw cross-city line is the most important through rail corridor in Poland, carrying agglomeration, regional and long-distance traffic connecting the east and west of the country. The modernization of the existing cross-city line alone was deemed insufficient by PKP PLK, which is why a new, double-track line in a tunnel is planned in parallel, intended to increase the junction's capacity by approx. 20 train pairs per hour and to separate long-distance traffic from agglomeration traffic. The undertaking heralds the largest changes at the Central Station since its opening in 1975. The investment is, however, only at the conceptual and design stage, and its implementation and schedule (modernization in 2031–2035, the new line by approx. 2040) depend on securing financing, which makes it a megaproject with an uncertain go/no-go status.
Sources 5 · 3 independent · 3 archived
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- Rynek KolejowyFeb 2026
- Rynek KolejowyFeb 2026
- [3]Nowa linia średnicowa i remont starej w Warszawie za 9 mld zł. PKP PLK planują gigantyczny tunel pod Wisłą i Dworcem Centralnym ↗archived ✓InvestMap.plFeb 2026CostCurrent date
CostTo projekt szacowany łącznie na około 9 mld zł i określany jako największa inwestycja kolejowa w Warszawie od wielu lat.
Current datemogłaby zostać oddana do użytku w 2040 roku
CostModernizacja ma kosztować około 5 mld zł i być realizowana w latach 2031–2035.A component, not the total: this amount covers the modernisation of the existing cross-city line. The whole project is costed at about PLN 9 billion.
- WNP.plFeb 2026StatusStageOriginal dateAnnouncedInvestor
Status · Stage · AnnouncedPLK są obecnie dopiero w momencie rozpoczynania prac koncepcyjnych i projektowych
Original dateSpółka szacuje, że nowa linia mogłaby zostać otwarta w 2040 r.
InvestorPKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe oprócz modernizacji istniejącej warszawskiej linii średnicowej planują też budowę drugiej linii, która mogłaby przebiegać pod obecną - poinformowali w środę przedstawiciele PLK.
LocationWarszawa Zachodnia i Warszawa Wschodnia
- Funding
FundingInwestycja miałaby być finansowana ze środków unijnych w ramach FEnIKS-a.